BB
You have my sympathies!
I embarked on a career-changing process in 1992. The first part, getting rid of the old career (we did Cat5 cabling and PCs, mainly) was easy. I spent a lot of money and worked my doo-dahs off earning an MBA, and now I find that few people know what an MBA is and even fewer care. 3 years after graduating I'm still job-hunting. Oh, I get interviews, even second interviews, but there are a lot of well-qualified and able people out there and simply not enough quality jobs to go round. Until recently, my friend with whom I did my MBA was operating a machine which squirts jelly into pork pies, but it doesn't give me any satisfaction to know that I'm not alone.
I'm lucky in that I enjoy a nice middle-class lifestyle, despite not earning it. And I'm thoroughly enjoying what I'm doing at the moment. This DVD lark is occupying my every waking moment, but I'm loving it, and wish I'd been doing it 20 years ago!
And a quick plug - for some exciting (to me, at least) news, check out my DVD blog
But to answer your question...
If I had my time again I'd study ophthalmology. I've had two cornea grafts and I'm mega-grateful not only to the donors but to all the eye-professionals who have kept me going these last 30 years. It's too late to do that now, but I am trying to get a job as a General Practice Manager. I can't sell the skills I wish I had, I have to sell the skills I do have. I could do this, given the chance, and it would be a way of putting something back into the NHS from which I have so greatly benefited.
In the meantime, I'll have to be content with being Steve Maskery, Internationally Renowned Woodworking and Media Superstar.
(It sounds better than it really is, I assure you).