After spending four years at College earning my bachelor’s degree in business I started a job downtown with a local investment firm.

At first it seemed exciting and it was nice to have the independence a salary position gave me, however, the hours were long and the demands on my time were just too much.

After all, I was only in my mid-twenties and I wanted to have a social life as well and it just wasn’t working out. I was at dinner with some of my friends on my rare night off and told them of my frustration and one of them recommended I look into a trade instead of an office job. I wasn’t really sure that I was cut out for that but after looking into the various opportunities I settled on the world of HVAC technology. I learned that I could still put my computer skills to work by programming the systems for customers and setting up their smart thermostats to run the system even while they were away. The hours are more flexible and appointment based so I was able to schedule my work hours and my time off a bit better. If someone needed an emergency appointment I was also able to bill them for the additional fees and that helped my income bottom line. Another perk of the job is that I wasn’t stuck behind a desk staring at the same four walls for five days in a row and that was a definite plus. Changing careers means that I would be spending an additional 6 months at a trade school but I felt it would be worth it in the long run.

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