When I entered the full-time work force back in 1982 there was a strong belief that a big part of “success” was measured by how many years a person stayed with one company. Receiving the 25 or 30-year anniversary watch was considered an incredible symbol of accomplishment, and very few thought about leaving once you were “vested” in your benefits and pension plan. Suffice it to say, the world is a different place today. Few have the “luxury” of staying put for decades. Perhaps fewer still are feeling like they can continue to contribute year after year in the same environment.
This is not to say that the days of a 30-year career are over. Quite a few are still doing it, and working for that pension check and the level of comfort that so many want to enjoy. But there are more and more people in today’s challenging economic environment finding ourselves looking at a mid-life career change. A notable difference, however, is how we’re feeling about it. Rather than playing the victim and saying we’re “unemployed”, today we refer to ourselves as “in transition”. Call it spin or marketing, but the result is a much more positive and empowered response to something that we might not have counted on. We aren’t writing ourselves off after one round in a career. We’re choosing instead to take “personal leadership”, and think about how we can leverage our experience and our talents to contribute in a changing society!
Today’s “early retirees” are doing incredible things in their second careers; either out of necessity due to lay-offs and downsizing or because they chose to leave (as I did) to pursue some different things in life. During my children’s early years I was a full-time executive, and I missed out on quite a bit of my family and my kids. As my job scope and responsibilities increased, I was blessed to have a husband who was willing to stay home and provide the support that kids need at that early stage of childhood. When we moved to London I traveled internationally on a regular basis – sometimes being away from home up to 75% of the time.
When I made the decision in 2003 to walk away from my job, I gave myself time to think about what I really wanted to do. Interviews with a number of large corporations made me feel like it was going to be Groundhog Day. Rather than dedicating myself toward getting the same t-shirt in a different color, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery and active reflection.
I asked myself some important questions: “What did I miss doing the most?”, “What did I want to keep doing?”, “What are the things that I’d regret the most if I didn’t do something different?”, and then finally, “What was preventing me from taking those steps toward a different path?” The result led me to my current life that consists of the things I like to do most; continuing to participate in the corporate world by serving as an independent director on various corporate boards, spending time with my family (kids and parents), and dedicating some time to community not-for-profit service. It feels great, and although I know I walked away from very comfortable trappings of my earlier career, I am now able to dedicate my time to things that I always wanted to do, and spend time with those who mean the most to me. I look back on my prior career with a great deal of appreciation, though….because I know that i couldn’t have done “Phase II” without having gone through “Phase I”.
Good leaders learn to make the most out of the cards that are dealt. Sometimes doors get slammed in our face. Sometimes the paths we originally choose lead to a different place than where we wanted to go. In all instances, leaders find new ways to learn, to stay challenged, and to continue impacting those around us. Many people I know are embarking on very successful second careers. Some are teaching, some are writing. Many are volunteering, or taking on roles of mentoring and coaching. What strikes me is that quite often “second careers” revolve around imparting onto others rather than seeking personal achievement. Perhaps that’s a part of the journey.
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