The Anti 9-to-5 Guide » Debunking those pesky career change myths

Debunking those pesky career change myths

January 11th, 2007

While we’re still in new year territory, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a little myth busting. If you long to give your job or career a facelift but find yourself riddled with more excuses than the Bush administration, this list — modified from a 2006 Seattle Times article by yours truly — is for you.

Myth: I should do something practical that comes with a fancy title and fat paycheck.

Okay, and I should wear makeup and skirts and try to not swear so much because that’s what “ladies” do. Not. Whose life are you living — yours or your parents’?

Myth: By the time I pay my dues in a new career, I’ll be well over 30, 40, even 50, and too old to start at the bottom.

But you’ll be happy.

Myth: I can’t start a new career now. I’ve already invested so much in getting where I am.

See above. Otherwise, vow to never whine about how you hate your current career again — for the next 20, 30, 40, or however many years you have till retirement.

Myth: I need to succeed before I breed. Once I’m raising kids, it will be too hard to zoom up the ladder or change fields.

Harder, yes, but not impossible. I’ve interviewed plenty of moms who changed careers and/or went solo after having kids, a number of them without a spouse or money in the bank as a cushion. In fact, mompreneurship may be the way to go, given all the workplace bias against mothers out there. (I’m not a mom, so I welcome the moms reading this to weigh in with their two cents.)

Myth: I can’t afford to live on less money.

Life is about choices. Your choices: premium cable TV/new shoes/$15 lunches with coworkers, or a lower-paying but infinitely more rewarding job. (Hint: I don’t miss HBO, that extra pair of black boots that could be collecting dust in my closet, or those greasy, overpriced lunches.) Besides, a starting salary isn’t forever.

Entry Filed under: Overworked and underpaid, My articles, She's the boss, Working moms

15 Comments Add your own

1. charlene prince birkeland | January 11th, 2007 at 4:15 pm

This strikes a chord for me. I quite my corporate, high-paying gig after my kids were born because I realized I’d better start chasing my dream now or I never would reach it. My kids inspired me to go for it, and I couldn’t be happier. Great story/post.
2. Michelle Goodman | January 11th, 2007 at 4:22 pm

thanks, charlene. love that your kids inspired you. as one mom i interviewed for the book says, Happy Mom = Happy Kids. ok, those are my words, but you get the idea. from what i hear, kids want their mom to be satisfied in her work (even on the “what did i get myself into?!” days), not frustrated and exhausted because she feels stuck in a crappy career. yes?
3. Shawna | January 11th, 2007 at 6:08 pm

And on the flipside….I have a degree in Horticulture. After 2 years of pulling weeds, giving garden tours, and hiring flower arranging instructors, I decided I wanted something more, and more exciting…so I got rid of my car and loads of other possessions and moved into a tiny one-bedroom apartment in New York City as a sales assistant for a large financial institution, I’ve only grown from there.

It doesn’t take much to make a change…just a dream, and lots of elbow grease. I still live a very humble life, despite the higher paycheck… an apartment smaller than most hotel rooms, no microwave, no clock, no couch, and no TV…which might make it easy if I ever want to go back to wearing wellies. The key to doing all of this is to keep things simple, so it’s easy to change your mind when the time comes
4. Michelle Goodman | January 11th, 2007 at 7:31 pm

shawna, i loved hearing your tale of leaving what sounds like a laid-back outdoorsy gig for the fast-paced world of FINANCE in the big city. so often we hear tales of people taking the pace of their life/work down a notch rather than cranking it up. yay, you.

also, i totally agree on the “keep it simple” mantra. so much easier to make a change when your expenses/debts are as low as possible. besides, NYC is not for homebodies, so no need for that big apt. anyway.
5. Anne | January 11th, 2007 at 10:43 pm

I’m half-way to Charlene’s bliss, I think. I spent over 8 years believing in myth #1 and felt like I nearly lost my soul. Now that the undercurrent of anxiety has been removed by quitting my job, I gotta find the right curb to step off of. It’s like a once bitten, twice shy situation. Charlene- if you’re still tuned in - are you comfortable sharing what you quit and what you moved into? Thanks!
6. Michelle Goodman | January 12th, 2007 at 3:12 am

anne, check out charlene’s new blog, Job-Mom, http://blogs.payscale.com/job_mom/. (if i’m not mistaken, she’s a freelance writer.)

you may also like this book: the stay-at-home mom’s guide to making money from home. i have a copy here and think it’s got some great info in it.
7. Anne | January 12th, 2007 at 9:32 am

Cool, thank you. I addded Charlene’s blog to my list of favorites, along with yours, of course!
8. Michelle Goodman | January 12th, 2007 at 10:23 am

awww, shucks. thanks.
9. The Career Change - The i&hellip | January 12th, 2007 at 3:08 pm

[…] ”But you’ll be happy.” (From Debunking those Pesky Career Change Myths) […]
10. Kelly | January 13th, 2007 at 10:34 pm

I, too, spent much of my adult (and adolescent) life believing most of these myths, particularly myth #1. I convinced myself that I was supposed to think jobs like retail, and filing, were for people who “couldn’t do any better”. So one day (four years this month, to be exact), I applied for a promotion in my company and got it. And I’ve been miserable ever since. I’m still not sure where to go next, because going up will only be worse, but going back down - at least in the corporate world - is so difficult because all the employers out there only seem to be interested in people who want to “grow” and “achieve” and “advance”. What a pile of s#%&!!!
11. Michelle Goodman | January 14th, 2007 at 9:41 am

hi kelly, ugh. i feel your pain. i do a lot of corporate writing/editing so i can keep a roof over my head, but i’ve been doing it for years upon years and am starting to think working with my hands, on my feet, would be a welcome change. i mentioned this recently to a family member who poo-poo’ed it as “not what i went to college for.” (not that i am going to listen to the peanut gallery; if i had, i wouldn’t be a freelancer at all.)

once you stop “shoulding all over yourself” (i should be an X, Y, or Z because that’s what i was taught to do), i think it can be quite liberating to know that you can go pretty much anywhere from here — anywhere that your monthly expenses and personal responsibilities will allow, anyway. in other words, you might not be able to swing working in paris for a year, but maybe you can bring your current set of office skills to an entirely new field that is less corporate, or start a business of your own on the side, or whatever else your bored little heart desires.

writing lists, volunteering, picking people’s brains, reading the business pages — all of this will give you ideas and information about What Next? and whether that “what” is feasible for you. and in case you were wondering, Chapter 1-2 of my book focuses on this search. (my publicist made me type that.)
12. Lynn | January 18th, 2007 at 3:50 am

Myth: I can’t afford to live on less money. Total myth! I was actually afraid of the same thing when I started freelancing, since I earned less than I did when I had a regular job, but it turns out that I had fewer things to spend on–no lunches with coworkers, no parking fees to pay, lower fuel/commuting expenses, etc.
13. Michelle Goodman | January 18th, 2007 at 9:03 am

lynn, great point! plus, you don’t need all those WORK CLOTHES. a couple good “meeting outfits” will do you just fine. and business expenses are tax deductible of course.
14. boo hoo | July 23rd, 2007 at 2:33 pm

What about career changing FACTS? Don’t you have to get offered a job doing what you want? What if the offer never comes? Someone has to GIVE you an opportunity first, what you do with it is another thing. But, if the opportunity never comes, what are you supposed to do then?

You have to get your foot in the door and pay dues for a number of professions. There are too many applicants out there these days. Mind you I didn’t say “give up” or “don’t give it your best” For every success story of escape and fulfillment there are hundreds who never could cut it, never gave up and never got anywhere in the professional field of their choice.

Don’t even get me started on consulting or freelance work. There are plenty of talented folks willing to work for free (example Graphic design). So, where do they go after years of building a portfolio with free labor? To jobs they hate, but someone is willing to hire and pay them to do that job. I hate to say it, but with many professions it’s a supply and demand thing. No way around it, some peoples joys will ALWAYS be hobbies. But, hey people still have their dreams and nobody can take that away.

These may be the myths, but don’t forget debunking the myths won’t eliminate the dozens of career changing FACTS.
15. Michelle Goodman | July 24th, 2007 at 5:41 am

boo hoo, OF COURSE. read my book and you’ll see that i’m no fan of “visualizing your way into a better career.” but that’s not what this post was about. it was an abridged version of a seattle times article i wrote about shaking people’s false beliefs re career change. it wasn’t a look at the numbers who make it vs those who don’t…

having freelanced for 15 years i can tell you that you DON’T have to be the uber-superstar you imply. sure, there are people who will never make the grade (and maybe not charging is a big part of their problem). but most clients will tell you they have a hard time finding slightly-better-than-average freelancers who just follow directions and hit their deadlines. in other words, just being middle of the road and playing by the rules can get you far. here’s what Dilbert creator Scott Adams has to say on the matter, too:

http://dilbertblog.typepad.com/the_dilbert_blog/2007/07/career-advice.html