A little background: I'm in my 30s, I have a degree in public administration that I have never used (I took a few graduate classes in public administration as well), and have had several jobs but never a career. Right now I work for a recycling company that does a lot of work with LEED buildings, before that I worked for a financial company, before that I worked for a tech company, etc. Ive only held line level positions and my roles have usually been associated with account management or something similarly generic. I'm at the point, admittedly late in life, where I really want a career for monetary reasons and personal reasons. However the company I work for is small and family owned and there is no upward mobility. I have no desire to use my degree and work for the government, and they wouldn't pay me enough to support my family anyway. Since I basically have no advanced skills in any field I'm wondering if I should start over and go back to school for something else, or if I should stay in the field I'm currently in right now and leverage my experience and try to get a job with another "green" company I could grow with and develop myself in this industry. If I did the latter though I fear I wouldn't ever be competitive for upper management jobs without a degree in engineering or architecture or something similar. I could definitely get LEED accredited and could even get some professional certificates in related fields, but am unsure as to how much weight these really hold in the long run. Any advice and opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Most definitely....most people in this field build their own house. It is a hard business because you are building out of the norm. Good Luck

I would look in to the accreditation and certificate track after first chatting with a few potential employers. They will be the best source for determining if that route is valued and is marketable. Do not let your age keep you from moving forward. After years in the trades I returned to college and graduated with a degree in Construction Management at age 37. Smartest move I ever made, both in job satisfaction and monetary reward. If you like this type of work then go for it. Your maturity and previous life experiences will be assets to a future employer. Good Luck.

Posted By Cali101 on 14 Jul 2017 04:02 AM
A little background: I'm in my 30s, I have a degree in public administration that I have never used (I took a few graduate classes in public administration as well), and have had several jobs but never a career. Right now I work for a recycling company that does a lot of work with LEED buildings, before that I worked for a financial company, before that I worked for a tech company, etc. Ive only held line level positions and my roles have usually been associated with account management or something similarly generic. I'm at the point, admittedly late in life, where I really want a career for monetary reasons and personal reasons. However the company I work for is small and family owned and there is no upward mobility. I have no desire to use my degree and work for the government, and they wouldn't pay me enough to support my family anyway. Since I basically have no advanced skills in any field I'm wondering if I should start over and go back to school for something else, or if I should stay in the field I'm currently in right now and leverage my experience and try to get a job with another "green" company I could grow with and develop myself in this industry. If I did the latter though I fear I wouldn't ever be competitive for upper management jobs without a degree in engineering or architecture or something similar. I could definitely get LEED accredited and could even get some professional certificates in related fields, but am unsure as to how much weight these really hold in the long run. Any advice and opinions would be greatly appreciated!

Cali101,
I can't tell what kind of experience you have in commercial construction.
I have years and years of experience in all types of construction and no degree, but I am/was a licensed GC in Louisiana, Georgia and Florida. A degree may get you a starting level position in commercial construction, but until you have the "experience" you won't be able to advance. Being self employed most of my life , I didn't need to have a degree to advance,I had experience and the drive to succeed, I was in control of my own destiny.

Yes,

However, I suggest that before you continue making the same mistakes give some thought to what you love to do otherwise you will be unhappy, think about why you went into debt (assuming you did) to obtain your degree in something you have no desire to pursue.

At your age you have accumulated a lot of responsibilities it appears, these will not go away. However, your future is before you. When you chose a career path doing something you love success will follow narrow down the traits you have that make you attractive to employers the desire to make more money typically is not what they want to hear, it is what can you do for them to help them achieve their goals.

I admire the courage it took for you to reach out and seek advice this shows a willingness to find answers vs. do nothing. I admonish my children if I assign a task and you know what it is I want to achieve, and you get stuck, Do Something at least you have a 50% of being right, and 0% chance of me admonishing you doing nothing is wrong 100% of the time.

Now more specific advice is if you know government as it appears you have more than enough, the value you can add to the industry is there, we all have to deal with government bureaucracy, i.e., building permits, code compliance, building covenants, environmental regulations to name a few.

Investigate becoming a Project Manager often their industry knowledge is lacking yet they can succeed, estimating, plan reading, scheduling and paperwork is the key. And specifications.

Your degrees I am sure would apply to this sort of task. Engineers and architects tend not to be in management their personalities tend to not be as leaders, (forget about telling a joke to engineers) they are too concrete in their thought process. Architects are much more in touch with "feeling", and the same as engineers only have one commodity to sell, which is the time which is not a commodity that can expand.

Use your "green" credentials to seek out contractors, developers that are seeking these projects due to mandates, etc.

Investigate NCCER you may be able to continue in your current position while obtaining NCCER certification, which is accepted nationwide.

https://www.nccer.org/docs/default-source/Course-Planning-Tools/c-project-management.pdf?sfvrsn=c0b0e4f_0

https://www.nccer.org/docs/default-source/Course-Planning-Tools/c-project-management.pdf?sfvrsn=c0b0e4f_0

Check out the bookstore they have and purchase the class manual if it appears to be something you might want to pursue, if not investigate the myriad other construction trade certification they offer many that don't require construction experience nor require a specific college degree. Use your years of experience with your current company to your advantage, show them how you could add value to even they

BTW I too created text similar yours and now let the thoughts flow and then use Grammarly make it readable. my weekly reports say I used more unique words than 85% of users and more voluminous than 92% and more errors than 95% l love run-on sentences and hate commas and tended to be passive in my thought process thus confusing the readers.

There is a free version however as in my case I would suggest the pro subscription at a modest annual subscription price.

https://app.grammarly.com/?network=g&utm_source=google&matchtype=e&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkMDiBRDNARIsACKP1FH1h0kspRMRSmw7GlwAqLgGF8HHICEJppzrMWHk44XgE5xvd4Fsp8waAn7QEALw_wcB&placement=&q=brand&utm_content=76996511046&utm_campaign=brand_f1&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=grammarly+pro

Remember failure is not a failure until you quit trying.

Good luck and God Bless,

Oh hell yes.
One of the main problems these days is the push towards college for any reason whatsoever, with no thought as towards whether the degree will get them employed.

If you're already rich, you can get degree in whatever you want, Lesbian Dance Theory, Communications, Art Appreciation... Because you don't have to be employable. And these majors won't make you employable as anything other than a barrista at StarSchmucks.

If you're borrowing the money for a degree, you REALLY need to be more cut-throat about what you're taking. Otherwise you're signing up for a lifetime of debt.

Not that you can't screw up a career in the trades. But if you keep your eye on the prize, and are willing to bust your hump, you can make a MORE than decent living.
And ALWAYS keep your eyes open and your brain working.
Look at what's available in your area. And look at what's lacking. Try to find a niche you can help fill.

I hated high school. I worked seven days a week, 365 days a year. I did five different things in order to fund one thing. I decided not to go to college - my family firmly disagreed. Sp much so, that I moved out on my own at 18. I gave up everything: friends, family, etc. I now own some of the largest corporations in my industry and a few million square feet of real estate. It's possible. I regret not going to college with my best friends. But, it is what it is. I always hated that saying growing up, but it's accurate. Put your head down. Grind. Sleep. Repeat. You'll get there. But most importantly, it's worth it.

Yes, someone can have a good career in the green industry without a related degree. In fact, many green jobs do not require a college degree.

With your experience in account management and your interest in the green industry, I would recommend that you stay in the field you're currently in and leverage your experience and try to get a job with another "green" company where you could grow with and develop yourself in this industry.

Here are some tips for finding a good job in the green industry:

Network with people in the industry. Get to know people who work in green companies, such as contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers. Attend industry events and join trade associations. This will help you learn more about the industry and make connections that could lead to job opportunities.
Get certified. There are many different certifications available for green workers, such as LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) and Green Roof Professional (GRP). Getting certified can show potential employers that you have the skills and knowledge necessary to do the job.
Continue your education. Even if you don't have a degree in a related field, you can still continue your education by taking online courses or attending community college classes. This can help you learn new skills and stay up-to-date on the latest technologies.
While it is true that you may not be competitive for upper management jobs without a degree in engineering or architecture, there are still many good jobs in the green industry that do not require a degree. For example, you could be a green building consultant, a renewable energy specialist, or a sustainability manager.