Well the time has come. My wife has been courting a position in Arizona that will really launch her career through the roof. I have been an instructor at the same liberal arts college for nearly a decade, now that I am not returning for the spring semester I am actually feeling slightly anxious.
Luckily we already have a home in AZ, but we do need to sell our current place in CT. I must say I am looking forward to being a cowboy of sorts, but I have not been actively in the job market since grad school over a decade ago.
So has anyone ever had cactus ice cream, Prickly Pear to be exact? It’s pretty good.
I should probably ask a question to get some opinions shouldn’t I…
So, for those who have been working for quite a while in the same job then moved to somewhere completely different, how did you fair?
I am certainly marketable, but I do not know if I want to stay in academia anymore…I may want to do something completely different.
Anyone have any anecdotes on changing careers (where things worked out quite positively)?
I was an academic for six years and then moved from PA to CA. It was kind of a rough start for the first 6 months, but since then I’ve found the non-academic marker actually easier to negotiate in some ways. There are a lot more jobs, for one thing.
I’m a social psychologist by training and I traded on research design/statistical skills to do few consulting jobs and then landed something more long-term doing research for the Navy.
We did have the advantage that my husband grew up in this town, and still has a lot of friends and connections here.
All in all, I’ve been happier. I liked some things about teaching, but it took too much out of me.
Yes! I switched careers from a lucrative position in the wholesale mortgage industry to the position of full-time student. It’s worked out great for me so far, except, you know, the whole paying the bills thing.
Anyway, welcome to AZ :D! If memory serves me correct (and it almost never does), you have a home near South Mountain? If so, we should have a big Valley of the Sun dopefest! There’s at least 6 or 7 of us hiding around here somewhere…
sniff I may have to take it down to sell the property. Waiting for the final word from the assessor’s office.
Yes, we are in Ahwatukee (south side of south mountain). And a Valley of the Sun Dopefest would be great!
I am actually quite optimistic about the move. We love the southwest and are really looking forward to taking advantage of all the hiking and beautiful day trips that await.
I have a design business here in CT, that I work part time. I may jump start it into a design firm out in AZ. I know eclectic additions and landscaping is huge out there, so we’ll see where that goes.
Howdy and a future welcome to Arizona Phlosphr. I look forward to a PhoDopeFest as it’s been entirely too long since the last one.
You’re in for some big adjustments but you’ll manage as everyone else does. I don’t think I’ve ever had cactus ice cream and I don’t even know where you could buy it. I haven’t eaten prickly pear fruit since Iwas a teenager. Of all the Phoenix dopers I’m probably the most “cowboy” and that isn’t very much beyond wearing ropers most of the time. Well there’s the whole cowboy action shooting thing I do but those of us who play dress up and pretend with live ammunition are in the minority.
I found that out the hard way a few eyars back, when I tried to ‘skin’ one of the prickly pears to make some jam. I was picking those little suckers out of my fingers for weeks afterward.
Waiting for the final word from the assessor’s office.