Creative Edge
Is It Time for a Career Change?
Reprinted from the Career Connections section
of The Toronto Sun, July 24, 2002
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by Ross Fattori, Special to the Toronto Sun
Changing careers can be a daunting experience, fraught with doubt and uncertainty. But for many people who have taken that bold step, the result is often tremendously liberating.
Whatever your reason for changing careers - you are bored with your
job, or want a career that utilizes more of your talents - experts recommend you start by
asking some tough questions about yourself and what you want to accomplish.
Helping individuals discover their true calling is what David Cornfield does for a living. He and his wife, Linsay, operate Creative Edge Counselling, a company that specializes in career counselling, business coaching and midlife crisis. Usually career counsellors rely on testing. “Our approach to career counselling is meaning-centered,” Cornfield says. “As trained psychotherapists, we help clients to know what they want from the inside, without having to resort to a test.”
Cornfield
believes there is some work that you are meant to be doing, and that you discover what
that work is by aligning what you want from life (your passion) with what life wants from
you (your calling).
‘The midlife crisis is a crisis of meaning,”
Cornfield says. “When you have established yourself in a first career, and the
pursuit of your original goals no longer gives your life direction, then meaning becomes
an issue. This does not mean that the skills and experience gained in a first career are
no longer of value. They are the springboard to launch you on your second
career.”
Over the course of 20 years, Barbara
Cohen has gone from being a record promoter to becoming a florist, with careers in
videocassette marketing, teaching, TV commercial acting and floral decoration in
between.
“The more often you change
careers, the more risk tolerant you become,” says Cohen, owner of Petals and Stems
Floral Decorators in Moncey, N.Y. “You learn to adapt to changing realities and to
use your creativity for planning and problem solving.”
Strategies for changing careers vary
according to individual circumstances.
“We target what clients enjoy
doing, and then we determine a path to get there,” says Michael Mayne, a partner at
Catalyst Career Strategies Inc., a company that specializes in career counselling and
out-placement. “Then we help the client to expand their network and to gather the
right information to take the next step.”
Some people quit their job cold
turkey and start new careers from scratch. This approach may seem impetuous, but if you
really hate your job and you have the means to support yourself while finding another
career, then it’s an option worth considering.
But for the majority of people, quitting a job cold turkey isn’t practical. Instead, they apply other strategies, such as starting a parallel career working nights or on weekends. This allows them to keep working and earning a living at a full-time job.
Starting a part-time business on the side is another option. Developing a business on the side can provide valuable experience and credibility while still earning income from from your full-time job. It's always best to inform your current employer about any part-time business venture, especially if it involves a similar type of work. Failure to disclose such information could result in a conflict of interest and possible dismissal.
In many cases, changing careers will likely involve some form of retraining. According to Steve Cook, vice-president information technology services at The Employment Solution, a staffing company that specializes in the IT sector, the world is full of training courses. “Some retraining courses are useful, others aren’t,” he says. “Candidates should practice due diligence before taking any training course.”
In Mr. Cook’s experience, those who have achieved the
greatest success in changing careers are the ones who sought advice from professionals and
who have worked hard at developing their skills.
“The best results are derived from dedication and hard work,
he says. “There’s no magic
formula.”
Career changes can take place at your current place of
employment. The term for this type of move is job enrichment, where an individual will
seek a new position within his company.
Returning to school is a good strategy if you want a radically different career. Going back to school allows you the tools and the certification you’ll need to make that all important move, but it can also be expensive and time consuming. Before enrolling in any course or program, make sure it’s what you really want.
Article written by ROSS FATTORI
For information about David and Linsay Cornfield,
click on Who We Are
For information about the counselling and coaching services
offered by
David Cornfield and Linsay Cornfield at Creative Edge, Toronto,
Canada
click on Creative Edge Home Page