Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Calling an Audible Mid-Career

Sometimes what we hope to do or accomplish gets derailed and we end up following Plan B. And sometimes Plan B was really the right plan all along.

Depending on the research you follow, we will all have at least 3 career changes and 11 jobs (minimum) in our working careers...and that's for Baby Boomers.

There are so many factors and contributors to this. I sometimes yearn for the work life of the last generation which was life long employment or at least same industry employment for most. My mother was an educator who spent the majority of her years as a career counselor for unemployed adults. My father worked as a retail buyer and in later yrs. as a retail store manager. In their working yrs. no one called audibles, it was an unpopular and seldom used choice.

Other times I think free agent nation is the only way to go. It is certainly the wave of the most current generation entering the workforce. I don't know if today's college student can even comprehend life long employment.

I think for most individuals over the age of 40 there is a need for a sense of security. At the same time many of us dream of being entrepreneur's. We also can't have it all, at least not all at once. So we are forced to make a choice and call a play.

For me this latest chapter in my career is an audible ( for those non-football fans, an audible is a last minute play switch at the line of scrimmage called by the quarterback after they have surveyed what they think the defense will do). The outside world and many of my piers think its crazy. Then again so many of my career choices have gone against the grain...and up till now its has worked out.

Lets be clear, I did not decide to go into business and test the free agent nation without lots of thought and some background work too. Starting a business takes time, even the forming of a business and filing of documents. That was all in place well before I took the leap. The audible was deciding that I needed to try something different from the corporate world, knowing if I fail I can try and go back or try something new...Its a gamble that I was prepared to take. The good thing for me is there is time to call a few more audibles if needed...

Its a little to early to tell what will happen, but I know one thing for sure- I am the CEO of my own career...I tell everyone that, if your not you should start....

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