A new direction can be revitalising, says Diana Clement
It's often said when you do something you love, you'll never work again. That's the case for Huia-based Jim Janse who
swapped working life as a vet for photography.
After 23 years' tending to the health of animals, Janse was ready for a new challenge - even though he loved his existing career. "I decided I wanted to change career purely for the sake of change. It was looking for a new challenge in life.
"At the time I was working very hard in London and it was stressful, although interesting work."
There was no question what the new career would be. Photography was his passion and he set about turning his hobby into his job.
He would often discuss with camera club members in London how they could commercialise their hobby. At the time 360-degree imaging was increasing in popularity and Janse saw a business opportunity.
Janse made the leap to his new career on his return to New Zealand - setting up panoview - a company aimed at the real estate market showcasing properties with digitally enhanced photography, virtual reality tours, floor plans, video tours and brochures of property. At first he kept working part-time as a locum vet. But over time this reduced down to the occasional day to keep his hand in - because he really does love his old career. "I've turned my hobby
into my job and my job into my hobby," he says.
Most people choose their careers in their teens or 20s - a stage in life when few truly know themselves.
Those choices may be influenced by our parents or teachers, or even be based on naivety of the working world. Come middle age - or sometimes earlier - the majority of people are ready for a career change, say Nigel Beckford and Michael Fitzsimons, authors of Kiwi book: You Don't Make A Big Leap Without A Gulp.
Eighty per cent of the people that come to Beckford and Fitzsimons are bored out of their brains. "Every day thousands of middle-aged Kiwis ... go to work, grit their teeth and tough it out. They only start living when work finishes. Their health suffers; their self-esteem dives and their relationships start to cool." If you've got 10, 20 or 30 years to go in your career and it's not right for you, it might be worth thinking about changing now.
For many people, the reality of what they want to be is not at all like what they're doing now. But often people won't change until the pain of going to work is greater than the pain of changing roles, say Beckford and Fitzsimons.
The tell-tale signs that you need a change include statements such as:
"The truth is I'm cruising."
"I've reached a stage in life when I want to make my own decisions."
"I can't be myself at work - the job just isn't me."
"My job is boring and repetitive."
"It pays the bills."
"All I seem to do is moan when I get home."
Changing careers and building a new business has been long hard work for Janse. For the first year he spent his daytime working and evenings at the computer. But it's paying off. He has managed to employ a member of staff full-time and is in discussion with interested parties to license his system in the near future. Both bring passive income streams - a sign of financial success .
There is no one simple route to changing careers - or even deciding what that new career may be. If it's not obvious then it's worth spending money to see a career change consultant or career coach.
Melita Sharp, who runs Career Coach Consulting, says people usually have the answers to their questions in them, but they may not recognise them because they haven't stopped to take the time to understand who they are, what will make them happy, or what they want from their careers. "In some cases it gets right down to fundamental, existential type questions.'Who am I, and what am I doing here?"'
Typically people who need help with career changing will have 10 sessions lasting 90 minutes each and do homework in between sessions, says Sharp. "It seems like a lot, but it is putting the pieces of a jigsaw together. The sessions involve everything from personality tests to identifying values and transferable skills to looking for possible career options and creating a career change plan."
Jeanine Gribbin has "Transferrable Skills" at the very top of her CV, having had an eclectic career which started in customs broking and now involves fundraising for the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation. Like many school leavers, Gribbin didn't know exactly what she wanted to do. She spent 10 very successful years as a customs broker - rising to managerial level. "But I realised it just wasn't what I wanted to do. I just didn't want to go to work
anymore." A great believer in educating herself, Gribbin went part-time at work and studied for a Bachelor of Arts, followed by a few years of "mooching around" where she tried everything from monitoring security alarms to running a temp agency.
It was when she landed in a temp job herself at the Manukau City Council that she found her calling: the not-for-profit sector. "I started working in their arts funding department and that sparked an interest in working for not for profit organisations."
She went on to complete a Masters degree in creative and performing arts management and started with the Breast Cancer Foundation late last year with the title of fundraising manager philanthropic.
"My big initiative is the Pink Ribbon Breakfasts, which run until the end of May. It is very stimulating to work with fundraisers in the community. They are so passionate and they have magnificent stories to tell."
Changing careers won't suit everyone. It may be that the existing career can be modified to suit or that an individual will realise they can change their attitude to the existing career.
If you decide to change, moving part-time into your new career as Janse did can be a real bonus, but it's not easy.
For some career changers there is a huge education or skills gap between the old career and the new one. Ken Sheat, profiled in Beckford and Fitzsimmons' book, went from consultant to pharmacist, commuting for three years from Christchurch to Dunedin to study. But it was worth it in the end. "If I hadn't done it, I'd probably be still at the consultancy getting stressed out and thinking about another career."
Changing career isn't impossible in a recession. The Breast Cancer Foundation, for example, has employed two career changers at senior roles in the past year. We also still have job shortages in this country.
But before you take the leap it's a good idea to make sure that you fully understand your strengths and weaknesses, your motivation for change, and what the new career is really like. It's a good idea to:
Evaluate what's right and wrong about your current job.
Consider other roles in your current industry. Could you move within the industry or even the same workplace with a bit of training?
Assess your skills and interest by visiting a career consultant or reading books such as What Colour is Your Parachute.
Work out what you really enjoy doing.
If you don't know what you want to be, brainstorm with friends and colleagues and shadow people in other careers. You may want to look at more than one career option.
Look into education opportunities.
Use the Pathfinder service on careers.govt.nz.
Interestingly, nearly one-third of the New Zealanders funded by Government to do industry training and apprenticeships are aged over 40.
TAKING STOCK
* It's common for middle-aged people to want a career change.
* If you hate going to work you may need a change for your mental health.
* Seek advice from career coaching services.
* Change requires action - and sometimes a leap of faith.
* Everyone has transferable skills, which can be a bonus when changing careers.
