Changing careers, college after 35

I just recently went back my job in technical support, and already I am thinking "What else can I do". I plan on going to massage school in the near future, but I realize that I will have to have a "regular job" at least at first in order to pay my mortgage etc.

SO, I think, I'm sick of working in the 'man's world'. Meaning all my co-works in the computer industry are men. They don't care about things being nice or whatever, they are like bears with furniture. They guys here don't even open the blinds to enjoy their city view and they have all the florecent bulbs unscrewed so no one can turn the lights on... I mean it's not these things in particular but...

I was thinking, hey maybe I would like the environment of Human Resources or Office manager better. I have NO idea what kind of experience that entails, and seeing as I didn't go to college, I don't know what kind of education I would have to have. I'm sure that my earning power is higher in the technical field I'm in, but maybe my happiness power would be higher in an environment like that.

Does anyone have a job like this that they can offer some feedback about? I have a friend who is an executive assistant, but she kind of lucked into her job and hasn't been much help. Plus I'm not too into being an assistant.

HR jobs would at least be more decorator friendly. Even if they are asshats, they like to look like warm and creative people.

One good thing about HR work is that it gives you tiny exposure to lots of other jobs and the vibes associated with them. SO if you could get a really basic HR job doing data entry or organizing stuff or working on their benefits package handouts you will still learn about little advancements for better money.

Something I always noticed (and disliked) about HR people is they assume everyone in the world wants to do their jobs. That their jobs are the coolest or their sense of humor is the most fun or whatever.

Executive assistants are sometimes treated royally and sometimes are way overworked. You know those old movies with the spinsterish old lady slaving away for the corporate big boss? That's real. At the highest level, many of the exec secy's are asocial and lacking in humor. They may come in at 9 AM, but they don't go home until the boss does.

Temping is a possibility to gain a little exposure to new environments.

I am stuck in the clerical wasteland and my experience has been that people don't start as office managers, they have to work their way up, for what that's worth. You might have to be willing to work as a receptionist for quite a long time, unless you luck out and/or know people. The good news AND the bad news is that these jobs rarely truly require an education, as long as you have basic clerical skills, computer knowledge, and customer service-type abilities. Of course, that also means the pay is usually crap and you'll hit the upper (dead) end fairly quickly. You can certainly temp to get an idea of whether or not it's for you, but you won't be temping as an office manager, you'll likely be a receptionist or secretary at best.

I ended up here by default, simply because I didn't finish university and sacrificed any chance I had for a career so that I could move around all the time and live in different cities. I won't get into the benefits and regrets of those choices, but it's hard for me to imagine anyone aspiring to work in an office-administration capacity. I guess it's a personality thing and everyone wants different things. So many of my tasks are totally meaningless, and it's frustrating to work closely with someone, support them and make their work possible, and yet know that in every way their value to the institution is many times yours. It's not like you'll ever feel a sense of equality with those you work for. I work in a public institution, so I am well aware of exactly how much my boss makes, and it's five times my earnings *before* her bonuses. Bonuses? What are those?

Can you tell I'm at work right now? Grr. Relax. Relax.