Bouncing some ideas.....

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I'm going to piggyback this on the thread where we've failed.  I've got some thinking that I need to do, and while I know I have options I want to get some other ideas.

When I lost my job and went out on disability, I ran a lab.  I was working on my PhD and was really in a position where I was very well respected in my field.  People searched me out for help, I've generally helped them if I could and while I have a decent list of publications that I've authored, there is probably an equally long list of people that I have helped contribute to their research.  I know a lot of people in my field and have quite a few contacts.  I have enough of them that I could probably find a job at UW or UBC.  I'm also really good at development, and could probably find a place in industry.  I've seen more than a few jobs that I am qualified to do, but they are in Seattle.

My problem is two-fold.  I cannot physically work in a lab anymore, I need a more sedentary job.  But I LIKE working in a lab.  I like the idea of making a better mousetrap.  So the idea of being close to a lab and not being able to get my hands dirty probably isn't going to make me happy.  Also, I've done the big city bit before.  I don't want to live or work in an area where life is a hassle, just to get to work.  Being at least partially disabled, public transportation is going to be difficult for me on a good day, impossible on a bad one.

There is nothing locally here for me to do in my field.  So I need to move forward and determine exactly where I can find a new niche.  In town, there are 2 engineering firms and a lot of refineries.  While I am decent in math, engineering is likely out as I do not really want to do this.  TD suggested drafting.  The starting salary is decently high and training is not ridiculously long.  I have better than half the requirements from my STEM degree for the AA program in drafting.

Am I nuts, to consider going back to get an AA after I failed a PhD program??  Being a totally kept woman is going to drive me bonkers!

[NancysSummerSip]

Am I nuts, to consider going back to get an AA after I failed a PhD program?? Being a totally kept woman is going to drive me bonkers!

Answer to first question: NO. And you were not a failure. Life happens when you make plans for a PhD. You got caught in life. You can absolutely do other things.

Response to second statement: can TD afford to keep an additional woman?

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Am I nuts, to consider going back to get an AA after I failed a PhD program

Look on the bright side, an AA degree is going to be a breeze compared to trying to obtain a PhD program.

Nope I don't think you're nuts.  I've toyed with hte idea of going back and getting a BCLS rather than going to graduate school.  Problem is I have to quit working to do the BCLS program.  So I'd be paying $16k+ out of pocket/loans while DH supported us. 

It'd open some doors but not enough to justify the increase in SLs and loss of income.  If I had to re-invent myself though I'd do it in a heartbeat.

[Deleted]

Drafting gets very repetitive. Most of the drafters that I work with are sick of drafting.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 14, 2013 13:39:54 GMT -5 @bunnysmom said:

Drafting gets very repetitive. Most of the drafters that I work with are sick of drafting.

Yeah, I realize this.  But I am 54 and am not looking at doing this for 30+ years, I'm just looking at a way of being employed for another 10 years or so until I can retire.

And to be honest, research can be very repetitive as well.  The deal is that you can't let it get to you and I'm pretty good at that.

[wvugurl26]

I think its very smart of you to consider a new area that uses some of your stem background. I know you've been struggling with reinventing your career, I think it sounds like a good next step.

[Deleted]

Would the schooling expense be worth it for 10 years? You could just get a non-technical job if all you want is to get out of the house.

[swamp]

I don't think it's a stupid idea at all.  You want to work, you've thought about what you would be good at and what fits with your physical limitations.    I don't see any reason not to do it.  You've still got a good 20 working years ahead of you. 

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...we've done associates degrees after masters... just get the credentials you need when you need them and don't worry about someone else's notion of what "on time" means... fwiw

[bookkeeper]

Can you work in front of a computer screen all day?  Your time training for a CAD degree will all be spent in a computer lab.  My son completed all but 12 hours of his AA degree in CAD and that is the conclusion he came to.  He is now enrolled in a biology/agronomy major and likes it much better.

When my son was in the CAD program, much of what they did was beta-test software for the latest, greatest CAD programs.  All the homework had to be completed in the school computer lab, (due to licensing restraints) and if the program you were working on failed or you had a hardware issue, it wasn't like you could go home with your laptop and finish your assignments. 

There is a large engineering component to a CAD degree.  You have to like to solve problems with physics.   

[Deleted]

"There is a large engineering component to a CAD degree. You have to like to solve problems with physics. "

Not necessarily. It depends on if you want to be a good drafter  and what kind of drafting you will be doing (manufacturing versus building/building system design). We have some drafters who could care less and will draw with no thought behind it what-so-ever.

[gs11rmb]

Will you be employable with an AA in drafting?  An architect friend of mine taught drafting at a college when she lost her job in the 08 crash.  She said she felt bad for the students because she couldn't imagine they'd be employable because all the drafting job were being taken by architects.  Now that the economy is recovering that may no longer be the case.  Good luck to you.

[muttleynfelix]

Nov 14, 2013 14:04:02 GMT -5 @bunnysmom said:

"There is a large engineering component to a CAD degree. You have to like to solve problems with physics. "

Not necessarily. It depends on if you want to be a good drafter  and what kind of drafting you will be doing (manufacturing versus building/building system design). We have some drafters who could care less and will draw with no thought behind it what-so-ever.

If she goes the Civil direction, drafting only requires some basic geometry.  As long as she can calculate a slope, she would be good over here.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 14, 2013 13:59:57 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

Can you work in front of a computer screen all day?  Your time training for a CAD degree will all be spent in a computer lab.  My son completed all but 12 hours of his AA degree in CAD and that is the conclusion he came to.  He is now enrolled in a biology/agronomy major and likes it much better.

When my son was in the CAD program, much of what they did was beta-test software for the latest, greatest CAD programs.  All the homework had to be completed in the school computer lab, (due to licensing restraints) and if the program you were working on failed or you had a hardware issue, it wasn't like you could go home with your laptop and finish your assignments. 

There is a large engineering component to a CAD degree.  You have to like to solve problems with physics.   

My STEM degree is in biology, but what I WANT to do is hampered by my physical limitations.  I would prefer to go back to what I know, but I have looked at what my options are and what I want to do is not going to happen.
 
Yes, I can sit in front of a computer screen all day.  That's why I was recently bumped off one of my disability policies because I could do ANY job and sitting in front of a computer is one of the jobs that they said I should be able to do.  Only problem is that many times there are other physical components included with sitting in front of a computer that I cannot do.

[sheilaincali]

Nov 14, 2013 14:06:23 GMT -5 gs11rmb said:

Will you be employable with an AA in drafting?  An architect friend of mine taught drafting at a college when she lost her job in the 08 crash.  She said she felt bad for the students because she couldn't imagine they'd be employable because all the drafting job were being taken by architects.  Now that the economy is recovering that may no longer be the case.  Good luck to you.

This I my concern as well.  I have a bachelor's degree in Interior Design and Construction Management with a background in CAD.  Most of my fellow graduates could not get jobs in that field.  There was a big influx of trained people that were looking for work after being downsized and openings for someone just starting out just weren't available. 

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer- I'd just look at realistic employment numbers before you decide.

[muttleynfelix]

Nov 14, 2013 14:06:23 GMT -5 gs11rmb said:

Will you be employable with an AA in drafting?  An architect friend of mine taught drafting at a college when she lost her job in the 08 crash.  She said she felt bad for the students because she couldn't imagine they'd be employable because all the drafting job were being taken by architects.  Now that the economy is recovering that may no longer be the case.  Good luck to you.

Depends on where she is. We looked all summer for someone to do drafting for us and couldn't find anyone. We finally hired an Engineering student to work part time to help with our drafting.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

I have 2 semesters of calculus, 2 semesters of physics and enough statistics to gag a horse. I think I'm good here because I have way more math and physics than the degree requires.

This I my concern as well. I have a bachelor's degree in Interior Design and Construction Management with a background in CAD. Most of my fellow graduates could not get jobs in that field. There was a big influx of trained people that were looking for work after being downsized and openings for someone just starting out just weren't available.

I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer- I'd just look at realistic employment numbers before you decide.

This is the beauty of this. Locally, it seems like they are always on the hunt for drafters (I spoke to the hiring agent at the firm where TD works). This is a rather rural area and most want to go to the city. So it may be location.

[muttleynfelix]

Mich - If you are interested in drafting, I would try to talk to some people at the engineering firms and ask what they want you to know.  The drafting schools around here don't teach a lot of aspects of Cad that we use.  After a couple introductory classes, you might want to get some specialized classes in things like Civil 3D or AutoCAD Revit. Find out if the engineering firms would hire a drafter.  A lot don't now, but some still do. It seems like a lot of the drafters are just going into manufacturing and the degree and classes are geared towards that.  It is going to be highly dependent on your local market and the best way to find that out is to ask.  If you lived here and could handle walking up a flight of stairs everyday, I would hire you.  We still need a CAD person to go with our engineering student that we hired.

[sheilaincali]

If that's the case then I'm not seeing a downside to your plan than. 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 14, 2013 14:20:34 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

Mich - If you are interested in drafting, I would try to talk to some people at the engineering firms and ask what they want you to know.  The drafting schools around here don't teach a lot of aspects of Cad that we use.  After a couple introductory classes, you might want to get some specialized classes in things like Civil 3D or AutoCAD Revit. Find out if the engineering firms would hire a drafter.  A lot don't now, but some still do. It seems like a lot of the drafters are just going into manufacturing and the degree and classes are geared towards that.  It is going to be highly dependent on your local market and the best way to find that out is to ask.  If you lived here and could handle walking up a flight of stairs everyday, I would hire you.  We still need a CAD person to go with our engineering student that we hired.

I can do a flight of stairs, but I can't run up and down them all day.  I know I have a bit more research that I need to do but this is just something that has come up and like I said, I am looking for a way to reinvent myself since I cannot do what I've been educated to do.

It's heartbreaking to me, because I spent a lot of time doing it and there are a lot of good people out there (some of who would snag me in a heartbeat now that I am free).  But I am being realistic in my limitations.  Not only that, working around microbes probably isn't the smartest thing for me to do either as my body cannot handle another infection.  I'm still recovering from the damage that the last one did.

[muttleynfelix]

I only mentioned the stairs because that is the only way in and out of our office. It isn't handicap accessible .. except the bathroom (I never figured that one out).  

[muttleynfelix]

I would think a lot of personality traits that made you a great researcher would make you a good drafter too.  Ability to work independently, ability to take direction, good attention to detail, etc.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 14, 2013 14:32:47 GMT -5 muttleynfelix said:

I only mentioned the stairs because that is the only way in and out of our office. It isn't handicap accessible .. except the bathroom (I never figured that one out).  

Hell, if I had the ability I would hire myself out as a consultant as to how to make h/c bathrooms truly h/c accessible.  I think I have run into every poor design that could be conjured up in the last 2 years.

[chiver78]

Nov 14, 2013 13:59:57 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

There is a large engineering component to a CAD degree.  You have to like to solve problems with physics.   

not always. where I work, the drafters draw up exactly what the markups show. the engineers make the markups.


Mich, I think it's definitely an idea worth looking into. good luck!

[Deleted]

"not always. where I work, the drafters draw up exactly what the markups show. the engineers make the markups. "

I would be happy if they would draw EXACTLY what I marked up

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 14, 2013 16:18:21 GMT -5 @sroo4 said:

I don't really know anything about drafting,  so I can't help you there. 

How about programming or data analysis?   I could be wrong but I would think there would be a lot of similarities between lab work and analysis and (for lack of a better term) general data analysis.  


 

No interest whatsoever in programming and the problem with data analysis (which I am also pretty good at) is two fold.  I'd have to be near a major medical center regularly (and I don't want to do cities) and if I am close enough to a research group to work with them, I'd want to be hands on.

Right now, I have enough data to write a batch of papers for my old lab, but if I do this, I put my disability in jeopardy and they don't have enough for me to make a full time job of it.  And with the funding cuts that NIH grants have taken, they cannot afford to pay me.

When I first started seeing TD, I went to my boss to see if there was a way to parlay it to this sort of position, and fly back periodically.  It wasn't possible then as they needed me in the lab.  Now, they have managed to absorb most of my lab workload, but no funding on the grants for a new position.

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Nov 14, 2013 16:24:41 GMT -5 chiver78 said:

Nov 14, 2013 13:59:57 GMT -5 bookkeeper said:

There is a large engineering component to a CAD degree.  You have to like to solve problems with physics.   

not always. where I work, the drafters draw up exactly what the markups show. the engineers make the markups.


Mich, I think it's definitely an idea worth looking into. good luck!

This seems to be the way that it works where I'm looking at going.

[Deleted]

Mich I think that sounds like a good plan, especially since you know they are hiring. 

Have you considered teaching, perhaps at a community college? It sounds like you'd be qualified to teach a number of things. It might not have the benefits you want though, but it could be something to consider. 

Other thoughts: is it possible to work PT in a lab? I don't know.

Grant writer? I'm guessing you have a decent amount of experience with this. 

Also (it wouldn't be my first choice but) tutoring for exams (GMATs, MCATS, etc). 

By the way I am exactly the same age as you ... I am an adjunct (which DOES come with benefits and health coverage here) and I was thrilled to change careers at 50. Like you, I wasn't looking for something I was going to do for the next 30+ years.  

Good luck to you! 

[The Walk of the Penguin Mich]

Have you considered teaching, perhaps at a community college? It sounds like you'd be qualified to teach a number of things. It might not have the benefits you want though, but it could be something to consider.

Not my first choice, but I have looked into it. There are a couple of local colleges, but it looks like they're not hiring much.

Other thoughts: is it possible to work PT in a lab? I don't know.

Lab work isn't sedentary and I cannot lift and carry anything heavy. My balance is precarious as well so this really isn't a great idea. And any work that I do in a lab means I'm exposed to more than the normal amount of microbes. I really can't afford to get infected again. There isn't anything local for me and I'd have to travel either 100 miles south or 60 miles north over the border.

Grant writer? I'm guessing you have a decent amount of experience with this.

Some experience, writing pieces but not a lot.

I don't want to have to shoot everything down, but with my physical issues it has added a complexity to the situation and I am trying to find a job where if something happens and I wind up wheelchair bound, I could still do it. I never expected to be looking to change careers, but life happened and I had to deal. Right now, I'm trying to anticipate any worst possible scenarios of something that could happen to me, and set myself up so that I can recover from it.

Last week, I was at a Project Manager's get together and happened to overhear some guy talking about clinical trials with the FDA. I do have some experience here as well, but the show started right as I was introducing myself to the guy, so he went to sit at his table, and had to leave before the end so I never got another chance to talk to him. TD's going to see if he can wrangle a name from the president of the group and I'll try pounding on those doors too.

[Sharon]

I haven't ever heard of anyone being paid to do this but are there any organizations that help people navigate their hospital bills and the associated insurance/medicare payments.  You are certainly experienced with this.

Could you work as a contractor proof reading the technical articles etc that your former colleagues are publishing.