Help me please!! Trying to change careers...

[JPB2776]

Well I have finally made it to the end of my rope. After doing some thinking and skill evaluation of what I want to do for the rest of my working career, Human Resource Management is where I feel my skills and aptitude will be best suited.

First, a little about my background I have been in retail for 9 years working for small national companies at first as a seasonal associate then working my way up to the Store Director position and then a District Assistant. I was told by the Regional Manager that to become a DM I would have to get more experience in a higher volume business. So after some time a big box retailer recruited and hired me. Well needless to say regardless of the awards and success that each area I managed achieved, there was no promotion into upper management within the store. I was then recruited by my old DM to another big box retailer with an instant management position over the store operations and HR departments. I loved this job and was very good at it, then the company overhauled the entire management structure and I then became a sales manager. I was, what was known to all of the district staff, considerably over worked and under compensated for the new job. After talking with the new DM and finding out that even though the company changed what group I was with they were still going to keep me under the old structure of pay for the old job I had previously held. This would not sit well with anyone and after talking with previous managers and mentors I decided to leave and go to another company who needed an Operations Manager. After being hired I was told that my previous experiences in sales would be wasted and that they were moving me to Sales Manager the day I started. With my 2 weeks notice in at the current job and signing a contract with the new job I was stuck and had to honor my agreement for at least 1 year with the new company. Things went better than expected and I put my all into that job for 1 and 1/2 years. I then decided that the 1 hour commute and long hours were not worth it so I took a job closer to home with another retailer who needed an in store Area Manager. Now less than one year and two managers later, I have come to realize that its not the job itself, its the career path I am unhappy with. I see that I have to change gears and possibly start at the bottom to be happy with my job. I turn 30 next year and plan on going back to finish my BA in Human Resources and then my Masters if a local college has the program.

The main questions are; How do I turn my experiences into a positive?, How do I explain to the interviewer that I am serious and not using this as a means to escape a dead-end career?, and What would you recommend doing to achieve this goal of mine?

Any helpful information is appreciated and thank you all for your time!

JB

[sweetpoison]

I think first of all dont be depressed about what ur employer will think as any kind of work experience is appreciated but yes they will surely ask you y do u want a career change at this age in life after such an amount of work exp and you have have to be prepared and confident about it. Everyone gets bored of a stagnant carreer and its good that atleast you are not killing your dreams for the pay cut and stuff.

[heavery]

It is hard to make a career change but if you think it's really what you need then I say you should go for it. It would be tough in the beginning of course, but it's better to start now than forever be unhappy with your chosen path.