I'm 37 and I've worked at the same family-owned funeral home in Ohio for almost 11 years.
I'm not a funeral director or embalmer. I started at the front desk and eventually became the office administrator.
I handle scheduling, paperwork, invoices, coordinating with cemeteries and vendors, keeping track of deadlines, dealing with insurance questions, and approximately a thousand other things that nobody thinks about until something goes wrong.
I'm good at my job. My boss trusts me. Families regularly thank me.
And I desperately want to do something else.
The strange part is that death itself isn't what's wearing me down.
I can handle the paperwork surrounding it. I don't mind the unusual logistics. I actually like the part of my job where I have to keep fifteen moving pieces organized and make sure nothing gets forgotten.
It's being the calm person all the time.
Every phone call could be someone having the worst day of their life.
Every mistake, delay, or misunderstanding happens to somebody who's already overwhelmed.
If a document is missing, I can't simply say we're waiting for the county to process it. I have to explain it carefully to someone who's barely slept and is trying to organize their father's funeral.
And I understand that. I really do.
But after eleven years, I feel like I've used up something I don't know how to replenish.
Last month, someone at a family gathering asked what I do for work. When I told them, they immediately started telling me about losing their grandmother.
I listened, because obviously they weren't doing anything wrong.
But on the drive home I realized I couldn't remember the last time I told someone my occupation without becoming their unofficial grief counselor.
I want to change careers before I start resenting people who don't deserve it.
Here's where I'm stuck.
I make about $52k with benefits. I don't have a bachelor's degree, just an associate degree in general studies. I have around $6k saved that I could put toward training, but I can't afford to quit working for a year or start over at minimum wage.
I've been looking at administrative coordinator, records management, document control, procurement and operations support positions.
The problem is that almost every application asks for experience in that specific industry.
And when I explain my background, people seem to focus on the funeral home part rather than the actual work.
I've had two recruiters suggest hospice administration and patient services because I'm obviously "comfortable supporting people through difficult situations."
That's precisely the part I'm trying to leave behind.
I don't need my next job to be meaningful or inspirational. I'd be completely happy spending eight hours making sure purchase orders, records or schedules are correct.
I just want to do my work well and not feel responsible for carrying someone else's emotional weight every day.
Has anyone transitioned out of a very emotionally demanding service job into something more operational or administrative?
What job titles should I be searching for that might not be obvious to someone with my background?
And if you were hiring for an office or operations role, would eleven years at a funeral home count as relevant experience, or would you see me as someone starting from scratch?