This is probably not an option, but I figured I'd ask if you thought about it. It sounds like you were making decent money in your previous work even though you didn't like it or yourself doing it.
Do you think you could stomach doing that kind of work again for two years if you knew all of this could get paid for? It probably wouldn't be fun, but you could put it behind you.
I actually went back to my third party recruiting roots last year in a new industry for me, Medical Oncology (cancer therapy). That was since times were tight. I brought in a bit over $20k in 90 days just getting ramped up.
The work schedule was tough. I worked 8am to 5:30pm in the office which was about 20 minutes from the airport. I then drove to the airport to fly from 6pm to 8:00pm with one private pilot student who I took on full time. And my instrument student flew from 9pm to 11:00pm. I was home by about 11:45pm each night and I only got to eat lunch and grab a quick Chick-fil-a on the way to the airport. I usually ate something at home and then just went to sleep to do it all over again. I also worked weekends flying 11am to 6pm both days.
I don't mind hard work. Even as a CFI, I once had 6 full time and 4 part-time students and I love it! I work 9am to 11pm weekdays to fly 7 hours a day and get a good 2 hours of ground school in. And 11am to 7pm weekends to get a good 4-5 hours of flight time in. But that is when I had to student load to do so. That is not the case anymore. It's more like 11am (everyone no shows at 9am) to 7pm since that all the load we have. And that yields about 5-6 hours of pay tops each day. Hence why I worked out Outback waiting tables a few nights a week. I did 3 nights a week there to keep from being exhausted too much and that helped get me to break even.
Okay, back to recruiting. I can't do it. In 30 days I was angry. In 60 days I went crazy. And in 90 days I walked out. That business just makes me feel bad. It's a slime ball business. I say that because I always tried to be a very honest business person and always do the right thing. The majority of the industry is so money crazy they will lie, steal, cheap, and tear you apart by the heels so they can make something happen for them and take it from you. I just can not work in such a hateful money driven uncompassionate business any longer. It is not worth all the money in the world to come home feeling mentally beat up and bad about what you do.
That business is driven by personal greed. And when you can put $5k to $10k in your pocket a week by playing dirty, most people will. The honest guy makes half that and suffers a terrible mental plight. I'm done with this rant. The answer is no.
I will go back to flying and being poor. And I will take on a second job on the side to make a few bucks extra. And even at my age and education level, waiting tables is not below me since I did it late last year and early this year. It's a far cry from $1,000 days... but I rather have $100 days and smile and be angry.
On a side note. My old business was so stressful, I posted back in 2006 or 2007 on here I think that I was having high blood pressure. I posted in the medical forum on here. It was around 150/98 or something bad. I also could not even walk up a flight of steps without chest pain and being out of breadth.
I went to the clinic and had all kinds of tests. Even a tread mill showed nothing. I paid only a couple bucks for this since I had insurance :banghead:
The doc said it was stress. I did not believe him. I swore I was having a heart attack every day the pain and pressure was so much. So I swore I would show him. I joined a gym and did a 3 hour intense work out every night trying to keel over just to prove my point. I even hired a personal trainer for $100 a day to push me to the limits. He loved my progress. I was just mad. I didn't keel over! This was how much anger I had bent up in me back then.
Since I didn't keel over, after about 3 months and a very unhappy personal trainer (he was making out like a bandit for guiding me for $500 bucks a week), I quit the gym.
I went through the next few months with this plight that never healed. But I was also determined to go to flight school and be a pilot. I quit the business and ended up at flight school. I just squeaked by my medical with marginal blood pressure and I was told I even needed glasses! I don't wear glasses since my vision was okay for years, but being in a crazy job can do crazy things to you.
Once at flight school, within 30 days I never had a chest pain again. So it was clear. The doc was right. It was STRESS. Stress is an amazing thing. And it will kill you. My old career was killing me!!!
And furthermore, my blood pressure now sits at a decent 120/80 on a regular basis. And I do not wear glasses anymore either as my vision sneaks in just at 20/20 to 20/25. Someday I will need glasses, but not quite yet. And best of all, I treat people better today. All that stress made me bitter back then.
Probably more than you wanted to hear. But now you know why I can not go back to make the big bucks in that old business.
But I am willing to work just as hard as a pilot. And even work as a pilot and in another career for 10% of what my potential is. Just because it is worth my sanity to do so.