What Ever Happened to Changing Careers?
Those of you who have been following my blog for sometime, or perhaps have read my free e-book, may be wondering what ever happened to me changing careers. Well, a couple of things have happened that I would like to share with you.
1. A New Perspective On My Current Job
As you may know, I work for in the Banking and Finance Industry. Ever since the financial crisis really kicked into gear back in September my attitude towards my job has shifted. I have become far more grateful for what I have in my position and less focused on the not-so-good things. This is not really due to fear of losing my job - my employer has come out of this financial crisis relatively well and there haven’t been any job cuts (at least not yet!) - but rather the number of stories I hear of other people losing their jobs.
Back in September Jonathan from Illuminated Mind asked: “What’s right with your life?” I truly believe gratitude is one of the fundamentals of happiness, so if you are feeling a bit down this is a great little exercise to do. Tweaking the question slightly here are a few things that are right with my current job:
I use my brain (sometimes). Although this is my third job in the industry, it is probably the first one in which I use my brain (my previous jobs were in a call center and loan processing department). I spend quite a bit of time analyzing the financial position of small to mid-market companies. No two companies are the same, and given what is happening in the market I need to be alert for any danger signals.
There are opportunities to give back. My employer is engaged with local community and environmental organizations. And staff are given opportunities to give back, eg back in September I was part of a team that spent what would normally be work day at a local community center painting, gardening, etc… I doubt too many employers are willing or able to pay their employees while they do community work.
Management is supportive of work-life balance. My boss normally leaves the office at 5pm to be home for dinner with his family, and I am encouraged to do likewise. Of course 5pm is when we should finishing, but as you may know in this modern economy there is often pressure to work longer hours.
I work with great people. Explains itself really.
Now, you may be thinking “Peter…. what are you doing?!?! You’re making excuses because you are scared to take the plunge.” Well, change is often a scary step to take, but I don’t think that’s it. While I have shifted my perspective on my current job, something else has also happened….
2. A Greater Understanding Of What I Want
I want to be self-employed.
This is an idea I have that has popped into my thoughts a number of times, but truth be told I have always pushed it away. But the more I think about it the more sense it makes. Here’s why:
I want to spend more time with my kids as they grow up. Therefore why not stop trading time for money? See Steve Pavlina’s article 10 Reasons You Should Never Get A Job for more on this idea.
I want to do work that is more meaningful. Therefore why not take total control of the work I do?
I want the freedom to work from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. The world is changing. People such as Chris Guillebeau and Yaro Starak (to name just a couple of people) have found ways to combine work and travel. I see no reason why I can’t do the same. And I have an extra incentive to make this happen because my family is in Australia.
Another important realization I have come to is this: I don’t need to be self-employed right away, but I do need to know I’m moving in that direction. And this is what I feel like I’m doing, even if it is ever so slowly.
In a recent article entitled How Spirituality Helps New Entrepreneurs, Akemi from Yes To Me wrote:
“I find it quite dangerous that so many people want to become their own boss because they hate their current jobs… I find it dangerous because the escape mentality doesn’t offer any sustainable motivations.”
I think this is an extremely important point that Akemi raises. This “escape mentality” - whether it is to be your own boss or simply change jobs for the sake of something different - is probably something I had earlier this year. And I agree, it’s dangerous because not only does it not offer sustainable motivation but “escaping” often doesn’t address the underlying problems. So I’m trying to think of my current path as not so much escaping what I don’t like, but rather uncovering what it is I want to do. While I do this I’m picking up a number of business skills that I expect to be useful. And of course I’m also trying to balance my own desires with the needs of my family.
Where Does Blogging Fit Into Things?
Blogging is nice because it fits all the criteria above. So yes, one of my goals is to develop a nice stream of income from blogging.
But money aside, I think the real benefits of writing for this blog and Pick The Brain are the greater understanding it gives me of myself. I’m a great believer that writing clarifies fuzzy thinking, and I can point to a number of times over the past 1-2 years where writing an article has helped me work something out. I haven’t quite yet worked out how to take the next step to self-employment, but as I said above I’m getting closer every day.
Finally, maintaining this blog connects me to a number of people who provide valuable ideas and feedback. Regular contributor Ali Hale (Alpha Student) has inspired me with her articles describing how she left her boring office job to follow her passion (writing). Kent (The Financial Philosopher) can be counted on to regularly leave comments that are worthy of their own article. And Ruth, who subscribes to my blog via email, sends me the occasional reply to share her own thoughts on the subject. And of course these are just a few of the people who are helping me (there are far to many to many thank here). But to all of you out there - thank you 
So that’s what has been happening with my career. What about you? Has the financial crisis have an impact on your career? I would love to hear your comments and stories below.
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17 Comments
November 14th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Great advice. Stumbled.
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November 14th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Peter,
I think it is great you are paying good attention to what is happening within yourself — what you like about your current job, which direction you want to go, what you want to achieve in the big picture of your life. You are doing critical inner work that must precede before taking actions.
Thank you for the mention. That article is like the bare essence of Yes to Me. I believe sound spirituality is the key to worldly success and the two are completely compatible. Hope you enjoyed my 5 part series “Inside Out Approach To Entrepreneurship” too. It’s for people just like you.
Blessings,
Akemi Gaines
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November 15th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Thanks Akemi.
I enjoyed your recent interview with Tom Volkar, but I hadn’t read the 5 part series you refer to. Will check it out now! Here is a link for part 1 for anyone who is interested: Inside Out Approach To Entrepreneurship, Part 1, Find The Niche
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November 14th, 2008 at 10:02 am
I recently discovered your blog. I’m 17 and barely starting my career, but these articles helped me thinking about what I want in my career and in my life in general, and how to achieve it. Nice advice.
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November 15th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Cath,
At 17 I think I was on “autopilot”, meaning I really wasn’t conscious of the direction I was going in life. For example, I went straight from school to university without really taking the time to consider what I wanted to do with my life ( I wrote about this in 5 Signs You Are On Autopilot).
It’s great to hear you are thinking about those questions. The younger you start to do this the better
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November 14th, 2008 at 10:16 am
The current economic crisis shown me more than ever the important of multiple streams of income! That has helped me reshape my plan for financial independence to include many small streams rather than one or two major ones (my current situation).
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November 15th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
That’s solid advice Maria. I have a few small streams on income related to this blog, and it’s amazing how they can start to add up. And while they certainly wouldn’t replace my 1-2 major streams if anything were to happen to them, it does give some additional peace of mind.
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November 14th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
Good article.
It is important to find out what we want from life, and to then go do it. Don’t just show up to work everyday and wake up 35 years later wondering where your life went. Take the Intiative to Live for Improvement.
-Dan Malone-
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November 14th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
Fatastic advice! It sounds like you’ve really done some soul searching in laying out your conclusions. I wish you the best in pursuing your dreams.
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November 14th, 2008 at 4:21 pm
I really enjoyed that article. I found myself in a similar situation not long ago and I knew that I had to be self employed for all the reasons that you stated. Fear of the unknown held me in a job, although now that I took the plunge, I have not looked back, and I am truly grateful.
Thank you for your words.
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November 15th, 2008 at 2:09 am
Peter, I’m really glad (and really flattered!) that you find me an inspiration
From reading your article above, it sounds like you’re doing the right thing. There was a time for me in tech support where things did seem to be looking up (I had a verbal agreement that I could take unpaid leave on Tuesday and do a 4-day week, and I had a positive performance development review). If things had stayed positive, I might well have continued for longer in the job. I agree with Akemi that it’s great that you’re paying attention to how your own thoughts and feelings about your job are changing.
Also, it’s good to hear that your employer wants to encourage employees to be socially responsible — fantastic stuff!
One thought (I don’t know how possible it would be for you) is whether you could negotiate some unpaid leave — either a chunk of time (a fortnight, maybe) or a day or half day each week, which you could use to increasingly work towards self-employment?
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November 15th, 2008 at 5:19 am
Great article! I enjoyed reading it. Like you, I desire the freedom to work from anywhere I am. I also like the idea of being near my kids. Working an online business allows me total flexibility in how I schedule my days. It’s not about escaping a 9 to 5 job. It’s about a lifestyle choice. I doubt that any full time job in an organization can offer me much of these advantages.
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November 15th, 2008 at 10:25 am
BTW did I tell you my first job in America was with a bank? Large banks have some great merits to work for as you pointed out in your article. Mine allowed volunteer time, etc. too. Plus it’s a great place to observe people, both in and outside of the company — and how money affects people.
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November 15th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Hi Peter,
I am really inspired by your words and I think you hit it on the head when you said you were on the path to being self-employed. You have the long term outlook and that is what you need.
Not sure if I said this in an earlier comment, but I wanted to say that your e-book is moving and inspiring. To a certain degree, we are on the same path, and knowing that their is a fellow traveler makes the path all the better to travel.
Cheers,
Jeremy
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November 16th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Hi Peter,
I believe that whenever we find a greater purpose in life, let not allow fear to hold us due to insecurity, just step out of the comfort zone and we will find the greater cause in life. You had did it and it really takes a lot of courage to do that.
Cheers
Vincent
Personal Development Blogger
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November 17th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Hello. I found some of your statements here quite enlightening. The ‘escape attitude’ you mentioned, I felt like that was what I gave in when I resigned from my first formal job. I was almost a call center agent, only about a week until I pass the training. I quit that job because I felt I was depressed whenever I go to my work station. And since it’s my first time working, I felt a bit home sick. I’m 19 btw. I’m supposed to be a graduating student. Sadly, I can’t afford the next semesters.
Right now, I’m quite happy being employed online. I started at a students community in NUresume (www.nuresume.com). I built my free online resume there. I eventually got an online job. I wish I can do earning through blogs like you do. I just don’t know if I can pull it off if I tried. Anyway, nice posts. I will be reading some of your other blog posts. Seems interesting.
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November 21st, 2008 at 5:04 am
Re: Making excuses
The phrase, “You’re just making excuses.” is one of the most detrimental things to hear when people are any decision, be it big or small. Unless one can be fully aware that the other person is being pessimistic or thoughtless, that phrase can really ruin one’s self-esteem or confidence.
I would advise everyone to respond immediately with (something like), “Please do not undermine my decision making ability. I’ve given this more thought that you’re currently giving me credit for. Now would you like to try being constructive?”
Sure, there’s room for editing that response; others will be able to make it more succinct, add charm and wit, or simply make it better, but I think it’s important to make the response strong and not submissive. Where you have given serious thought to what is good about your situation, and why change may not be the best option, you should not be made to feel your decision is wrong.
In other news. Great site. I’m slowing putting my life on track thanks to this site and wish you every success with your and everyone’s lives.
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