Retiring from craft beer...into what (please direct if not appropriate forum)

EmilyAnn

Hey ya'll,
After 5 years of being in the state of Florida as a brewer I decided to hang up my boots. South Florida doesn't have enough positions, and personally from experience in another state it's pretty behind. I've only been in back production, beertending, and management all of my career life. So, with that being said- with all the experience I have from the craft beer industry...what other career fields do most brewers move into? I've been unemployed for two months, and not having the best luck when it comes to applying to new fields of work. If you or you know of someone that switched careers and have insight please let me know what you/them had luck in. Thank you very much

Mainah_Brewah

I transitioned pretty seamlessly into cheese making (I’ve since moved back to brewing). I’d imagine warehouse/shipping & receiving would be pretty seamless as well.
Best of luck with your transition.

MikeS

Hi Emily Ann-
I asked pretty much the same question (link here) her over ten (yikes!!) years ago...
You can read the responses there.  The thing is, I found it VERY hard to walk away from the brewing industry.  I honestly can't imagine doing anything else.  Since that post, I stuck to it and have subsequently been hired as a head brewer at a startup, did some consulting, was hired as a brewery director, and have now settled back down into the wonderfully mellow position of head brewer at a brewpub*.  (* Which is the lifestyle that everyone imagines when you tell them that you are a brewer...)
I am lucky in that I go into this biz early enough (mid-'90s) that my resume is pretty strong and I'm pretty employable.
We have a big problem in this industry where bosses hire people based on false pretenses that they will be sitting on barrels all day drinking beer and making up recipes where in reality this is an unforgiving, back-breaking way to make a living.  Young folks just starting out can be taken advantage of by unscrupulous (or uninformed) bosses who lure people with romantic notions of "being a brewer" and then pay them peanuts and overwork and burn people out.
As someone said all those years ago to me in that thread:  Don't despair!!  If you maintain your passion for beer, something will come up.  It's just a matter of finding the position and the right people to work for/with.  
Good luck and cheers- Mike