Mid life career help

[Intp it's]

Ok, so this is my first post on this forum.

I am after some advice and lateral thinking from fellow intp's, who know how difficult it can be for us to make good career choices. And it may also serve as a warning for those of us about to make major vocational decisions.

From an early age, I had this feeling that there was something waiting for me, that life would just happen. I sort of floated through primary school, really not learning much. I had a great grasp of English but sucked at maths. By grade 5, my parents had to hire a tutor to improve my maths skills. I literally couldn't add 1 plus 4. This now seems amazing, as I have a good mathematical mind, but at 9 years old, there was this fog that prevented me learning numeracy skills.

I was then sent to a large private school, at considerable cost to my parents. This started off okay, with reasonable grades. I tried to study hard, but was bombing in maths and sciences. In year 10, my grades crashed. By final year, the school recommended I did not attempt vce, but I did and failed. I repeated and just passed, but 10 pct was deducted from my university entry score because I had repeated vce.

I got into a business course in hospitality but again crashed and burned in accounting, and dropped out.

The next 5 years I drifted in and out of crap jobs, waiting tables, as a bank teller and a barman.

Deciding to give journalism a go, I enrolled in a BA in politics. Being 26, I took study more seriously and aced it. I topped the semester in statistics and politics (weird). But after this success, did I use the credits to get into a better degree? No. I fell into a bloody sales job and have been stuck in sales for the last 20 years.

I am now 48 and I really need a change. Only recently discovering Myers Briggs profiling, I realise that sales is just about the worst career I could have chosen. As far as sales positions go, it's a pretty good one though. Being technical sales, it involves a lot of problem solving and technical design. But the back slapping and relationship building - part of any sales career, absolutely kills me.

Don't get me wrong. I enjoy making new contacts and helping people but I can't cope with the mistrust shown to me because I am in sales. As an intp, I find it very hard to deceive or lie in any way and am way too honest to ever be successful in sales.

So I am now at a crossroad. I cannot stay in sales for the next 20 years but am getting too old to go through 5-10 years of part time study to requalify myself.

I enjoy problem solving but shy away from responsibility. I enjoy mentoring and teaching people but don't want to lead. And I cannot sit behind a desk for 8 hours a day.

I am fiercely independent and have thought of starting my own business, or buying a franchise, but need variety and to be around work colleagues, or at least interact with a variety of people.

Oh yea, it has to pay fairly well.

If I had my time again, I would have made better choices in my teens and twenties but hey, no regrets.

Suggestions ?

 

[Architect]

Ones 40's are a typical time for wanting a change regardless of how much you like your work. Unfortunately that also coincides with our peak earnings years. You didn't say whether you have any dependents, but we'll just assume the question in isolation.

The best approach is if you can pursue something in your present field but more to your liking - a new job. Think of a sales job where you're not doing direct sales. For example, corporate training for sales? That could be interesting. Or it could be in a highly technical sales. For example, at my company our sales people are highly skilled folks with full engineering degrees. Most of the time they are doing scientific measurement analysis for customers, and working closely with them to solve problems in very diverse fields from medicine to Aerospace and Defense.

 

[Intp it's]

Thanks architect. Married with no dependent except two chickens and a spoilt
Dog. Some good suggestions. I am being drawn towards working for a smaller firm rather than a multinational, where I am now. But you are correct about this being a financially difficult time for a career change. I am not going to sacrifice financial security on a whim.

 

[pjoa09]

Damn, scary stuff. I sometimes think I have a quarter-life crisis.

 

[SMO]

Hey welcome to the club, I am in a similar situation (much younger and probably more handsome though), let me caution you on starting a business/franchise. I thought starting a business would be great, and in a lot of ways it has been. However, I am not a good manager, nor am I a good employee and the day to day details of keeping track of invoices, accounting, marketing, compliance is enough to drive me crazy. I have been successful, the business has grown quickly and is profitable, I have obviously hired employees.

I won't go into the boring details of my experience but cut to the chase, could you elaborate on your "technical" experience? I have a lot of sales experience as well, it is funny I have often talked about how the most successful sales people, are untruthful or don't give the full story.

Couple of suggestions without knowing more are: Technical Writer, Consultant and lottery winner.

 

[Intp it's]

Hey welcome to the club, I am in a similar situation (much younger and probably more handsome though), let me caution you on starting a business/franchise. I thought starting a business would be great, and in a lot of ways it has been. However, I am not a good manager, nor am I a good employee and the day to day details of keeping track of invoices, accounting, marketing, compliance is enough to drive me crazy. I have been successful, the business has grown quickly and is profitable, I have obviously hired employees.

I won't go into the boring details of my experience but cut to the chase, could you elaborate on your "technical" experience? I have a lot of sales experience as well, it is funny I have often talked about how the most successful sales people, are untruthful or don't give the full story.

Couple of suggestions without knowing more are: Technical Writer, Consultant and lottery winner.

Thanks, I think. . I have spent the last six years with a electrical distribution and industrial control equipment company. I specialise in low voltage power distribution equipment and am also handy with industrial control schematics. Have also dabbled in ladder and function block plc logic. One possible pathway is for me to move from sales to engineering, where I help design process systems, (scada), but this will take some serious study, which I really don't have the time or finances for.

I have thought about technical writing, but being tied to a desk all day would drive me crazy. I'm still working on lottery winner, and have even considered professional blackjack or poker.

 

[Architect]

I have thought about technical writing, but being tied to a desk all day would drive me crazy.

Most INTPs are happy to be tied to a desk all day, as long as they can think. If your question is tailored to INTPs in particular then a desk type job is the first that will come up. In general knowing your type can be enormously helpful in finding a fulfilling career.

You might examine whether you really are an INTP first as that is a critical question and people often mistype as INTP's. Note that the tests won't tell you that, you have to look at the profiles and the functions, Personality Junkie has a lot of articles which can help.

 

[pjoa09]

Most INTPs are happy to be tied to a desk all day, as long as they can think. If your question is tailored to INTPs in particular then a desk type job is the first that will come up. In general knowing your type can be enormously helpful in finding a fulfilling career.

You might examine whether you really are an INTP first as that is a critical question and people often mistype as INTP's. Note that the tests won't tell you that, you have to look at the profiles and the functions, Personality Junkie has a lot of articles which can help.

I can associate to actually liking a desk job. There are very few odd jobs that I'd bother getting out of office for. Too bad it's redundant, I compensate by making elaborate excel formulas to get it done quicker.Sometimes they aren't as quick as I hope but at least it makes my job more interesting. I take quite a bit of pride in it even though I get frowns from coworkers because of it.

 

[Architect]

I can associate to actually liking a desk job.

Agreed. People too often say "I can't stand a desk job" or "a desk job would kill me" conjuring up images of Bob Cratchit hunched over his desk toiling on the numbers. In my estimation that comment mostly comes from ESXX types who would apparently prefer marching over a hill to get shot at, or hot and sweaty installing a roof on top of a house.

Another example is the Mythbusters. As much as I love the show and the hosts, they continually cry out how they have the best job on the planet. Uh, yeah right. They have to do horrible things, like have their head stuck in a box with 45 tarantulas, all while playing a part. Sure they get to see huge explosions, but so do I from the comfort of my living room as I watch them.

Here Here! to the glories of a desk job! I'm in a comfortable environment, I can come and go as I please (not every job is like this), I'm left alone, and I get to think, think and think. What's not to like?

 

[Analyzer]

My ideal job would be in front of a computer with flexible routines. I could work anywhere I went including the beach, on a plane, home, or any where else. Web development sounds like the answer.

 

[Intp it's]

Most INTPs are happy to be tied to a desk all day, as long as they can think. If your question is tailored to INTPs in particular then a desk type job is the first that will come up. In general knowing your type can be enormously helpful in finding a fulfilling career.

You might examine whether you really are an INTP first as that is a critical question and people often mistype as INTP's. Note that the tests won't tell you that, you have to look at the profiles and the functions, Personality Junkie has a lot of articles which can help.

Interesting. Several tests have identified me as intp. Most profiles I have read are a pretty accurate description of me. The aversion towards being restricted to a desk possibly comes from a very short attention span. If I am working on a project I am engaged with, hours will pass before I even move. However most of my office bound experience to date has been in various customer service roles, or responding to trite emails - it is not the desk I am afraid of, it is the menial worthless work I have to endure.

And yes, I love a spreadsheet too. In fact I am only really happy behind a desk, when trying to debug a macro or write a formula with a dozen 'sumif's'.

Thanks for the profiling link. Better make sure I am on the right forum and not an ENTP imposter lol...