the winds of change, they are a-blowin'...
Okay, folks, time to tap into the social hiveminds. (So my apologies to the few of you who’ll see this twice…)
I need to get out of sales/marketing. The days when it feels like it’s eating my soul are coming more and more often.
My goal is to be in a new job in the next 24-30 months.
I have a BS in Business and Applied Science (the “applied science” being graphic design, from back in the days before desktop publishing) and nearly a dozen years’ experience in data analysis and presentation, gained the hard way - OTJ and mainly self-taught.
Now I’m seriously considering picking up some courses in finance, statistics, maybe economics and/or accounting. I can manage the workload - and can find a way to deal with the costs - to complete 8, maybe 9 courses in that 30-month stretch.
Given that a., I’m 50, and therefore have at most maybe 20 years to sink into a new career; b., I have no desire whatsoever to relocate; and c., my current income level is such that I really can’t afford to start out by taking a pay cut…
Ø Is it worth chasing another degree (MS, second BS/BA, second associate’s), or is it enough to be able to say I’ve studied the stuff? Are there related certifications short of the CPA?
Ø Of those topic areas I mentioned, what makes real-world sense to pursue in the context of switching career tracks? About the only one that would apply in my current job would be the statistics, and then only in a limited sense.
Ø Similarly, are there particular specializations or sub-paths that might be worth looking at? FWIW, I wouldn’t completely rule out teaching, but it’s really not my first choice.
I’m looking for thoughts, opinions, WAGs, personal experience, etc., anything you might care to share.
I need to get out of sales/marketing. The days when it feels like it’s eating my soul are coming more and more often.
My goal is to be in a new job in the next 24-30 months.
I have a BS in Business and Applied Science (the “applied science” being graphic design, from back in the days before desktop publishing) and nearly a dozen years’ experience in data analysis and presentation, gained the hard way - OTJ and mainly self-taught.
Now I’m seriously considering picking up some courses in finance, statistics, maybe economics and/or accounting. I can manage the workload - and can find a way to deal with the costs - to complete 8, maybe 9 courses in that 30-month stretch.
Given that a., I’m 50, and therefore have at most maybe 20 years to sink into a new career; b., I have no desire whatsoever to relocate; and c., my current income level is such that I really can’t afford to start out by taking a pay cut…
Ø Is it worth chasing another degree (MS, second BS/BA, second associate’s), or is it enough to be able to say I’ve studied the stuff? Are there related certifications short of the CPA?
Ø Of those topic areas I mentioned, what makes real-world sense to pursue in the context of switching career tracks? About the only one that would apply in my current job would be the statistics, and then only in a limited sense.
Ø Similarly, are there particular specializations or sub-paths that might be worth looking at? FWIW, I wouldn’t completely rule out teaching, but it’s really not my first choice.
I’m looking for thoughts, opinions, WAGs, personal experience, etc., anything you might care to share.