I have been looking into instrumentation and I find it really interesting. Im 32 looking for a career change and being a technician sounds amazing. I would essentially be starting from scratch. Located in new jersey, what should be my first steps that will get me into this field?
Ill try and make this as short as possible but my life has been absolute train wreck for the last 5-6 years. It started in 2020 when covid hit and my mother and grandmother both caught the virus a few months after the outbreak. After several months in the hospital my mother passed away as did my grandmother. My father who was also sick and suffered from chronic illness(25+ years of dialysis) was largely absent during this time as he had his own hospital stays/health issues he was dealing with. My mother’s death hit him really hard and he began dealing with severe depression to add on to his already medically complex life.
When 2022 came around I quit my job at the end of the year to become a full time caretaker for him as his health had deteriorated rapidly from a heart surgery that he went through. After a year of hospitalization and rehab centers he also passed away. It was a long and hellish journey that crushed me. 6 months later all of these experiences finally took their toll and I ended up having a mental breakdown, as I was suicidal at this point, and I voluntarily checked into a psych ward. I was able to get on meds and somewhat stabilize my mental health.
Since then it’s just been battle to keep my mental health in check as I suffer from severe anxiety and depression. I have not had a job since late 2022 and have been able to survive due to inheritance. I do count this as a blessing and am grateful for it. The thing is I’m so lost in life and have zero sense of direction. Currently looking for work but getting no responses and I don’t really blame them, who is going to hire a fuck up who has been out of work for almost 4 years. My previous employment history is mostly from the cannabis industry, of which I have no real transferrable skills besides labor. I have a bachelors in kinesiology but that has never really helped me.
I guess what im asking is where do I go from here? I don’t even have a clue of how to restart my life and this job market is giving me sleepless nights as I realized how screwed I really am. I don’t want this to be sob story I just figured background details are important here. Any advice or guidance is welcome even if it’s brutal honesty. Thanks