Choosing and Changing Career at Any Age or Stage

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

When deciding what courses and career to choose (at whichever age!), it is important to consider motivation, ability and personality....what you want to do and what you can do (and whether you will fit in). This includes consideration of desired lifestyle and location besides where natural talents and abilities lie. To ensure maximum fulfillment, enthusiasm and drive, thorough consideration of interests, values, ambition, and potential motivators and incentives is necessary. Are current goals and rewards really those favoured by you, or are they actually your teachers', parents' or peers'? What drives you as a person? What do you enjoy doing? What do you really want out of life?

What motivates you?

While interests tend to be broadly established by one's twenties, other needs may be dictated by external factors, such as financial requirements, or a preference to live in a certain area. Values, such as a wish to 'give something back', or a need for 'greater life-work balance' can often develop later in life, perhaps on having a family. It is frequently assumed that all people are motivated by money, but some individuals would prefer a lower paid position, which is interesting and stimulating to one which is very lucrative yet mundane repetitive and boring. Then again, not everyone seeks promotion and the headache/challenge of responsibility. This needs to be explored (bearing in mind that interests and personality will change and develop with time).

What strengths and talents do you have?

A person's ability to perform a task further depends on natural talents and aptitudes, education and learned skills. Look for evidence of capability (e.g. demonstrated technical, communication, visual or logical problem solving skills). If not employing psychometric measurement, (many schools have unused and therefore wasted data on students' scores in verbal, numerical and non-verbal reasoning), clues regarding aptitudes can often be gleaned from your academic grades, plus individuals tend to like activities for which they have natural talent. What subjects had the best grades - what do these have in common? What comes most naturally - verbal, numerical, logical or visual/practical tasks? What additional knowledge, skills and experience, perhaps from outside school or work do you have on which to capitalise? Are there as yet undiscovered talents? Think compared to peers and colleagues as well as relative talents for you. Look for occupational matches and consider whether a traditional academic or more vocational route would suit you best.

How much of your success is down to liking the subject or teacher? It is surprising how often one finds that individuals, through sheer determination and training, have proven successful against the odds. Think how much more comfortable and easy it would be if building on natural talents!

What are the implications of personality factors?

Your personality will also have major implications regarding type of career: should you be dealing with people or with things (e.g. if you are a strong scientist you could be either a doctor or an engineer); ought you to be working with facts or with subjective subject matter (e.g. being talented with words could be useful in both law and journalism); and are you best placed in a maintenance or change-oriented position (e.g. if strong numerically are you the accountant/credit controller or the operational researcher)?

Temperament has implications regarding role: do you have leadership ability or are you a team member/support type; or perhaps you are better suited to being an independent adviser or consultant? The possible level or seniority will depend to some extent on ambition, drive, aptitude and experience, but personality and ability/desire to multi-task and handle pressure and responsibility should be considered too.

Individuals can further have a personality mismatch with the organisation. Some thrive on the structure and bureaucracy of a large organisation and cannot cope with a dynamic, unstructured and unpredictable small firm. Some suit non-commercial rather than business settings. Yet others would be best suited to self-employment.

What strengths do you have in terms of personal qualities, behavioural traits and interpersonal skills? What could be considered a weakness? Turn this around - where could this trait in fact be considered a strength (e.g. a night watchman may not need to be outgoing and good with people)?

However, it is important to remember that personality factors do change with time and can be situational. If one has fallen out with peers, one may appear temporarily rather withdrawn. Stress can stem from a temperamental predisposition, but can also be externally evoked; if stressed, a person may be impatient, irritable and bullying to others, but reversed, an aggressive style can also contribute to problems for the dictator (who may have to face others' rebellion and obstructive behaviour)! Thought needs to be given to your usual behavioural responses, which admittedly can be different at school, at home and out with friends etc. - who actually are you? Matching your personal style to the career type, level, role and organisation can enable you to be who you really are at work too, rather than straining to simply play the part every day.

It helps to view a career as a journey rather than end in itself!

Choosing a career is a complex business which many people find scary and perplexing. So many people are held back from their dream careers through fear of failure. Others 'fall into something' and remain stuck in that rut for years. Fortunately, a 'career for life' is a thing of the past, and most people these days feel they owe it to themselves to fulfill their potential and to be the best and happiest they can be, even if this means changing careers as they grow and develop. To be satisfied and successful at work (which obviously takes up an enormous proportion of life), you will clearly need to invest in some serious self-analysis, meditation and research. Professional career consultancy with a qualified psychologist employing psychometric measures is best, but if funds are limited, try the 'career bible', 'What Color is Your Parachute?' Richard Bolles.

A man is flying in a hot air balloon and realizes he is lost. He reduces height and spots a man down below. He lowers the balloon further and shouts, "Excuse me. Can you help me? I promised my friend I would meet him half an hour ago, but I don't know where I am."

The man below says, "Yes, you are in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above this field. You are between 40 & 42 degrees N latitude and between 58 & 60 degrees W. longitude."

"You must be an engineer," says the balloonist.

"I am," replies the man. "How did you know?"

"Well," says the balloonist, "everything you have told me is technically correct but I have no idea what to make of your information and the fact is I am still lost."

The man below says, "You must be a manager"

"I am," replies the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well," says the man below, "you don't know where you are or where you are going. You have made a promise which you have no idea how to keep and you expect me to solve your problem. The fact is you are in exactly the same position you were in before we met but now it is somehow my fault."

Remember it is the position which is redundant, not you!

How could they treat me like that when I have given them so much? Why me - wasn't I doing a good job? They can't do this to people - they must have been able to do something to keep us! Whatever am I going to do - I have a mortgage to pay?!

Scary, but how many of us will be having these thoughts over the coming months as the credit crunch bites ever harder and redundancies become increasingly common?

What if you are made Redundant?

If you are one of the unlucky ones to be made redundant, you are likely to experience a range of natural emotions through shock, denial, hurt, and anger, before finally being able to accept the situation and move on. Some of you may find it hard to talk about your feelings, and some will take longer than others to come out of the tunnel. It is often forgotten that co-workers who survive the redundancies may suffer too, experiencing feelings of relief, guilt, anger or insecurity. They will be the ones who have to pick up the duties of those who leave, and restructuring can create change which many will find threatening. They will have to go on with that sword of Damocles hovering over their heads!

Some companies will provide trained redundancy counsellors to help you work through your feelings. Talking with a partner, relative, friend or close colleague can help too - keep an eye out and try to be there for that person who needs you. It is important that you channel your feelings and emotions into moving forward rather than looking back with regret.

Re-Evaluate

Rather than seeing the situation as a disaster, why not consider it a great opportunity to re-evaluate, especially if you are leaving with a lump sum as a financial cushion! Some out-placement consultants will be keen to point you in the direction of similar jobs, but why not think outside the box and look at where else your skills and experience could be transferable? Then again, this could be the ideal time to retrain, start your own business, move to the country, or take that career break and travel the world! This could be the push you need to follow your dreams and make a real career change.

Take Control

Try and stay positive and motivated, and take control rather than bury your head in the sand! What are your main concerns? What action can and needs to be taken? Write a list and prioritise:
- Write a CV - a compelling self-marketing document always makes you feel more positive and reminds you of all the skills and expertise you have to offer.
- Take counsel and investigate alternative job or indeed career opportunities and prospects (recruitment and career consultants).
- Practise interview techniques.
- Actively network (most jobs are found through who you know not what you know).
- Talk to your mortgage lender and credit card companies to ascertain options.
- Make a list of positive thoughts, and re-read them whenever negativity sets in!

Stay Positive

When you start to focus on the negative, try the following techniques to help see things more positively and reduce pressure.
- Describe the situation, about which you feel negative. Check the facts. What is real, and what imagined? Pressure stems from your expectation of the consequences. This is imagination, not reality. 90 % of the time the acronym FEAR (False Evidence Appearing Real), applies. It is the position not you which is redundant. Everyone knows we are in recession and this is not personal. You are not really unemployable!
- Turn the situation inside out. There is more than one way to look at a situation. How could it be viewed positively? Positive perspectives reduce pressure. This is a great opportunity to change or progress!
- Mix with positive people. Attitudes are catching. Positive people reduce pressure. Phone the most positive person you know for a chat!
- It could be worse. Thinking of how things could be worse can make things seem less bad. Imagining yourself as a bag lady on a park bench will seem so absurd it will not only make you laugh, but also make you realise that it could be worse!
- Talk positive. Don't harp on about the hardships, as this will exacerbate stress. Positive talk reduces pressure. You are going to get that dream job!
- Laugh. Focus on the funny side of the situation, and do not take things too seriously. Laugh in the face of adversity, will make you feel better! And anyway, at least you won't have to suffer your boss's halitosis any longer!

Bud Bilanich is known as The Common Sense Guy. His pragmatic approach to business and life has made him one of the most sought-after speakers, consultants, and executive coaches in the U.S, (clients include Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Abbot Laboratories, PepsiCo, General Motors, Citicorp, JP Morgan Chase, UBS Financial Services, AXA Advisors, AT&T, Pitney Bowes, and The Boys and Girls Clubs of America).

Harvard educated Dr. Bilanich's work focuses on helping individuals, teams, and entire organisations to succeed. In this book he tells you, step-by-step, how to become successful while avoiding the pain and mistakes which he had to experience. Comprehensive and jam-packed with useful and practical information on how to succeed in life and work, the book addresses the 5 common traits of successful people:

* Successful people are self confident.
* Successful people have powerful personal impact.
* Successful people are outstanding performers.
* Successful people have excellent communication skills.
* Successful people are interpersonally competent.

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Charles (29yrs) was a successful City Economist, whose results clearly showed that he was not motivated to make money for rich companies. He felt that he was prostituting himself daily when he went to work, and he was heading for a breakdown. He knew that he had no interest in the subject matter and that his values clashed with the culture in which he worked. Charles's situation was further complicated by his wife's desire that he should remain a highly paid city type and maintain their lifestyle. Career change does not always involve a completely new start. Charles's aptitude and personality were well matched to figure-work, and to a position as a professional expert adviser, but his interests and values pointed to his working for a more social, voluntary sector body, in Third World Development Economics. When last in contact, Charles had (sadly) left his wife but was happily working in South America for a Development Consultancy!

Claire (26yrs), an Oxford graduate who had trained as a Barrister, emerged through psychometric testing as having a very poor Verbal Reasoning. She had worked very hard and had passed her examinations in Law, but had never felt it had come naturally. Her Aptitude Profile was quite a revelation, but actually also a relief; it provided some explanation. Discussion revealed that she had been led to believe that she was good with words as a result of early precocity in English lessons. Claire had found the teacher truly inspiring, and her success in the subject had, it seemed, been more due to motivation, hard work, and to a highly creative and sensitive personality, than to any natural verbal ability. She came from a highly academic family, who had encouraged reading from an early age, and who had pushed her toward Oxford and Law. Two years after the assessment, Claire was half way through a degree in Architecture and already winning student prizes. She felt fulfilled and competent, because she was finally building on more natural perceptual/visual strengths, as well as more fully addressing her creative and sensitive qualities.

Ann (42yrs) was a PA who had been in a rut for 10 yrs. She had a background in desk top publishing which she had enjoyed, but when the company had relocated, she had taken the first job going to pay the bills and had worked as a PA ever since. She showed as very independent minded and clearly needed to be more her own boss. Interestingly, she was working in a large structured organisation (which she valued for security) and a firm which was concerned with education (she had thought that the company sounded interesting and worthwhile and this was important as she needed belief in the cause). She showed as very interested in literary and communication-oriented fields and was advised to go back to the firms HR division to enquire about opportunities as an Information Officer or Trainer where she could build more on her creativity. She was able to transfer in house and is now happily working as an NVQ tutor.

David (31yrs) had 'fallen into' IT at a time when all graduates saw this as a growing and lucrative field. He was in a training/programming role and earning very well but hating every minute. His colleagues read IT magazines for fun and lived and breathed the work. David felt that he had little in common with them. He was really interested in people and had enjoyed dealing with and training clients in software, and he had always been fascinated with his uncle's business in HR consultancy. We discussed change management, and the human factors side of IT and ergonomics which would have capitalised on experience to date, but David decided to go the whole hog and retrain in Occupational Psychology (he is now happily applying his knowledge in the corporate arena in which he already had experience).

James (17yrs) was fed up with school and not enjoying his A levels. He did not want to go to University and was not working and being disruptive at school. Psychometric assessment showed that he was interested in social sciences and media, and the only school subject he was enjoying was Politics (because he liked the teacher who was positive and encouraging rather than 'moany'). James was clearly a questioning, intelligent, sensitive, young person, very interested in 'people as people'. It was clear that fear of failure was holding him back and he was not putting in the effort in order to have the potential excuse, 'Well, I didn't really try!' James recognised this behaviour and had from the results the best possible guarantee that if he put in his best effort he would be as much of a star as other (famous) family members. It was agreed that he should change his attitude and aim high too; he is now knuckling down and well on course for reading P.P.E. at Oxford!

Mary (41yrs) had always been superwoman, managing a high-powered job and family. She had an excellent track record when she secured a position as International Marketing Director of a National Public Sector Board. Mary had prided herself on her aggressive, dynamic, 'can do' style, and was surprised to find some resistance from others in her new role. She thought she must have been being paranoid when it began to seem that others were being obstructive, telling her about meetings after the event, excluding her and withholding vital information. Gradually, it became increasingly difficult to do her job properly, but she attributed signs of stress to 'an early menopause'. One day, she woke up an emotional wreck, unable to get up, dress, or perform everyday chores. She was on sick leave for one year, and finally took a severance package. Mary had been insufficiently self-aware to recognize the mismatch with her own style and that of a more bureaucratic and less commercial Public Sector body. She had upset colleagues with her poor emotional intelligence, insensitivity and aggressive, dictatorial manner. It was agreed that Mary did have the strong social, analytical and creative personality required in Marketing, but that she would be happier in a much smaller and more commercial organisation. She clearly saw from the test results and her experience that she had personal development needs regarding 'winning friends and influencing people', but that these would have been less of an issue had she been better matched to the organisation for which she worked.

Sarah (28yrs) had completed a degree in Environmental Science and had subsequently worked in an Environmental consultancy but had not enjoyed the front line sales element and report writing. She had switched to an in house role in the public sector as an environmental manager but was frustrated by the inefficiency and lack of commitment to the cause. She was depressed and having relationship problems as a result. She envied her sister who was 'going somewhere' and earning a large salary as a PA in the City. Sarah showed as very rule-abiding and as valuing tangible results and rewards (confirmation and validation of success); she was very 'black or white' and a perfectionist in her style and she had had enough of being a martyr. It was agreed that she should retrain in Accountancy, the prospect of which she found very inspiring.

 

Published on Monday March 12th , 2007 (www.jobprofiles.org)

"How many of us out there hate that one sound that signals your day is about to start. That sound that reminds us that we have to head off to the same boring job we've wanted to quit so badly. When you hear this dreaded alarm sound do you ever thing about going to a different job? Not necessarily one that makes you a huge amount of money or provides you with fame and glory, but a job that you never thought anyone could have? With the rising popularity of shows like Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel, we are starting to open our eyes the gamut of possibilities when it comes to employment. However we shouldn't just focus on dirty jobs, but focus our attention on jobs that are just plain weird!

There are a huge number of people out there who do jobs that we cannot even comprehend. Jobs that don't seem like they should exist, but they do. We've all wondered about what weird jobs are out there, but now you can find out exactly what some people actually make a living at and just how weird occupations can get. The following jobs are in no particular order and not listed in terms of weirdness; that decision will be left up to you.

1. Odour Tester

This one is pretty odd, but some chemist has to make sure that all of those deodorants and anti-perspirants are operating properly to keep their users free of funk.

2. Hair Boiler

This lucky soul gets to boil various kinds of animal hair until it curls for later use. We know that burning hair smells terrible; try to imagine catching the aroma of hair boil soup all day, no thanks.

3. Waste Station/Water Treatment Worker

Maybe more dirty than weird, but anytime someone has to deal with other peoples crap (literally) I think you can classify it as a weird job. Let us just take a minute to think about the things that go down our toilets and have a moment of silence for these brave men and women.

4. Citrus Fruit Dyer

Have you ever passed by the lemons at the supermarket and though to yourself, damn that's some good looking citrus! Well it might be because there commercial farmers out there who dye the fruit a more vibrant color to hide the ripeness of the fruit.

5. Crocodile Wrangler

Many of us are privy to this unusual occupation due to the late, great Steve Irwin, but no matter how accustomed we become to handling animals it will always be a little out there. A nice mix of danger and excitement for what many would consider low pay.

6. Fortune Cookie Writer

Yes, we've all wondered who the heck writes those fortunes in English! Finishing a take-out Chinese meal isn't only full of MSG, but those delightfully witty pieces of advice that people are so quick to heed.

7. Pet Detective

Another one we might have missed if it weren't for a film or television show. Ace Ventura, pet detective, displayed just how important this job is, especially when Dan Marino is in trouble! Personally I would've gone with a missing ad in the paper, but these folks are sure to find that furry member of the family.

8. Cheese Sprayer

Don't worry; I am not talking about someone spraying chemicals on your cheese. This person is actually in charge of spraying either cheese or butter on popcorn. Yet another job that most people might have guessed was done by a machine, but how else would you engineer that perfect, hand crafted cheese coating on every kernel?

9. IMAX Screen Cleaner

If you've ever seen an IMAX screen, these things are huge! But someone has to make sure that bad boy is crystal clear so we can travel through the Grand Canyon or explore the human body via a gigantic screen in a circular room.

10. Chimney Sweeper

Here is another job which could be more on the dirty side. The unfortunate person partaking in this age old profession is sure to be covered in soot and ash by the end of the day. It a fact that around the turn of the twentieth century people use to use young children to chimney sweep because they were small enough to fit inside the tiny chimneys some structures used. Even poets like Blake and Kingsley have written about this one. I'm pretty sure (I hope) technology has brought this one up to date.

11. Light Bender

Making neon lights seems like it would be a relatively easy job, but it requires a lot of precision and electrical work. Apparently if the lights don't have the proper thickness and shaping, they will amount to nothing more than broken glass. This job has to be quite lucrative in a town like Las Vegas.

12. Odd Job Journalist

the authorThis writer gets actually paid money to write articles about other weird and odd jobs that exist. Maybe someday he'll find a real job of his own. Hey, wait a minute...

13. Professional Whistler

Believe it or not this man whistles tunes and does it for a living. Allegedly this gentleman is well versed in several different genres of music.

14. Fountain Pen Repairer

Honestly, I think most of us would have to be fairly wealthy and care a hell of a lot about our fountain pens to have them repaired rather than go buy another pen.

15. Snake Milker

If you ever get bitten by a poisonous snake you'll be grateful these people know how to work with animals. They are responsible for getting the venom out of snakes to make the anti-venom. Be honest, which one of you thought that snakes had actual milk glands?

16. Wrinkle Chasers

Nobody likes that crease that shoes get after about a month right below the toe line. Well wrinkle chasers make sure those leather crow's feet never appear on those shiny new shoes before they leave the factory. Now can we please find someone to invent something that keeps it that way?

17. Rodeo Clowns

I know that I've always been fascinated with those Spaniards in Pamplona who risk their lives in the running of the bulls, but rodeo clowns do it for a living. You have to give them some respect though. Their theatrics not only takes guts, but you have to be fairly secure in your masculinity to do this covered in makeup.

18. Cow Hoof Trimmer

Just like horseshoes, cows need some hoof maintenance too. These fine animals can have poor milk production, lameness, and decreased fertility if not properly groomed. Try to imagine giving a cow a pedicure.

19. Chicken Sexer

Going through baby chicks and separating them according to sex. I hear this job is pretty easy, if you just play bad 80's music and set things up like a 5th grade dance, they separate themselves.

20. Ostrich Babysitter

Apparently this guy gets to sit in a field full of ostrich and make sure that they didn't peck each other to death or get stolen. Any job where you can sit down, read a book and do absolutely no work is always a plus, but I have heard that these birds' behavior can get a little aggressive.

21. Furniture Tester

Ever been sitting in your favorite chair or sofa and say to yourself, man I wish I could do this for a living. Well some really lucky human being actually tests out furniture for companies like La-Z-Boy. A new definition of the phrase "couch potato."

22. Cartoon People/Mascots

Remember when you went to Disneyworld for the first time when you were eight? You got to meet Mickey Mouse and Goofey! Well we all now know that those are real people in there and are aware of it, this is still a pretty weird job.

23. Oyster Floater

They float oysters on a barge in running water until they are completely free of impurities, also a short term storage method. Sounds like a cranberry field full of oysters and I can imagine this isn't the cleanest job in the world. But if you enjoy the taste of these slimy shellfish, I'm sure you can sneak a lot in during your shift.

24. Neck Skewer

Basically this job involves skewing the neck of beef halves with a steel rod after the head of the cow has been removed. 500 pound raw beef shish kabob anyone?

25. Adult Store Attendant

One of the more harder-to-stomach professions, unless you're a pervert. Sooner or later we have to get into some nasty jobs. In this case the adult store worker not only takes care of the store, but has to clean up the booths where clientele "test" the pornographic merchandise. Probably a good candidate for The Discovery Channel's popular program, and one heck of a way to apply that human services degree.

26. Braille Translator

Someone has to modify all sorts of texts and convert them to Braille for the blind. This can include novels, music, textbooks, and brochures. There is nothing wrong with making things more accessible for the blind and this one sounds like it's a quite useful job, but it does sound tedious.

27. Ski Slope Illustrator

Fortune Magazine has also done some investigating and sure enough there is someone out there who has to draw those trail maps on the ski slopes around the world. Fortune has also mentioned our next weird job...

28. Dog Food Tester

Watch out guys, this gal is going to have some great breath in store for you. Just like any other meals, dog food needs to be inspected too. I suppose they can't use dogs to test the food so this profession requires a taste testing of such a delicious cuisine.

29. Gum Buster

Have you ever sat in a park bench and had the misfortune of placing your hand in old gum? Well that's where these guys come in, removing gum that resides all over the place.

30. Fantasy Broker

If you want your dreams to come true then talk to these folks. Their job is to make sure that if you want something, you get it. Kind of like a concierge of life. If I were in the business of making fantasies come to life, I think I'd charge quite a large amount.

31. Golf Ball Diver

I know every time I hit the range, about three balls head into the water and I suspect it's the same way for most. These quasi-scubas get in there a