career change

Advice needed.

I have 17 years of property management experience. This is the only industry I have ever worked in. My current property is selling, so I'm looking for a new job (my current company has nothing nearby and I'm not interested in moving 7 hours away). In the process, I realized I'm burned out. Properties sell and I definitely want something more permanent. I also am almost 35 so starting a completely new career path seems unachievable at the moment. So my question is, what career paths would my property manager skills translate into? Or how does one make a swicth to the vendor side of things? I feel like I am having a midlife career crisis! HELP ME. Lol

Melissa, it is NEVER too late to change careers or to realign your work. It takes courage but it's never too late. I completely understand the feeling of burn-out with property sales, etc. I was in my 30s when I hopped from restaurant management to property management and was almost 50 when I left my steady paycheck to start my own consulting, training, and coaching company. And each change was scary in its own way. Gather up your courage, spend some time really listening to yourself - what makes you happy? what are you passionate about? What are the things that you do really well - better than most? The answers to those questions should help you find a direction.

As for switching to the vendor side, it's different over here. Very different. When I left the operator side, I didn't realize how different it would be. There are pros and cons. Some of the cons are: companies and associations are always asking for sponsorship dollars and volunteer time. You have to be comfortable with saying no and sticking to it. That can be hard when you are trying to gain new customers. The pros: the camaraderie among the vendors is phenomenal. Your competitor will help you as much as anyone. Vendors support each other and share info freely - it's an incredible network in my experience. And whether you are providing a service or product for a company or doing your own thing, the flexibility is much greater than it is on the property side.

Hope this helps in some small way!

Best of luck to you!!