As a former high school business teacher and former Fortune 500 sales director for career guidance products, I have interacted with people young and old who are trying to choose a career. Now more than ever, people are faced with having to make changes in their existing careers because of the bad economy and the need for new 21st century job skills. More people are choosing work-at-home careers to balance family and income needs. As jobs are lost, some people are choosing self-employment, contract employment or consulting careers. Too often, people work hard toward a career dream only to be disappointed when the end result does not also meet their lifestyle needs.
What Went Wrong In My Career Path Decision?
What I have observed over the years is that most people follow through with some steps of the career exploration process, but not all of the steps. Sometimes people do the steps backwards and find that in the end, they are miserable at what they chose for a career. Sadly, some people just get caught up in outside factors like corporate corruption, a bad economy, or new technology that forces the need for a change of career. Let’s look at some statistics about American workers and their career paths:
7.7 million Americans hold down more than one job. This is 5% of the workforce.
10.4 million Americans are self-employed.
10.3 million Americans are independent contractors.
15.7 million Americans are labor union members.
7.2 million Americans are teachers.
5.7 million Americans work at home.
17 million American workers leave for work between midnight and 6:00 in the morning.
3.4 million American workers drive 90 or more minutes to work each day.
28% of American workers work more than 40 hours a week and 8% of workers work more than 60 hours a week.
Only 9% of American workers have been with their current employer for 20+ years. The median number of years American workers stay with their employer is 4 years.
83% of full-time workers during all or part of 2007 were covered by health insurance.
77% of private industry employees received paid vacation as a benefit.
How to Determine the Right Career Path?
Whether you are just starting out in life or you are faced with having to change a career, there are 10 questions you should research and explore while making a career path decision. If you skip any one of these questions or are not honest with your answers, you need to be ready to face some challenges in life. Let’s explore:
Determine the Right Career Path Question 1: What Do I Want to Be?
Everyone dreams in their childhood about what they want to be when they grow up. As older adults, we sometimes dream about what we wished we had done after a career path disaster. I always wanted to be a teacher, so I became one without thinking about the next 9 questions. Uh-oh. For more information about hot careers in the coming years, visit: Top 5 Hot Careers for 2009-2016
Determine the Right Career Path Question 2: What Do I Need to Become That?
Do I need college, certification, on-the-job training, high school diploma, or GED? Look at the classified ads on job boards for that career and see what knowledge, skills, and abilities are required. Don’t assume just because you have a degree in your hand, that you are marketable. Some careers also require experience through internships, fellowships, and on-the-job training like student teaching. Make sure you have time and money to make it happen. For more information about scholarships, grants, internships, and more free online tuition assistance resources, visit: Digging for Dollars: Finding Scholarships and Financial Aid
Determine the Right Career Path Question 3: Are There Jobs and Money for That?
Research where the jobs are for that career and how much it pays. Obviously you can be a teacher anywhere in America, but some states pay much higher starting salaries to teachers. You may have a lot of jobs in your area for a career field, but the wages are low and the working conditions are less than desirable (lots of overtime, long commute, etc.) Consider whether you would be willing to relocate for more money and better benefits.
Determine the Right Career Path Question 4: Will I Have to Move to Those Jobs?
If you have to move to another area to get a job in your career field, is it in an area you want to live? I have lived and traveled all over the United States. There is a huge difference in the daily life of a worker on the East Coast and Washington D.C. than in Austin, Texas. Being a commuter on mass transit in the East is very different from driving your car a few blocks to work. Time zones are also a factor. The 9:00 p.m. news in Utah comes on at 11:00 p.m. in D.C. Can you stay up that late every night, commute an hour on the train, and be to work at 8:00 a.m.? It was rough for this ‘ole Texas gal.
Determine the Right Career Path Question 5: What Do I Want in Life?
You really have to analyze this carefully. Of course, everyone would like to live comfortably from a career path decision. But, you might want more. Are you a social jetsetter that wants to go to concerts, sports games, fancy restaurants, and exotic trips with your friends? If so, a teacher’s salary will not cut it. Do you want the biggest house and the nicest car on the block? Do you want a boat? Do you want the latest and greatest of consumer electronics? Better think about it!
Determine the Right Career Path Question 6: Will My Career Give Me Those Things?
Seriously, make a budget of what you need in life and what you want in life and then see if your career path decision will pay for it all. Don’t assume your spouse will cover it for you! That was a big mistake I made which leads me to the next important step in determining the right career path for YOU! Look at what kinds of companies you would have to work for in that career. Are they large companies with a lot of mergers/buyouts that cause frequent layoffs? Are they small entrepreneurial companies that are unstable? Can you work for the government, which might provide more job security? Will you have to join a union? Are there opportunities for advancement based on performance and not additional college? Download this free budget form to help you identify what expenses your career salary must cover.
Determine the Right Career Path Question 7: Will My Career Cover Spouse Problems?
Spouse problems could mean he/she loses a job, he/she gets transferred to another town with a job, he/she divorces you after 20 years of marriage and 3-4 kids, or he/she suddenly dies without leaving you life insurance. These things have happened to almost anyone you know or maybe even you! If not, it could very well happen in your future. I was a teacher with a 2-year old, going to school at night for my MBA, and got divorced. It was rough! I had to leave teaching for a better paying job. Currently, my daughter and her husband are struggling with having to relocate because of his job and she does not want to leave her job. Fortunately, she is a CPA and can get a job just about anywhere – so his job location is taking front burner in their lives. Some career choices would not have that easy of an outcome.
Determine the Right Career Path Question 8: Can My Career Move Into Another Career?
When choosing a career path, it is always wise to think about whether it moves into another career path easily. Especially look at this if you choose a military career. Is there a civilian job that will fit with your military training and years of experience? My teaching experience and MBA led me into sales/marketing with Fortune 500 educational publishers. What other occupations are available on your career path? Also ask yourself what changes are happening in your career. Do you need to get continuing education or new certifications to stay current in your career? I have two relatives in the science field that constantly have to go back to school to stay current in their field. If you want to be in an IT field, you better count on spending most of your career life learning new technology and getting certified in new areas.
Determine the Right Career Path Question 9: Who Am I Really?
Sometimes people, including myself, underestimate what they can do or are interested in doing. After seeing my Dad in a sales position his whole life, I swore I would never like or be good in sales. When I was put into sales from an editorial position, I actually loved it and was very good at it. Don’t knock it ’till you try it. If you are not sure whether you would like a certain career field, talk to some people who are in that field. Go to some local Chamber of Commerce morning coffees and network with some people to see what their careers are all about. Take some free online tests like personality, thinking styles, communication styles, aptitude for learning certain things, IQ, etc. Face the truth: I suck at accounting and spacial relations so I stay away from engineering and math fields. Here are some free online resources to help you explore yourself:
The ASVAB is the aptitude test you take to join the military. It helps match you to a military career. The ASVAB Career Exploration Program online has some free tools to help you discover more about your interests and skills. Visit, ASVAB Career Exploration Center
This is a fun little test that helps you assess what kind of personality you are. If you want more details about the results you can order an extended report for a fee: The Color Code Free Personality Test
Determine the Right Career Path Question 10: Will My Career Make Me Happy?
There are not very many people in America who can wake up every morning and say they are the happiest they have ever been. Too often, those happy days are related to some wrong career decision that now causes stress, money problems, marital problems, health problems, and family problems. We all make some bad decisions in our lives. Buying a convenience store was one of the worst decisions I ever made on my career path because I didn’t listen to myself when I said: this is not who I am (Question # 9).
There is always a way to adjust your career path or just start over with a new one, but trust me and millions of others: life is so much easier if you answer those 10 questions and don’t have to start over unless you really want to.
Sources:
U.S. Census Bureau
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/pdf/cb09ff-15.pdf
