Life Unsettled

Life Unsettled


Career Change – Plan it or Take the Default

May 15, 2019

Why you should be looking at your future career as an ongoing process. You will have change, probably many times, a career is either planned or decided by others for you.

Career Change and paths to new jobs or professions are confusing and don't always go where expected.

Why now is one of the best times ever for career change and career
development.

It may last 2-4 years, but you’ll need every one of those years to make the most progress.

Largely I am setting a framework for thinking about careers in this episode. It will be followed by more action-oriented episodes and hopefully ideas to motivate thoughts.

You should always be planning on changing careers.

On average people have 10-15 jobs during their lifetime.
Some of these jobs are completely new careers.

If you aren’t ready for a career change, it will happen by
default. Now, sometimes that may be an unexpected promotion. Most often, if by
default, you are in a situation that is less than you wanted.

So, if you want to grow and progress over time, you don’t want to let a change affecting you to be a default change. That is, a new job where you might not have a good choice or at a time of desperation. Start your research and include social media to gain contacts, but be cautious of what you say.

Think about it. You will see many changes, do you want to
plan and figure out how to maximize the results, or even just see progress, or
do you want to leave it to luck.

Also, if others around you are working toward positive
change, it may be like musical chairs and you were not ready when the music
stopped.

Yes, the music may stop because companies are not living as long as they did fifty years ago.

Now for some great news.

Record Opportunity for Career Advancement

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are about 7.6 million job openings and only about 6.5 million unemployed. This is a remarkable time in history. There is such a huge shortage that companies are more willing to train career changers and even are hiring felons that seem to have true potential.

This will not last forever. It is a rare job market in history and caused by the strong growth in the economy and in both new and reinvigorated industries. Simultaneously, so many people left the work force by the end of 2016 that while unemployment appeared low, there was discouraged workers that gave up searching for good jobs. Companies that were looking for workers were trying to keep the hours below 30 per week to avoid large health care cost of the Affordable Care Act. Enough of that issue, we only are concerned with how to take advantage of today’s work environment and why we shouldn’t wait.

Over the next few years, many people will be retraining for new jobs and many are already returning into the workforce. You need to look at both what skills you have and what additional ones you may need. You probably have transferable skills that while not exactly requested, enhance your appeal and others you get through part time school or work. In any case, it is not a time that anyone needs to feel stuck in their position or status in the marketplace.

Both those that are returning as well as those are changing careers will make a transformation to target their skills and experience to new careers.

It is truly a time you can breakthrough to completely new career paths. I say paths because as learn and gain experience more opportunities open up and you may shift your focus.

The government will start increasing the H1 and other work
visas to accommodate corporations who need employees with certain skills.

It is important at the least to start thinking and researching new career paths now. The increase in work visas granted and others who return to the workforce finding new careers will lessen the opportunities.

Most Interview Problems are Just Social Skills

In spite of all these positive developments,