Alok Prasanna Kumar wrote:
> Read this fascinating piece on the Guardian
>
https://www.theguardian.com/education/2021/jul/14/leaving-burnout-behind-the-pain-and-pleasure-of-starting-a-new-career-in-my-50s
> ?
>
> ...and wondered if any of you have switched careers later in life
(say 20+
> years after one) and what was the experience like.
I can't say that I switched careers after 20 years; either I never
lasted that long or the career didn't.
Electronic technician, Technical writer and editor, Research library
director, Railroad conductor, Hotel desk clerk, and now Research library
director again plus non-profit management. Longest tenure? About 8 years.
The reasons for leaving varied: Electronic tech (things no longer need
repair, they need replacement -- with a better part); first research
library, killed by politics and the books given away (but they had to
fire me first); railroad conductor was ended by an idiot boss; Hotel
clerk I actually burned out on (but it was entertaining to see all the
different ways people could be stupid).
There wasn't a lot of pain to most of these changes. Tech to writer to
editor to librarian were each upgrades. Railroad and hotel were the same
company, so an easy transfer. The current library and non-profit pay the
least, but I'm basically in charge of everything (save fund raising and
marketing, which the Board doesn't know how to do).
The first library job obliged me to get a second degree. They seemed to
think a degree in electronic engineering wasn't very helpful in a
railroad history library. What a great experience that was, going back
to school in my 30s! All the discipline and good habits I lacked the
first time were now at my disposal, and I used them to my advantage.
I know too many people who stayed too long. My father taught 5th and 6th
grade for 31 years, then one day at 10:15 he decided he had had all he
could take, but he chose to stay in the classroom another 15 minutes and
submitted his resignation during recess. It was economically challenging
-- one doesn't tend to build up a big nest egg from a teacher's salary
-- but it took such a load off his shoulders that he was nearly a new
man. (He became a Kelly Girl, for those for whom that means anything. <G>)
So many of us have tied our ego and our sense of self to our employment
that change is a lot more frightening than it should be. Most people
need some shock, like the death of a family member, to push them off
dead center.
What's interesting today, at least here in the US, is that people are
quitting their jobs in droves. It's being called the Great Resignation
by some journalists. Between the opportunity to work from home provided
by Covid, and the realization that their workplace or supervisors really
are quite nasty -- coupled with the realization that nearly everyone is
hiring right now -- it seems to be the right time.
It also shows the working of Karma in real time. Restaurants run by the
dictatorial are finding their entire staff walking out all at once.
Questions in public fora about what it's like to work somewhere are
getting such a response that absolutely no one is applying there.
Conversely, the best companies are able to hire the best of the crop in
short order. Statistically, it's the greatest non-war reallocation of
labor since slavery was abolished. I am watching how this progresses
with great interest.
I only wish I could get a sense of how those who are making such changes
are doing, both now and in coming years. Sadly, only anecdotal data is
available, but perhaps there will be some studies to look at this.
Getting back to the original question, my career changes have all been
for the better, notwithstanding that some work gaps got a bit sticky at
times. I may have done better than most at landing on my feet, but
learning to read the handwriting on the wall and jumping first has
helped a lot. (One firm I left was closed and torn down seven months
after I decided I should leave. I don't take credit for that.)
If you are thinking of making a change, give it a good hard look. See
what skills and temperament the new role might need, look at the numbers
(but not too hard), and jump if it looks right, or if you just *have* to
jump, as did my father. If you're miserable now, it's unlikely to get
much worse.
Cheers,
/ Bruce /
