Changing Careers in Midlife...What, me worry?

After 17 years as the Director of Marketing and Public Relations at an area hospital .I was burned out. Finished. Simply could not endure another corporate reorganization or strategic planning session or anything that had a vague odor of corporate America. This was healthcare, not Wall Street. Whatever happened to caring for people? I was living in a community where corporatized hospitals had become systems and the systems were complex and crazy. It was all about competition. ("That's my appendix! No, it's mine, I saw it first...") My job was to sell, sell, sell and plan to out strategize the other guy...to win at almost any cost. (Do you see anything about healthcare in that last sentence? Me neither.) One day it hit me - I could no longer do this. There was no satisfaction at any level. I had just turned 50 and I was not going to die on the job. In the larger scheme of things what I was doing was meaningless. And at 50 you begin to think about how your life has been meaningful and what you have contributed to make the world a better place. I had ad campaigns,40 page marketing plans and ongoing battles with two bosses who were rivals. Meaningful? Not so much.

With my husband's support ("Do it," he said silently considering the 50% reduction in our income.) So I did.I quit. I vowed to never work in corporate America again. (I also vowed to spend less and cook often...) I would find an easy, peaceful job where I could work one-on-one with real people. I considered selling ribbon at a fabric store because it sounded so simple ("How many yards? Thank you. Have a nice day.") but I knew I would last maybe seven minutes. I suck at measuring and ribbon cutting isn't meaningful unless it's a Grand Opening or something like that.

Then it hit me. I would go to school and become an Esthetician! I loved getting facials - so it only followed that I would love getting facials. Ta daa! I enrolled - certain that I would be the only old lady in the class. Wrong. There were several of us...all looking for the same thing. No stress.

"School" was easy. I had fun, made new friends and was sure I had made the right choice. Then came the class on waxing. I do not get waxed. I use a razor. I cannot understand the attraction to having hot goo spread on my legs (or bikini line or underarms) and then having someone literally rip and pull out my hair. Ugh! I hated it. I also sucked at doing it. The ONLY part I enjoyed was facial waxing. Buh bye moustache. So long unibrow. Facial waxing made sense. Body waxing didn't. It still doesn't. Forget those things they tell you about waxing - none of them are true. It does NOT inhibit or slow down hair growth. Lies lies. And it hurts like hell.

I worked in two salons over a two year period. In that time I discovered that without waxing an Estheticians day is long and dull. I was a great facialist but I wouldn't wax body parts. It affected my income. The other bad thing about this job...sales. At least fifty percent of an Esthetician's pay comes from selling over-priced mediocre facial products. You have to push this stuff to make money. I, unfortunately, have personal ethics. I could not in good conscience try to convince anyone to spend $200 on 5 products when one would be sufficient. I would pick and choose products I thought they would benefit from and downplay the rest. I was - and still am - a lousy sales person. But I can sleep at night.

With an aversion to bikini, leg and underarm waxing and a desire to prevent people from wasting money on high-priced products, I concluded that being an Esthetician was not for me.

But...there was one aspect of the job that provided a clue to a possible next career. People would lie on my facial table and pour out their problems. I listened, asked questions and in time had several clients who came to me for a facial - but mainly to talk about their lives. Could I, should I become a therapist I wondered. Hmm.

The lesson of this experience: Before you jump into any new profession spend a lot of time exploring the facets of the job. Know what you are getting into. Ask questions. Be smart, go slow, and choose wisely.