Depending on the study you look at and how it defines “career,” the majority of people currently employed will work 2–5 careers in their lifetime. At first, I thought that was an exaggeration. Sure, people will have many jobs, but full-fledged careers? And then, I looked back on my life and realized that it is absolutely correct. I’m sitting on career No. 3 right now, and if you’re like me, looking at employment that can support someone full time and has room for growth, you’ll probably work several careers in your lifetime.
It took nearly a decade for me to earn my bachelor’s and master’s degrees. It probably shouldn’t have taken that long, but that’s a different story for a different time. For almost the entire time I was going to school, I had two full-time jobs in security. One was at a college I attended, and the other for a major Orlando hotel. Many men and women worked there who made security their careers. If I had stayed there after getting my degrees, I have no doubt I could have risen in the ranks, but I had other ideas.
I entered the United States Navy to give something back to this country I love so much. In my navy career, I mainly work as an Environmental Health Officer to ensure public health guidelines are followed. During this pandemic, my job has become extremely important in making sure the Sailors and their dependents stay safe. It’s a fantastic job that has allowed me to see parts of the world I thought I’d only ever read about. Between a sense of pride, duty, and patriotism, along with the opportunities serving in the US Military provides, I can see why people make the military their full-time career.
During my time serving, I discovered my natural gift for helping people figure out their future, especially the professional side of things. Mentoring many Sailors, and also starting to mentor civilian acquaintances and others who approached me made me realize that making my full-time, post-military life as a career coach was the next logical step.
Facing the New Career Fear
For me, the idea of changing careers has never been scary. It’s exciting. But, I understand that even people who are open to the change and aren’t having it forced upon them can be scared about the transition to a new line of work.
We’ll talk about this more in the upcoming weeks. Today, I want you to think about these suggestions that come from Kerry Hannon, author of What’s Next? Follow Your Passion and Find Your Dream Job, a terrific book for someone looking to make a major change. Below is a list of a few suggestions she shared in an interview with Forbes.com.
1. Write about your fear in a journal.
Fear is an abstract concept until you begin contextualizing it. If you’re not a good writer, you can draw a picture. Are you in the forest, all alone and looking for help? Are you on a crowded city street, with no idea where to go? Give your fear life on a piece of paper. Get it out of your head.
2. Practice conquering your fears.
Scared to order in restaurants? Putting off that dental appointment? Dread speaking in front of a group? If you can cultivate a life where you’re conquering your fears, both big and small, it becomes easier to take on the kind of fear that comes with a life-changing decision like entering a new career.
3. Develop confidence through others.
Hannon suggests interviewing a handful of family and friends and asking them what they think you are good at. Two things will happen: patterns will emerge, and you’ll learn about yourself. Both should help provide the confidence you need to know that you’ll be OK doing new things.