In yesterday's job market, staying in the same career -- or even job -- for 15 years or more was the norm. But take one look at your ever-changing office mates and you'll see that this is no longer the case: Generation X workers (those born in the 1960s and '70s) are increasingly hard to retain, fleeing the corporate world to start their own companies.
Thinking of following suit? Here's advice from three career chameleons who made the switch successfully.
Technology to Toys
For Julie Beran Lamarre, what started out as a hobby as a 15-year-old morphed into her current career as owner of Bella Bear Company, making handmade teddy bears with a specialization of turning old fur coats into cuddly bears. But before Julie founded her high-end gift company, she spent eight-and-a-half years in the IT department of a Fortune 500 company.
"I always wanted to take my bears and go bigger because it would be nice to work from home," says Julie, whose 10 employees are stay-at-home moms throughout her home state of Illinois. "As a single mom with a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter, [with an office job] you're looking at the cost of daycare and paying someone half your salary to take care of your child."
She took the leap with the help of the local chapter of the Small Business Association and used her IT background to keep overhead down. A computer science degree can certainly be helpful in starting your own business, as can a degree in business or marketing.
Her advice: "Make a business plan. You have to have a structure," she says. "Mine was almost 18 years in the making. You also have to not listen to the people who tear you down and say, 'Come on! Teddy bears?!'"
Expert examination: "It's the cubicle syndrome: 'It's a summer day, and I would like to go to the lake at two when my daughter comes home from school,'" says Ted Ciuba, author of "The New Think and Grow Rich," out in July. "We now know that the alarm does not have to go off at 6 a.m. and that we can have an eight-second commute."
Lawyer to Matchmaker
Jasbina Ahluwalia found the day-to-day work in her advisory law practice intellectually stimulating, but says she never found it "particularly meaningful." After marrying her husband following years of balancing her personal life with the demands of her profession, she knew how she could make that contribution.
She went to the Matchmaking Institute in New York to get certified, then founded Intersections, a service dedicated to connecting busy professionals. "Instead of reading about employment law, I'm reading about relationships and different theories in terms of relationships, so no, I don't find there's anything missing," she says about her career switch. "Matchmaking, while not a direct correlation [to law], deals with contracts and successful people who value credibility."
In addition to getting certified, future matchmakers may want to pursue a degree in psychology to help clients pinpoint wants, needs, strengths, and weaknesses.
Her advice: "One of the biggest things is to have your finances in shape -- that can be through savings or financing -- so that you can develop a product of the highest quality. Having financial stability lets you raise the bar on whatever you're providing."
Expert examination: "We look at our careers as something that has to feed us and satisfy us, and that's what's feeding this chameleon factor," says Jeanine Tanner "J.T." O'Donnell, herself a Gen-Xer, career and workplace expert, and author of "Find Your Career Path: A Revolutionary Guide to Career Satisfaction."
Comics to Corporate
Anina Bennett went from comic book editor to working in legal marketing and business development. After years as a freelancer, she desired health insurance and a steady income, so she sought out a job as a legal editor at a law firm.
After a few years in that position, the marketing department caught her eye. "I pitched myself to the marketing director and they hired me as their proposal manager," she explains. "Eventually, I wound up getting a job offer from a much larger firm." Now she researches, writes, and puts together material for highly targeted pitches to prospective and current clients.
"It's all very business-y, but I still do creative stuff on the side," she says, adding that she's currently authoring a new graphic novel for the "Heartbreakers" series she co-created with her illustrator-husband.
If you're considering transitioning to an entirely different career, consider how you can apply your current skill set to the profession, while also looking into relevant degree programs; in Anina's case, business or marketing.
Her advice: Anina admits her career switch happened by accident, but shares, "Don't give up. Don't take it personally when you get rejected because I did and that was very hard on me. Think creatively about how you might be able to apply your skills and experience with different industries, even if it's with volunteer work to start."
Expert examination: "Go get a job at a company that has positions you want to get into," says O'Donnell, "but also has positions that you can get into at this time."
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