Chapter 20
Career Change
Try Before You Buy
My Daughter:
Me:
My Daughter:
Me:
My Daughter:
Bryant decided on a whim to leave his corporate job and start a consulting business. Despite numerous conversations with family, friends, and work counterparts who urged him to go slow and make a plan, Bryant made the leap and quit his corporate job. Unfortunately, the consulting did not work out like he had hoped and Bryant needed another job to pay the bills and keep his home. He called his past manager and asked for his job back, but the position had already been filled. He asked if there were any other positions he could take, but Bryant's performance before he left was mediocre at best and the company didn't want him back. Bryant was out of work and out of money. He had made two cardinal mistakes: he didn't have a plan and he didn't follow my advice of try before you buy.
The stress Bryant went through during that time was immense. For years researchers have been studying the cause and effects of stress. Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe1 examined medical records and surveyed over 5,000 patients to determine what causes stress at work. They discovered that changes related to your career are considered some of the most stressful aspects of life. Out of the top 20 stressors individuals deal with in life, Holmes and Rahe found that 3 out of the 20 dealt with career issues. Yes, you read that right! There is a reason that you have wrinkles, can't sleep, are impatient, and carrying around an extra five pounds; it is because of your job! (Blaming and excuse-making is so much fun.) I have learned over the years that changing jobs, if done correctly, can be a smooth road in spite of the stress. Or, if you are unprepared, it can be one of the bumpiest paths you will ever experience, as Bryant learned.
What Is “Try Before You Buy”?
Nearly everything today is a try-before-you-buy scenario. Every time I go to Costco, I get to sample and try the food before I buy it. When I go get yogurt on the weekends (okay, and weekdays), I get to sample that before I buy. Car companies are starting programs to let potential buyers take the new car home for 24 hours to try it out. I like this concept and find that it fits well with career development and change theories. Jumping from one career or job to another is stressful and full of possible complications, but the try-before-you-buy principle may be just what the doctor ordered before you decide to make a career jump.
Take Prudential, which launched in 2010 a program called CDP, or the Career Development Program, which allows people to stay in their current jobs while doing additional training for a different job. This six months of training is done mostly online and at the candidate's own pace.2 This program allows the individual to earn the designations required to become a certified life insurance agent and financial adviser. This is just one of many options available. But the try-before-you-buy idea needs to fit your career plan, so let's cover all the information.
By this point in the book, you should have finished your career plan and may be starting to get a feel for what you want to do. You probably have a sense of whether change is on your horizon or if you'll be able to create the career you want in your current organization.
Consider the options of the most common career changes:
- Changing jobs, but staying in the same organization.
- Going from one organization to another, but staying in the same field.
- Going from one organization to another and changing to a completely new line of work.
- Leaving corporate America to start your own business.
- Graduating from school and getting a job. (Welcome to greater stress, my young graduate friends!)
- Returning to the workforce after a long absence: after raising children, being a caregiver, dealing with a personal illness or that of a loved one, or returning to corporate America after owning your own business, and so forth.
If you have decided to make a change, this chapter is for you! Here's where you can get upfront, to-the-point advice. This chapter is your how-to guide for the three most important steps to ensure a successful career change:
- Make sure you are changing for the right reason.
- Gain the information you need to make a good decision.
- Experience the job before you make a jump.
Buckle up, here we go!
Changing Careers for the Wrong Reason
When you work at an organization for a certain period of time, it becomes your norm. When you decide it is time for a change and you are ready for a promotion or a new job, you need to carefully analyze the reasons you want to leave. One of the biggest mistakes my clients have made is confusing their dislike of the type of work they do with the dislike of their current organization. They are very different things. If you like your career and the work you do and feel competent with your skills, the problem may be with your employer. The issue may arise from the circumstances and environment of your work.
Another reason individuals change for the wrong reason is because they are bored. Generally, after working in a position for four to five years, you are going to get bored. You have been there and done that far too many times. You understand the work, you know how to complete it quickly, and there are very few aspects of the work that can surprise you. The problem is that you may not be learning and progressing, which is a surefire way to get bored. (See Chapter 6 for the solution to this problem.)
One of the biggest reasons people change jobs for the wrong reason is based solely on money. I understand that money is not only important but is essential to our lives. Money is what provides for your home, apartment, car, food, and weekend fun. The temptation to go to certain companies based on their big salaries and benefits can be very attractive. But as my grandpa used to say, “Everything comes with a price.” Higher salaries could mean longer work hours, more responsibilities, and a heavier workload. More money could mean more stress, more drama, and working with people you don't enjoy. There is a reason companies pay what they do and your salary could be based on many things, such as your skills, your education, your experience, or what you may have to do or put up with at the new company. You may find that the extra money you made from switching organizations does not make up for the loss of your work and life balance.
Money does not always equate to happiness. I have worked with individuals who made quite a bit more money when switching jobs then discovered after a year or so that the money wasn't worth it so they started the process of switching back. Evaluate what you are leaving (friends, good work environment, good company, and great boss) for what you are gaining.
A last reason you may change jobs for the wrong reason is outside influences or others' expectations. Mom and Dad wanted you to be a manager, not a salesperson. Your spouse wants the benefits that go with the other company you have been interviewing with. Your friends have been promoted or taken new jobs and they are making more money and seemingly having more fun than you. All of these pressures can create a feeling that you need to be making a change as well. I see this while helping Fortune 100 organizations develop their high-potential employees, I recognized that after some of the individuals in each class started to get promoted, others felt the need to get promoted quickly as well. Getting promoted became more important than choosing the right position and the right fit for the individual. Remember this is the job that you have to go to every day. This is the job in which you spend 40-plus hours of your life every week. You will be the one working the job, no one else, so be wise when being influenced by others about what jobs you take and how you expect your career to unfold.
Getting the Right Information
My nephew was a private investigator. Every time we had him over for dinner, he shared stories and experiences from his work. He would talk of late-night observations, following individuals, and hidden cameras like it was the norm for him. Talk about great dinner conversation. One night while discussing his job, he said something that I have repeatedly shared ever since. He said, “When it comes to anything in life, the more information you have, the more power you have, and the more power you have, the better decisions you make.” I absolutely agree with his statement. Information is power when it comes to changing careers or changing organizations. Once you have decided to make a change, you need to become your own personal private investigator and learn as much as you can about a prospective career: the responsibilities, the people, and the organization.
Prospective Careers and Jobs
It is difficult to know how day-to-day life looks for certain careers. We look from the outside and perceive jobs from our perspective, but the realities for that job may be completely different. It is up to you to explore your new career path and get the information you need. Here are some tried and true ways to try before you buy. I recommend all of them. Do as many of these as possible.
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Go on what is called a “vocation vacation.” A vocation vacation is when people take an actual paid vacation to go work their dream job for a week or two. You get to experience firsthand what the job entails for one or two full weeks. You can find everything from a veterinarian vacation to working on an emu farm. Take your pick! There are numerous companies you can pay to “test drive” a career that piques your interest. It will give you an insider's view of the job.
Now don't laugh and think you would never do this. When Chris Macey who works in the oil and gas industry, contemplated a career change, his thoughts turned to animals. Macey put down the funds and spent his vacation working at Schroeder's Den Doggy Daycare in Hillsboro, Oregon. The experience with more than 40 dogs lived up to his dream, but was balanced out by owner-operators Pam and Wayne Pearson who provided a full view of information on all the nuts and bolts (or feed and poop) of running a business. It was an eye-opener for Chris, who started searching for locations to start his own doggy daycare when he returned home. It gave Chris a realistic view of what his dream job would be like. If you are thinking of changing your job, doing a week's worth (or a few days) of on-the-job training which will give you the information you need to make a wise decision.
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Consider evening and weekend moonlighting. This is the same concept as the vocation vacation, just a different way of going about it. Spend some time in the evenings and on weekends working your future job. You may be surprised at how many companies will let you come in and shadow someone to get a good feel for the job. Search your network for those who already work in the industry. With only a few email requests, I bet you will be able to spend a day or two working your future job. One of my friends' moms loved making soap. In the last decade she has created a phenomenal thriving business that is still growing! She took what she loved, tested it at local farmers' markets and local stores, and found there was a customer base for her product. (You can check her out at www.thesoaplady.net.) I highly recommend her products!
Try before you buy may mean you'll be putting in some long days to find out if your next job is what you think it will be. Trust me, the sacrifice now will pay dividends in the future.
- Talk to friends, friends of friends, and their friends. Find individuals who work in your field of interest and ask them for a half hour of their time to tell you about their job. Take them out to lunch or dinner and “vampire” them for information. Ask for both the positives and negatives of their job so you can get the real scoop on a day in the life. As a side benefit you will increase your network! Be sure to be discreet if you plan on leaving your organization. Word can get out fast and ruin your current job.
- Take some classes. If your new job requires different training or skills, take a few evening and weekend classes to make sure that you are a good fit. You will meet other students who may already be in the field, as well as teachers who can give you good information about potential jobs. Be wary of signing up for expensive courses or certifications; you can get what you need from the local university or colleges as well as online education platforms.
- If you know the organization you want to move to, get in touch with as many employees as possible. See if your friends can provide you introductions or use LinkedIn to find and connect with current employees. You will be amazed at how openly current employees will share information about their job and how happy or unhappy they are. Be sure to talk to more than one or two individuals, as you will need a full view of the organization.
- Consult. If you have an area of expertise and you have always wanted to see if it could become a job, put the word out and consult on a vacation day or evenings and weekends. See if what you have to offer is valuable. Now before you blow that idea off, this was how I started my business. While in graduate school, I got the word out that I wanted to speak about employee excellence in the workplace. A mid-sized company in Oklahoma City didn't have a lot of funds to pay for a speaker for an employee event, so I was hired and the business began to grow from there. Was I an overnight sensation? (Well, maybe in my own head because I had been paid to speak!) No, but I did get to test whether or not I liked speaking and presenting and whether or not the company and people liked what I had to say and found it helpful.
- Start a side business.
- Find a try-before-you-buy organization. Like Prudential, which was mentioned earlier in the chapter, there are many organizations that will give you an inside peek into different jobs. This is not currently the norm, but times are changing and you may be pleasantly surprised.
I realize putting these suggestions into action takes time and effort. If you are ready to make a move, it is well worth your time to invest in one or two of the suggestions offered here. They can save you from future problems and issues. Consider this the insurance of career change. I don't know of anyone who invested in gathering information and spent time learning and experiencing a potential job who regretted it. Instead of upping and leaving your job, see if you can get a try-before-you-buy deal to make sure the job will be the right one for you.