A perspective on career changing...

naunga

naunga

New Member
...even though I'm not changing aviation.

Right, like I said I'm not going into aviation, but I am at the very beginnings of a pretty drastic career change.

I have loved to cook for as long as I can remember. As a child I would watch every cooking show I could find. I wished I could try out all the things I saw made, but I never considered a career as a chef. No idea why, maybe I never knew that you could be a chef. Sometimes my brain doesn't put things together like, going to a restaurant and never wondering where the food came from. So my love of cooking stayed purely personal.

Fastward to after college. I knew I didn't want to be a computer programmer (which is exactly what I am, and I hate it), but I wasn't sure what I did want to do. Something creative. So I looked into visual arts (I had a partial art minor) in school, but I don't have the temperment to sit for long hours and create detailed drawings. So what to do? I got the first good job that came along (and while I don't love it, I am greatful for it), but I also started watching TV after work and found the Food Network. It was like being a kid again, and then it hit me: wow people can make money cooking.

So I kicked it around and kicked it around. I talked with people about it. I read all about, but couldn't pull the trigger. Maybe it was the fact that I'd just gotten married to a med student (even on a decent salary that was kinda tough), but I think a large part of it was fear.

Now we fast forward to now (actually a couple months ago). I'm 29. I'll be 30 in September. One day I was sitting at my desk despising my job, and it occurred to me that I needed to do something about it before I turned 31, because I had this sense that if I didn't I never would.

So I took the leap and applied to culinary school here in Atlanta (The Art Institute of Atlanta). I just dove in. They have a weekend program that'll enable me to keep my job, so I can pay for all this.

Interestingly enough, I am extremely calm about this. In fact at times I find myself freaking out, because I'm not freaking out. I believe the reason I'm not freaking out is, because this wasn't as big a life change as I thought it would be. Maybe this was a natural progression of things. Now maybe I'm be a freaking mess when the time comes for me to quit my job and take that paycut. We'll see.

Anyhow, the point to all you hedging career changers out there is just do it. Sure there is fear initially, but plan it out, make an informed decision and you'll find like me that really there isn't anything to be a afraid of.

Just thought I'd share.

Naunga
 
Nicely said!

I'd like to make a jump like that (not cooking, but other)....i just need to get my plan of attack in order.
 
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Nicely said!

I'd like to make a jump like that (not cooking, but other)....i just need to get my plan of attack in order.

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Thanks, and you know that will is the biggest hurdle. Once you actually sit down and work out a plan the rest is easy.

And really the plan isn't all the tough either.

Naunga
 
Man you must be doing something wrong if you hate programming. All the programmers I know are consultants and work six months a year and ski the other half.
 
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Man you must be doing something wrong if you hate programming. All the programmers I know are consultants and work six months a year and ski the other half.

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In the end it's not for me, but some people love it. I need something a little more hectic. I can't stand to sit for 8 hours a day 5 days a week, 52 weeks a year. It drives me bonkers, and let's face it after you've written the same program, but with a different name 100,000,000 times it gets a little old. It also gets old to start doing something and then be told you need to do it completely different. Of course that happens in the kitchen too, but the difference is that a new dish takes a few minutes, but a new program requires weeks of meetings, hours and hours of coding, finally getting the user to realize what they really want is what you're giving them, all in all at least a month.

When I looked back I realized all the "fun" jobs I had were the ones in high school and college where I was working in kitchens. I loved the pace of the work, the people, everything is clear cut, it was just better.

But to each his own.

Naunga
 
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Man you must be doing something wrong if you hate programming. All the programmers I know are consultants and work six months a year and ski the other half.

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The computer industry has changed a lot over the last 5 years. It isn't really a lot of fun anymore. No one will pay for quality work when they can get 4 or 5 people that don't speak English for the same price. It takes them twice as long to get the job done if it ever gets done. All management cares about is cost per head count.

My last job in the industry was with a Fortune 50 company. I worked about 5 hours a week and screwed around on the internet about 35 hours a week. I kept getting told what a good job I was doing and getting bonuses but it wasn't fun.

I don't blame him for leaving the industry one bit.
 
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My last job in the industry was with a Fortune 50 company. I worked about 5 hours a week and screwed around on the internet about 35 hours a week. I kept getting told what a good job I was doing and getting bonuses but it wasn't fun.

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You got it exactly!

It's boring. It's not the exciting world it used to be. Even game developing, which I looked into, is one of the WORST sides of the industry.

I've heard about game developers on a project missing the birth of their children, funerals of close family members, and other events all in the name of getting the project done. What's worse is that most developers (who aren't consultants, but consultants aren't really developers...they're consultants) are salaried or what is known as exempt employees. All this means is that you make whatever a year, but are expect to work 24x7x365. I personally have missed a Christmas Morning, my wife's birthday, and been called when on vacation. I've heard worse stories.

Of course all the said the food industry isn't a lot better. You work long hours (but you do get paid for the HOURS you put in), it's a loud environment, you're cutting yourself, burning yourself, getting screamed at by chefs and customers, and are basically treated like a body without a head.

Why would anyone want to go into that mess?

Because this -->
nana2.gif
is how you feel when the customers compliment the chef for a dish that you prepared (he gets the credit, because it was his recipe) or when you're in the weeds and get all your dishes out on time and done right.

It's also a lot of passion. I love, love, LOVE to cook. You have to have passion about anything you do. I used to think that a job was a job and passion was something that people who were lucky enough to love their jobs had, but the truth is if you're not passionate about your job you'll never enjoy it. It will always be that thing that you HAVE to do Monday through Friday.

For me, it's also being able to come home from work and actually feel like I earned my pay. Sounds strange. I mean you'd think that most people would love to be able to pull down a huge salary and only work 1/8 of the time. I don't like it. Somehow I don't feel like I came by it honestly. It really does make you feel like a cog in a huge machine.

Anyhow, that's it.

Naunga
 
It really helps make sense of things when you are no longer money driven. I've been to estates in Beverly Hills, and imagined living there only to realize that its all just a bunch of stuff. Money is fine, but what I really enjoy in life is hanging out with friends, going to the beach, and simpiler things. You do need enough money to be secure though. Unfortunately, for the first few years of your flying career you don't make enough to be secure. My biggest obstacle is figuring out how to make it for the first 18 months.
 
BrettInLJ,
I am with you. I look forward to holding up a sign that says "will fly for food". I always know if I had to though, I can always go back to the daily grind and high stress of a six figure job I hate just so I can enjoy my 1 day off each week after putting in my 55-60 hours. Just thinking of that makes me have chest pains... so glad to be walking away from this crap eventually.

Now how to pay for those 18 months. If you make good money as you say, save $3k per month and delay your start date for 1 year. Now you saved $36k in cash. Take out your loan and pretend you never seen your $36k in cash because that is what you will live on for the couple years when your income is poverty level. If you can not save $3k cash each month for 12 months, at least save $2k for 12 months. If you can not do at least that, you do not make enough money right now anyway so you will not benefit much by saving less. Or, youi have too much debt and you need to really work on being debt free when you start school or you are setting yourself up for trouble financially unless you have a wife who can hold back the bill collectors while you go to school. So if you can not save at least $2k a month but you are bedt free from car loans and credit card debt, just get your loan and figure it out later. Remember that deferring your payments is always an option if you run into a tight financial situation, but only if you must since the interest will build quickly on a large outstanding balance.

That's my 2 cents. Good luck to you.
 
nanuga since you like cooking and aviation you should start a catering company at an FBO. Charge people $500 dollars for a sandwich and chips.
 
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nanuga since you like cooking and aviation you should start a catering company at an FBO. Charge people $500 dollars for a sandwich and chips.

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I've really thought about it.

But I'd really rather have a restaurant on a field some where. Someplace with a nice view of the runway.

Or maybe someplace on some carribean seaplane base.

Naunga
 
Nicely put as usual, naunga. I plan on saving right now, then making that jump in abot a year or so!!!!!!!
 
I'd like to own a tiki bar! Airplanes are cool but I think owning/operating a tiki bar woud be far cooler.
 
You say that now, but then you'd probably be like "Mam owning a tiki bar is cool, but being a belly dancer would rock it!"
 
Yeah definately a Tiki Bar.

If you remember that old Disney cartoon, Tail Spin, I'd love a place like Louie's. On the water, a dock for seaplanes, salty old pilots swapping stories, etc.

A place full of regulars, that's what I'd love.

Naunga
 
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