What_Did_I_Do Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 I'm now mid 50's. Been in the same career for 32+ years. It is a sales oriented/mostly male dominated industry. I've never been a sales shark, couldn't sell water to a man dying of thirst but with our company acquisition my role automatically transitioned into that of 'sales'. Pros - excellent salary, benefits, short commute to the office, respect in the industry. Cons - after 32+ years, there is just no way to infuse new life into what I do. It is demanding, stressful, unfulfilling (clients constantly complaining of price, issues, crookery of my business - ugh). It is a chore just to get up in the morning and trudge through another work day. I'm a single income so I can't take time off to explore new options. I hope to retire in 10 years and cannot imagine doing this for the remainder of my working years. But if the salary wasn't so good.... Any one else in this position? Did you ride it out or throw caution to the wind and start a dog walking company...or something... Link to post Share on other sites
d0nnivain Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 Lots of people start fresh later in life. Second acts can be fun & vibrant, adding new life to your life. First do the math. Is there a package waiting for you from this company? That may be a reason to stay until you vest. Then figure out what you want to do. That is harder. But if it's your dream, go for it! Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Lucky Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 I hope to retire in 10 years and cannot imagine doing this for the remainder of my working years. But if the salary wasn't so good.... Any one else in this position? Did you ride it out or throw caution to the wind and start a dog walking company...or something... I'd split the difference and go on a 5-year plan, using that time to research, get certification, write business plan, talk to people, etc. During those 5-years, I'd pare all unnecessary expenses and save as much as I could. In a similar situation, I decided to stick it out, fearing the hit to my compensation as retirement approached. Is there a different part of your same company or field you can gracefully transition to that would address some of your angst? Mr. Lucky Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted August 8, 2018 Share Posted August 8, 2018 Unless you are a superstar, you may find a hard time getting anything close to what you have now, whether you like it or not... I am a bit younger than you and have been self employed my whole life...I have enough to retire now, but I actually like working....I just don't let anyone break my stones anymore...Period... Eh...>I thought about making some changes, but I don't see myself living to be old, nor do I even want to be old anyway...So, ill stick this out for now.. Like I said, bear in mind that the market really isn't great for people of this age that aren't possessing special skills or are superstars...Most companies would rather go younger... TFY Link to post Share on other sites
dogloverof2 Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) My husband just left his 26 year job at a big manufacturing facility. He had been there since the building was being built. He was getting very unhappy with the way things were changing. He basically had a hard time with it. It had gone from one extreme to another and a lot of it of was poor management and poor production scheduling. And so on. When he first started talking about leaving, it was just that....talk... But the longer he stayed the unhappier he got. He knew he would never ever make the kind of money he was making, again in his life. He is 56 years old. So we saved every penny from both of our jobs. Paid off my new car. House is paid for and our only concern is my health insurance. His last day of work was a few days ago. This weekend we are leaving for a cross country trip. Life is too short to be unhappy. We thought he would retire from his job with a nice retirement package, and all the goodies that came with it. We thru caution to the wind and are gonna enjoy life while we are still feeling like it. Yes it was probably the stupidest thing his did since getting out of the military before being eligible for retirement, but you only live once. Edited August 9, 2018 by dogloverof2 Link to post Share on other sites
Lotsgoingon Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) Can you beg, network, ask around and find SOMETHING in the company that would be more fulfilling ... or at least less dreadful? Just a shot ... find a few people who are you really sharp at the company and share with them your plight ... if these people don't know your skillset well, then share that ... what you really enjoy doing ... what you're good at doing. There are sometimes different kinds of sales jobs even ... I assume you have the kind of sales job I would hate ... But there are also people part of a sales force whose job isn't to nail more customers ... but to explain products ... or charm customers ... or small-talk people at conferences ... Just make sure there isn't something out there you can do ... could be a small niche and they could use you. I would say don't quit the job right away ... at the very least, think of staying a little while and saving money ... Only you can know if this will REALLY kill you ... emotionally kill you and deaden you ... You're in your 50s and so I am ... I read stories about people in their 50s getting laid off with so much dread and fear that this will be me one day ... But here's a tip ... ask for training time ... or if you can't officially get it ... go hang with someone who is a good salesman ... I know, not magic ... but you will learn some tips ... You got an HR department, sneak in there one day ... and share your issues ... see if there is something out there you can consider ... HR departments often keep secrets ... Also, call up all the sharp connected people you know and ask to meet them for coffee ... in person is key! ... Share your situation ... your dilemma and tap their brains ... You want to do this in person. I have found that for some reason, having a person across from you, helps people really tap their minds and memories and call up things that if you talked to them on the phone, they wouldn't call up. Also, here is key. You are NOT asking for a job when you call folks for coffee meetups ... People get scared when you say you want help with a job ... because no one feels like they have enough pull to just hire you or get you hired ... So you want to talk about the next part of your career and get ideas ... And! ... here's the twist: of course, people will share info they have on any jobs! ... Once in front of you, of course they will! (Of course, later if you have to quit, you may directly scream jobs to everyone you encounter.) ... BTW: there have been studies ... people often get the best job tips from acquaintances ... not close friends ... Close friends know what you know, think how you think ... Acquaintances often have connections to totally different corners of the world. So as you contact people, keep that in mind ... sometimes a random 2-minute ride in an elevator with the right person will yield more helpful information than two hours with a close friend. Good luck man, I feel your pain. I think ten years in work misery is too much--if you can at all help it ... Make sure you know how much money you have in retirement accounts and all of that ... I know this is too good to be true ... but just saying: a friend of mine quit a job after a big merger ... she didn't like the new setup ... Turns out, she had accumulated stock options that she didn't even know about ... And the options, as I understand it, only become real when you're ready to quit or retire or something like that ... You might or might not be in better position than you think you are. In the meantime, keep purchases down ... no fancy cars ... no fancy stereo purchases ... go simple on everything ... That's a huge temptation when your work is miserable: to spend to give yourself some pleasure ...which forces you to continue working at the job you don't like. I feel for you, brother. First step, ask around in the company, visit HR ... Second step, ask for a mentor ... a top sales person you can hang with some. Tell them you want to get really good at this. There is nothing shameful about where you are right now. Lots of us will be there, are there. So no need to walk around in shame. And shame slows you down ... call up your best energy when you meet people ... You're eager to do something different and exciting ... not you HATE where you are ... Actually this little bit helps us feel better ... not just helps other people see us better. Edited August 9, 2018 by Lotsgoingon Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 the more money you have saved up the more options you have Link to post Share on other sites
beatcuff Posted August 9, 2018 Share Posted August 9, 2018 (edited) I'm now mid 50's. It is...stressful, unfulfilling.... It is a chore just to get up in the morning and trudge through another work day. read this again and again and again. you will spend about 1/3 of your next decade working (include commuting). worse, now it appears your emotions are creeping into the other thirds. so how many extra bucks is worth the (other) 2/3 of your life. i enjoy work and have encouraged my children to find work they can be passionate about, no matter the dollars. being happy is far too important, especially as the years wind down. because when you enjoy something -- it isn't really work. maybe you will have to adjust your budget, but i also suspect you will find other activities to fill the void --- people tend to gravitate to happy people, you may find just hanging by a fire doing 'nothing' with a couple of friends/neighbors to be very rewarding. Edited August 9, 2018 by beatcuff clarify Link to post Share on other sites
Soak Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 and start a dog walking company...or something... You've mentioned this, so it sounds like it has been on your mind! If you have a passion for something, then you are more likely to succeed. If you have great contacts with dogs etc. and know of lots of friends, or colleagues with dogs at home during the day that need walking, maybe you'd have a chance . In a big city, there'd be lots of opportunities to walk dogs. Just make sure you've got your insurance worked out (public liability, indemnity incase a dog gets injured on your shift etc) and are perceived as a kind, nurturing and dog-loving type of person. I think you could make it as a dog walker, but you'd have to have a passion for it. Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 the more money you have saved up the more options you have I'd like to expand upon this post and agree. Savings/Retirement funds are the key to several options. Personally, I would stick it out, save as much money as humanly possible and try to retire early. I've only had one job in my life that I really, really liked. Some I hated, some I tolerated, but only one where I enjoyed going to work. Work is work, it was never meant to be a vacation, you are trading your services for a paycheck. Just do it, try to stay below the radar, don't "chit-chat" with your co-workers and save, save, save. Maybe in 5-7 years, you can retire early and say good-bye to the whole rat race. Just my two cents... 1 Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 Just one word of advice for those that think that a "passion" for something will immediately turn into a career/job you love...It's not that easy...Having a hobby or desire for something is one thing.....Trying to turn it into something that has to now earn you a living is a completely different story...People can and do often easily burn out of it, and wish they have left it as a hobby...... TFY 1 Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 Just one word of advice for those that think that a "passion" for something will immediately turn into a career/job you love...It's not that easy...Having a hobby or desire for something is one thing.....Trying to turn it into something that has to now earn you a living is a completely different story...People can and do often easily burn out of it, and wish they have left it as a hobby...... TFY 60% of small businesses fail within 5 years 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Lemming Posted August 11, 2018 Share Posted August 11, 2018 60% of small businesses fail within 5 years As for the ones that succeed, is the sole proprietor bringing home a "living wage" (after Self Employment taxes)?? Link to post Share on other sites
Banker Chick Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 You have to keep in mind that nothing is perfect and almost everything has a trade-off. I have my MBA and have worked primarily in estate planning. I got bored so when I was laid off back when the market tanked and given severance, I decided to try my hand at my "dream" of owning my own business. I HATED it. I worked all.the.time and any initial fun of doing the job was completely sucked out of it by rude customers, bookkeeping, social media, etc. I ended up going back into estate planning. While I will never set the world on fire, I do enjoy my co-workers, the company is solid and I make a good living. Additionally, my company is big on volunteering so I'm able to spend time doing things that feed my soul. I think doing a 5 year plan that was suggested is a great idea. Five years seems like a manageable time to get finances together. Maybe after the 5 years you quit the job you have now but work part-time or even full-time at a job you love. You won't make as much but if you planned accordingly in the 5 years, it might be doable. It's true what was said about life being short. My parents (both turned 70 this year) had a friend that was SO looking forward to retirement and then a week after he retired he fell from the ceiling of his garage and landed on his head and passed away a few days later. So incredibly sad. Link to post Share on other sites
bathtub-row Posted August 21, 2018 Share Posted August 21, 2018 What about getting a position managing sales people? Most of them require sales experience, which you have. Link to post Share on other sites
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