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The challenge of changing careers

If you inherited $5 million, what job would you choose to do?”

That’s what Marlena Lechner, director of the Job Search Network at Jewish Family Service of Bergen County, in Teaneck, often asks clients.

In Lechner’s experience, most people are “in search of meaning and in search of being more compassionate and more altruistic. [If they had the means], they would choose to do something to contribute to the greater good. Lots of people who come to me have that issue; they want to make a difference and feel that their work has made a positive difference.”

Part of Lechner’s responsibility is to help them figure out how to find more meaning in their work — or at the very least, to feel motivated to get up in the morning. “If you have no job satisfaction, then you know you’re not in the right job. Everyone is entitled to be happy in his or her job,” she contends.

And, according to Lechner, “It’s never too late to change your career and actualize your potential,” using her own experience as the best example. She said, “I succeeded at doing it, going from a stay-at-home mom to an administrative support person to returning to school and getting graduate and undergraduate degrees in my late 40s and early 50s.”

Just how widespread is the phenomenon of changing careers?

First Pic. Mark Foner, who networked his way to a new career, is no longer “pigeon-holed”; Stuart Himmelfarb was “in the right place at the right time,” he said of his crossing the fence from volunteer to professional staff at UJA Federation of Northern New Jersey. Dr. Ronald White will soon add J.D. to his M.D.; Alix Wall with the tools of her new trade in her Oakland, Calif., kitchen. Alix Wall photo by Paul bosky, All other photos by Jerry Szubin

In the latest Executive Quiz of 1,700 global executives, conducted by Korn/Ferry International, the premier executive search firm, “more than half — 51 percent — reported they would choose a different field if they could start their careers over.” Asked if they anticipate making a major career change prior to retirement, 62 percent said it was “highly likely,” with an additional 26 percent saying it was “likely.” (The survey was conducted by the firm’s online Executive Center, ekornferry.com, between July and September 2005. Respondents came from 96 countries, representing a wide spectrum of industries and occupations.)

According to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics, said Lechner, the average person makes more than three career changes in their working life. Richard Bolles, author of “What Color is My Parachute?” observed, “Many people wake up one day and ask, ‘Is this what I was put on earth to do?’ It’s not enough to keep busy. People want to have meaning in their lives, and they want work to give them that meaning.”

“Going to school and staying in one job and or with the same employer is [now] very rare and will continue to be. We see that with younger generation already,” said Dr. Bill Kahnweiler, associate professor of human resources at Georgia State University and a member of the National Career Development Association. Kahnweiler pointed to several workplace trends — companies are bought and sold, they merge with competitors — that impact the individual. “Change is just part of the landscape and [as a result] people are more comfortable moving around. It’s much more common than ever before, and people can expect to have three to four different, although not necessarily unrelated, careers.”

In Lechner’s 10 years at JFS, she estimates, 30 percent of her clients each year are career-changers. “Of these,” she noted, “only about 20 percent reach their goal, and that is because they have such a burning desire. It becomes a calling. Mid-lifers especially have a hard time. People hit their 40s and take another look at their lives. It’s developmental.”

Identity certainly evolves over time, agreed Dr. Sylvia Flescher, a psychiatrist with a practice in Ridgewood. In their 20s, people may be influenced by the expectations of parents, grandparents, teachers, or mentors. However, as they age and achieve financial success, they may no longer feel that these careers are necessarily a good fit. “I may feel, ‘This isn’t authentically me,’” she said.

A situation she often encounters, said Flescher, are women who choose to re-launch a career after raising children. “They want to make some money, but still be available to their children,” she said. These days, many look for solutions on the Internet. Among those she’s treated were a former banker who became an art consultant and an advertising executive who learned how to run a business putting together party favors.

But while career-changing is most often associated with middle age, the phenomenon is not limited to that stage. Any major life-cycle event can precipitate a radical career change, said Flescher. “Marriage, empty nest, death/loss, major illness, divorce, all these events change one’s perspective.” Another trigger may be a spouse’s transfer to a new location. “Living in a new place, some people may be drawn to reinventing themselves,” she said.

The trend may also be a function of people living longer, she added. The last generation was preoccupied by earning a livelihood, but now people often have years ahead of them once the need to support a family has passed. Without the same financial pressures, retirees can afford to consider new pursuits.

However, regardless of desire, making a transition to a new career poses challenges that few can meet. “It takes a lot of drive and determination to make the change,” said Lechner. For example, when retraining is required, “it can be very hard to put yourself in the mind-set of a student.”

Flescher observed that a number of patients that consider changing careers end up floundering. “I have a lawyer who is a frustrated musician,” she related. Fortunately, his wife made enough money to enable him to leave his law practice. But once home, he “got stuck. He wasn’t able to compose. A person needs to have the right character traits: resilience, flexibility, risk-taking.”

Others feel stymied by financial obstacles. “Changing careers is quite a big thing to do as an adult, especially when you have a family and responsibilities,” said Lechner. “Many people put plans on a side burner because they have to earn a living.”

But concerns about tuition charges, for example, may be overblown. Lechner found ample student loans through government sources, with flexible repayment schedules. She has since repaid every penny she borrowed.

Other important resources are available to those seeking change. The National Career Development Association, a professional association that provides members with information on conferences, publications, and research, also oversees a certification process that aids consumers in identifying a competent career development professional. To qualify, they must hold a master’s degree in counseling and have documented completion of hours of supervised training with clients. “It doesn’t prevent people from hanging out a shingle,” said Kahnweiler, but it is one way the profession tries to monitor itself, so that consumers don’t have to rely on the Yellow Pages or other random listings.

The association’s Website, www.ncda.org, contains a thorough description of professional guidelines and ethical standards by which members abide, as well as links to Internet sites for career planning and a state-by-state listing of nationally certified career counselors. Despite these safeguards, Kahnweiler advocates interviewing prospective counselors to evaluate educational credentials, training, and work style. “I wouldn’t talk to anyone who doesn’t at least have a master’s in counseling and has been in private practice at least five years,” said Lechner. “And be sure to ask for references, since there is no specific degree in career counseling, only a generic counseling license.” Kahnweiler added, “Inquire about fees and what level of service to expect over what period of time. Fees may vary substantially, with some counselors charging by the hour and others offering a package of services for a set price.”

Word-of-mouth can also be helpful. “Get recommendations from friends, family, and colleagues,” said Kahnweiler. “A local newspaper columnist who writes about employment issues may have some useful leads.” Career counselors working at local private or community colleges or social service agencies may be available as consultants for modest fees as well.

JFS has an extensive program to aid career-switchers. Lechner stressed that the agency works with people of all religious backgrounds, charging on a sliding scale to keep things affordable for those who may be struggling financially. Help with drafting resumés and cover letters is provided free of charge. “We guide people through the transition, which is the most difficult time,” she cautioned. People have to be prepared for a process that realistically takes at least a year, and often closer to three years, if a return to school is necessary, she said.

JFS begins with a comprehensive, written assessment of personality, interests, and values, using state-of-the-art tools and resources, she said. To determine how people may act on the job — are they introverted, extroverted, analytical, intuitive, emotional — the agency administers the widely respected Myers-Griggs Type Indicator. “The test helps you gravitate toward areas in the workplace where you know you will excel,” said Lechner. “When a person is going through career indecision, they have to have much more information about who they are and what drives them.”

A second test, the Strong Interest Inventory, provides insight into a person’s interests, steering him to one of six basic occupational categories: realistic (machinery, mechanics); enterprising (promoting a cause or persuading others, e,g., sales, marketing, customer service); social (the “helping” professions, e.g., social work, teaching); artistic (creativity, e.g., writing, fine arts); conventional (information management, e.g., accounting, data processing, computer operations); and research (propensity for the sciences, e.g., medicine).

Finally, a values assessment is conducted to identify what is most important to a client in terms of a work environment. Does the candidate prefer to work independently, as part of a team, or manage others?

Once a profile emerges, a member of Lechner’s staff meets with the client to investigate potential careers. JFS uses a website, www.occupationalinfo.org, she said, that pinpoints specific jobs and educational requirements throughout the lifespan of a career. The agency itself has access to many job openings, said Lechner, and helps candidates prepare for interviews with training in presentation skills that include video feedback. “If people don’t show enthusiasm on the interview, they’re not going to get the job. It’s like auditioning for a part in a play,” said Lechner.

She continued, “It really helps to have a coach and a team behind you.” Lechner, the coach, began a weekly support group, which provides continuing encouragement to people when they’re feeling frustrated and demoralized. That team approach is at the heart of JFS’ services, she said, “motivating each individual to go to the next level, saying, ‘we believe in you and know you want to reach your goal.’”

Lechner takes pride in the success stories. Citing recent examples, she said, “We’ve helped an information management executive become a science teacher, a temporary secretary become a public relations specialist.”