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Radical Re-invention

March 25, 2012 in 2nd Career, choices, Job, job search by boxcarkids | 3 comments

A friend of mine, in the process of buying a house and moving across town, surprised me with her less than animated response to my call of congratulations.  I expected her to be excited, full of enthusiasm, dying to share all the details (especially when I finally dragged out a description of the granite counters and renovated master bath).  I thought it was fantastic that they were getting out of their rental and into their own home and I asked, ‘Aren’t you excited?’

Yes, my friend replied, sounding the opposite, but she was going to miss her old neighborhood, and especially the long-time connections and friendships she had there.  I supposed I sounded bemused – it was, after all an in-town move so connections need not be severed – and she pointed out something that I guess I take for granted; she said “You don’t mind change, it doesn’t bother you.”  She’s more rooted; I’m more willing to let the wind shift my direction.  I’m not extreme; I don’t seek out crazy adventures or life-threatening thrills.  But she’s right – change doesn’t bother me.

This characteristic has served me well throughout my life and it will make it possible for us to successfully transition to a completely different lifestyle if we end up making our move.  Flexibility, the ability to adjust to changed circumstances, the willingness to be open to big changes and embrace new things – all of these traits have come into play in the past few years and they will see us through the next few as well.

I think that people who make radical changes in their lives – whether in reaction to circumstances forced upon them, or by choice – probably share some of these qualities.  I’ve been reading about other people who have changed careers on a forum called Simple Living and have been struck by how many people seek out and thrive on change!  And some of them have made very BIG changes as in this example: “My cousin went from being a Jesuit novice to being an atomic physicist to being a professor to being a lawyer. He’s a pretty exceptional case though.”  I suspect, additionally, that this person is not a parent.

Some folks are plagued by boredom and change jobs frequently in an attempt to alleviate it, some work steadily in one profession until struck by a mid-life crisis, and some are propelled into a new career by external forces – divorce, death of a spouse, parenthood, or job loss.  Some people prepare methodically, following carefully planned steps including schooling, moving, and paying off debt, in order to realize a dream that has been nurtured for years.  Others just throw up their hands, sweep the papers off their desk, put their heads out the window and shout “Take this job…”!

Naturally, not all career changes are successful. I’ve seen post after post, website after website, urging people to ‘follow their passion’ and proclaiming that to be the necessary ingredient for success.  Find something you LOVE.  And that does seem to work for some.  NPR host Robin Young recently interviewed James Kunen, author of “Diary of a Company Man: Losing a Job, Finding a Life.”  Mr. Kunen’s career change was precipitated by the loss of his job as a ‘corporate communications guy’ when he was laid off as part of a move to “eliminate the bloat at corporate headquarters.”  Well that bites! 60 years old at the time, Mr. Kunen looked at what he had done in his life that had given him satisfaction and, after a period of transition, ended up teaching English to immigrants.  It wasn’t easy at first – he says he felt great while he was teaching these amazing people who have had so many challenges and tragedies in their lives, but then, when out on the pavement among all the suited professionals, the briefcase totting bankers, the lawyers cinching deals on their cell phones while striding through crowds, he felt his work was “so small”.  A friend pointed out that if he loved teaching and had problems with the sidewalk then it was his sidewalk attitude he needed to work on.  Isn’t it good to have friends who can give you that needed nudge in perspective?  This is a story that’s worth listening to – when Mr. Kunen says, “Your job has been downsized, but you haven’t – you are the same size,” you know that unemployed people all over are nodding in agreement.

But, contrary to the popular belief that “all you need is love” sometimes it really isn’t enough to make a successful career change.  Quitting a decently paying job as an accountant to become an artist won’t work for everyone.   If you aren’t forced to change careers, and are just thinking you might want to, there are a number of websites that have advice for you.  Mind you there are no magic formulas; all the steps take time and energy, some involve soul-searching, and others require substantial research or data collection.  Recommendations include assessing your skills, talking to career counselors, volunteering or taking unpaid internships in fields of interest, and investigating educational requirements of your proposed new job.

What do you like doing? What jobs exist that fit skills you have or could easily obtain?  How much training would you need and is it available and affordable?  Do you just want a new job, or is it a totally new career that you desire?  Do you need to support a family or are you just wanting something to fill empty retirement years? And I hate to cast a damper, but you should probably ask yourself, just how realistic is pursuing that dream at this time, in these circumstances, at this age? Making an effort to seriously tackle some of these questions could help you successfully transition into a new career.

Here are some Internet resources for anyone contemplating a career change (mid-life or not):

If you are footloose and fancy free and have a yearning for an adventure you might want to check out coolworks.com – a site that lists temporary “cool” jobs in interesting places.  For my readers out there who full time it in their RV, they even have a jobs category for you!

10 Steps to a Successful Career Change.  An article on About.com with general steps to making a career change – kind of basic/common sense and while briefly stated, the steps themselves are fairly demanding.

Career Overview: Midlife Career Changes.  Guide and resources.  Sort of a starting place with a lot of links to other places.  Includes information on jobs, education requirements, how to figure out what you want to do and what different jobs pay.  I enjoyed the ‘unconventional career tips’.

Bureau of Labor Statistics – Career Information.  Geared towards the young person who is trying to figure out what to do with his or her life, but kind of interesting to career changers as well.  My middle school daughter and I had lots of fun matching her current interests to actual jobs.

Bureau of Labor Statistics – Occupational Outlook Quarterly.  This is the BLS site that is more directed at adults with information on job outlooks and trends.  It includes a selection of articles on changing careers.

If you don’t have the slightest idea what you want to do, you just know it isn’t what you are doing now – Google free aptitude or personality tests and you’ll find a plethora of sites where you can fill out questionnaires that can help you answer that question. Good luck and pop over to our Facebook page to answer a question about career changes you have (or would) undertake!

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Highs and Lows

March 20, 2012 in 2nd Career, economy, Job, job search, recession by boxcarkids | 18 comments

As you can tell, by now I’m fairly invested in our plan to relocate out of California.  Even the kids, who weren’t happy initially, are on board with the idea and we have frequent conversations about what our ‘new’ life will be like.  So it was with very mixed feelings that I received an emailed job announcement a day ago!  The job is right up my alley but it is part-time, no benefits and does not pay particularly well.  As it is working with a non-profit there is little likelihood of pay increases.  I’ve done volunteer work with this organization so I know it and they know me.  It would allow us to stay here, and I’d have a steady income and perhaps at some point we could get into some low income housing and out of the trailer.

Without disclosing too much (too soon), our relocation plan has a wealth of intangible benefits – particularly as they relate to a support system and much more physical space – and would allow me the freedom to pursue my true love (writing, not a fellow).  Our income would likely continue to be ‘unsteady’ and somewhat sporadic however.

What to do?  Well, after thinking it over and talking to someone who recently left the advertised position, I applied today.  The selection of candidates to interview won’t take place until the first week of April.  In the meantime we proceed with our plans, which includes continuing the sorting and boxing of our possessions still in storage.  I need to complete that by the end of the month anyway as the rent is going up and even if we stay I can’t afford it.

It would be ironic if I were to finally get a local job, even a part-time job, just as I’ve been driven to apply for some sort of assistance; on the eve of our conceding defeat and fleeing the Golden State!  For the first time since our wretched journey began I haven’t been able to scrape together enough for next month’s rent with my patchwork consulting jobs and cat bed sales.

On the other hand, being snatched from the jaws of defeat at the last minute would make a good ending for my book! :-) Stay tuned!

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Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks

March 3, 2012 in 2nd Career, back to school, frugal living, hope, Job, job search, moving, single parent, Writing by boxcarkids | 9 comments

One stumbling block to ‘reinventing’ myself and starting a new career is my age.  I’m not old, although probably old enough to apply for a job at Rent-a-Grandma (see link on Boxcarkids Facebook page), but I’m not young anymore either.  I did four years of college, and then attended grad school on the Ph.D. track.  I worked over 20 years in my chosen field (environmental permitting) and have been out of work for awhile now.  And that’s as close to telling my age as I’m going to go!  Age is an impediment, although it isn’t just age that needs to be overcome.  There are habits as well.  I ended my career at a fairly high step on the management ladder and by that time, in addition to experience and know-how, I had developed a manager’s way of interacting with clients and subordinates.  But you can’t go into a new field acting like the boss; you have to rein in any tendency to step forth or take over.  You have to remind yourself that the 24 year old showing you the ropes really does know more about it than you do!  And maybe your new job will require new skills as well – learning new technology for instance – or the pace and environment at which you work will vary greatly from your past career.  If you go from sitting at a computer in a cubicle to standing at a cash register all day you will feel it.

These career transition issues are not mine alone; there are a lot of workers who are close to retirement age, or who have retired, who are looking for jobs these days, many in a field completely different from the one they were in previously.  There are so many older job seekers that an entire market of goods and services has been created for them.  According to a segment titled “What Retirement? Seniors are getting back to work” that aired recently on NPR, more seniors are looking for work, and while some are succeeding, even more aren’t.  Those that aren’t, are looking for help.  There are books like Working after Retirement for Dummies, Portfolio Life: The New Path to Work, Purpose, and Passion After 50, and Encore: Finding Work that Matters in the Second Half of Life (all available through my Amazon.com link).  There are websites like Wiser worker – an internet job search and resource center for older workers and Retired Brains – a job and information resource for boomers, retirees and people planning their retirement. Community colleges often have entire programs geared towards seniors with a surprising number of courses job related (such as computer programs, starting your own business, accounting, foreign languages, and investing).

Interestingly enough my research indicates that there are quite a few resources out there for employers of mature workers as well.  Just as there are book on working after 50 there are books for employers on how to train, manage and retain older workers.  And a recent NPR story detailed the efforts of employers to keep their older workers fit and healthy by implementing an exercise program at work, thereby avoiding the costs of injuries, and hiring and training new employees.

Does all of this mean it is easy to switch careers or find a new job as a mature worker?  No, not really.  Age bias still exists making older workers more likely to face layoffs and less likely to be hired.   Job seekers who are 55 or older take an additional 3 months to find work on average and lawsuits alleging age discrimination are on the rise.  According to an article titled, “Tips for Staying Employed after 50”, there are still a lot of misconceptions about older workers.  These include the idea that older workers are more expensive, can’t adapt to new technology, and can’t keep up with the fast pace of today’s work environment.

Switching careers is not always easy to do.  While the job search site, Retired Brains, lists thousands of jobs presumably geared towards the older worker, most of these really require substantial tenure in that job’s field.  Very few of the “Retirement Jobs” listed are entry level positions.  For example all of these:  EOE-ESE Senior Data Integration Architect; Controller; Registered Nurse; Web Analytics Consultant; Director, Coast Guard Investigative Service; Veterinary Cardiologist; Elementary School Principal; and Physical Therapist, require extensive schooling and experience.

Retraining can be expensive, or difficult. Training programs in areas where there are job openings, such as IT, healthcare, and engineering, cannot meet the demand.  In fact many training programs in these areas have been cut or eliminated during the past decade of education cuts.  Our local college has a 2-year waiting list for its nursing program and some schools now have waiting lists to get on a waiting list!  At the same time employers cannot find enough well-trained employees.  MathWorks, a developer of mathematical computing software for engineers and scientists, regularly advertises more than 200 job openings and complains that they cannot qualified workers to fill them.

Perhaps it is time to revive the notion of apprenticeships, a system developed in the Middle Ages wherein the employer trained the worker in exchange for his service for a set period once the training was complete. Before education become widely available and accessible apprenticeships were the way most craftsmen and tradesmen learned their craft or trade. Still used in some countries, this system of learning has become much less prevalent in the United States, although some trade associations such as the Associated Builders and Contractors do offer apprenticeship programs.

As for me, I am making plans for a career switch of my own.  Jobs in my field are still scarce and the openings are increasingly focused on areas (such as alternative energy development or oil and gas exploration) in which I have little direct experience.  Job ads stress the requirement for applicants to have an unbroken employment history and to have an existing client base.  I apply regardless but my applications just disappear into a cyberspace void.  So we are contemplating a big move.  One that is still in the planning stages and  likely to be a logistical nightmare, but which gives me hope and provides a tiny glimmer of light at the end of a tunnel that was beginning to appear endless.  As our plan progresses I look forward to sharing it with our blog readers and I hope you will join us on what is sure to be a roller coaster ride into our future!

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