I have to reinvent myself (Vanity)

12/6/2017 | thescourged1

[thescourged1]

I need some advice. I'm unable to continue on in my current occupation in warehousing and storage. I've been doing it for many years, but now my knees are so shot that I can't even do light labor comfortably or stand for very long. I have a friend who is a vocational rehab counselor that can get me set up with a ticket to ride on an education to get into a field that is more compatible with my physical problems.

What makes it all the more thought-provoking, is that I just turned 50. That's not old, but old enough that it makes me ask myself how much time do I really want to spend in school, knowing that I will hit retirement age in as little as 17 years.

Putting the age weirdness aside, my real question is what are the real employment trends right now and what is safer from being encroached upon by foreigners and automation? I know some of you Freepers are business owners, recruiters, HR specialists and educators. Your on-the-ground experience is much more valuable to me than articles written and statistics compiled by those with an agenda.

[outofsalt]

“Those who can, Do. Those who cannot, Teach”
http://www.inboundlogistics.com/cms/search-tool/education/
You could train the warehouse folks who need to learn what they have to know.

[AppyPappy]

I know someone who got caught and they had to pay Medicaid back. That wasn’t cheap at all. If a corporation comes after you, you can usually discharge in bankruptcy. The government knows to take that off the table.

[dfwgator]

“Those who can, Do. Those who cannot, Teach”

And those who cannot Teach, become Politicians.

[Texan5]

The person you know was lucky they only had to pay back the funds-I’ve known former clients who were made an example of-got prison time for fraud...

[LostInBayport]

That was the exact word I blurted aloud when I read that post.

There has been an acidic and callous tone to this forum of late. I often leave threads wondering what happened to the FR of old.

[Garth Tater]

You've been managing physical inventory for years, maybe it's time to move over to managing virtual inventories.

There are plenty of internet sales companies out there that sell "things" that they never lay eyes on. Virtual fulfillment services are big. And they need people that actually know what goes in to managing an inventory - even more now that they can't actually see what they are selling. They need people like you. People that work sitting down in front of computers. People that spend their days wearing their wrists and fingers out instead of their knees.

Skip the college classes. Look up "virtual fulfillment services" on a search engine and spend a few days learning the lingo and then move your knowledge and experience over to the virtual world.

[Intolerant in NJ]

Medical imaging technician - MRI’s, X-rays and the like - lab technician - health services are big and growing.....

[miss marmelstein]

Some people just have to be nasty right out of the gate.

[cherry]

50 is not old in the scheme of things....and any additional education you get will pay for itself if its the right field...

my hubby's cousin became a stewardess at age 60, no kidding...

as far as knees go, mine are both arthritic and I put up with them...but I work part time and I'm older than you...my window of retirement is in a couple of yrs...

[OKSooner]

You'll be fine. Trust in your maker and a positive attitude go a long way.

Other than that I'm not wise enough to offer a great deal of advice, although it seems like someone said something about CAD/CAM training...

All the best to you, enjoy the holidays the best you can while you ponder your next move.

[calenel]

There has been an acidic and callous tone to this forum of late. I often leave threads wondering what happened to the FR of old.

I've noticed that also. All kinds of haters. Intolerance. People that will just trash anybody they disagree with. Pseudo-profanity that is no different from the actual. It's disappointing, to say the least.

[thescourged1]

Thank you all for your input, there's a lot suggestions that are excellent and I won't name names because there's too many.

When you put your vanity out on FR, you take your chances with the bad crowd, which fortunately is outnumbered by the rest. I do admit, it doesn't make it easy, but it has a backwards effect of keeping a lid on excess vanity posting...lol

[little jeremiah]

It costs nothing to be polite and kind. And the rewards are great for all concerned.

:-)

[SamAdams76]

In the company I work for (which is very large and global), "warehousing and storage" is considered part of the Logistics department where there are a variety of career paths. Typically the younger guys do the manual labor in the warehouses, driving forklifts around, picking orders and stocking shelves as well as loading/unloading trucks. There are many positions in Logistics however that involve office work (and no heavy lifting). Those office jobs might involve managing, dispatching, scheduling deliveries/pickups, and other non-manual work.

I'm guessing that you might work for a smaller company where those options are limited. I would explore opportunities with larger companies that have more massive Logistics operations. Maybe your experience is relevant for gaining a position there.

Good luck.

[trebb]

Having read R2nd’s posts for years, I do not think that he was impugning the poster. I think that he was impugning the corrupt welfare system.

Perhaps I missed the sarcasm - in which case I apologize....it did seem out of character and with our son in his last weeks of a 3 year battle with cancer I have been quicker to leap when I shouldn't lately.