Colorado Working Family Man Inspired to Return to College
RSSToday, Colorado's Longmont Times-Call profiles a man who was inspired by his wife to trade in a lifelong career for something radically different.
Eric Olinger had been working for lumber companies for 15 years, ever since graduating high school. Times are tough all over, however, and the nation's unemployment crisis met him with a recent string of bad luck, from being laid off to working for companies that have gone under. Still, throughout this, Olinger's wife was working toward an associate degree in nursing -- and he was taking notice.
He visited his wife at work, and saw what the job entails. He researched into the job market and job outlooks for the near future. All in all, he liked what he saw. Then, he took the plunge.
Taking courses at his local community college, Olinger completed his certified nursing assistant training earlier this year -- but that's not the end of it. "After his wife graduates," the Times-Call reports, "he plans to enroll in more classes to move further up the ladder." At the age of 36, Olinger is still young with a long career future ahead of him -- one that he feels will be "long and rewarding."
Does Olinger have advice for other potential career-changers? Absolutely. I think the advice I would give," he says, "is to study the career you're thinking of going into before you make that commitment. Find out what the pros and cons are." And for students considering nursing schools? He considers it a smart move. After all, "people are still going to need medical care no matter what."
