New career--is it worth the cost and effort?

[raccoon]

(Note: this is a hypothetical situation because I am currently happily underemployed. And old.)

People go into other careers all the time. But I'm curious as to how they decide if it's going to be worth the money and effort, assuming that they’ll have to pay for additional formal education.

It’s one thing, if you’re 35, to go back and get another degree. It’s another if you’re 55—due to the unfortunate reality of age discrimination.

I was just thinking about this the other day, thinking, I should’ve been a social worker. I don’t have a Masters in Social Work, don’t know if I’d want to go after one especially if I had to pay for it myself, which is most probable. I’ve already had the experience of acquiring a degree, then couldn’t find a position in the field. Also had the opposite experience, of being trained and having lots of job opportunities--after the early 1980's recession has eased up, that is.


If this had worked for somebody, good for them. I’d like to hear others’ experience in this area.