Is it a good idea to change careers in this economy?

A reader writes:

"I'm a 33 year old man who works part time as a nurse assistant, at this point I am not happy with what I am doing. By working at the hospital one thing I know is I don't want to pursue a career in nursing. So I thought about things and looking into schools and decided to get a degree in computer science online, which some of my credits from a previous college should transfer over. My question is this the right direction for me at this age and is this a good career choice at this economic crisis?"

I can't really tell you if this is the right direction for you or not--no one can, really--but there are a few things to keep in mind when contemplating a big change like this:

Will you be happy? Think about what makes you happy and what you're good at, career-wise. Do you enjoy solving puzzle, hands on work, and working with technology? These might be good cues as to whether computer science is a good match for you or not.

What would make you miserable? On the hand, thinking about the things that make you dislike nursing can be helpful in pinpointing careers you should avoid. For example, if you hate dealing with patients as a nurse assistant, computer science jobs that require interacting with customers might not be a good fit for you, but a position that didn't require customer interaction might work for you. 

Do your research. Look at the requirements for the types of jobs that you want after completing a computer science program and use that as a gauge to help you figure out if this is a good choice for you. Doing so will also give you a sense of what jobs are available in your area. 

Get experience. When you are thinkiing about changing careers, getting experience related to the new career can be enormously valuable in helping you make good decisions. You can get related experience by volunteering or finding a new job that doesn't require a degree. 

Where you are now? When contemplating such a big change, it is easy to think about where you want to be, but it is very important to think about your current circumstances. Can you truly afford to go back to school and possibly take on my student debt? Can your afford to give up your current income? What obligations do you have that will not be changed by your choice? And what about the obligations that will be changed? You need to get really clear on what makes the most sense for you given where you are now.

Again, no one can really tell you if this is the right choice for you or not. But, by keeping the above in mind you can make a more educated decision about your next step in life. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.