Baby Boomers - Are you making adolescent decisions - Career Pivot

Baby Boomers - Are you making adolescent decisions - Career Pivot Adolescent Decisions? Are you in a position to make adolescent decisions? Many baby boomers are making the same decisions that they had to make when they were adolescents. Think about it. When you were young: No money No stuff You knew you needed to work for the next 30 or 40 years You needed to make a career decision Now a lot of baby boomers are in a similar position: No money or at least not enough to retire on A lot of stuff that costs you money to keep You need to work for the next 10 or 20 years You need to make a career decision and possibly multiple career decisions over the coming years See the similarity? Can you make better adolescent decisions now? Most of us when we left home and made our first career decisions, made those decisions in a vacuum. We did not know what we did not know! We certainly know more today and can make better decisions. Why are we having to make these decisions? Whole industries and job categories have gone away! Many are being forced to make these decisions kicking and screaming. Listen to the most recent episode Let me tell you about John. I met John shortly after I started my business. John had been a successful photo journalist for a major newspaper. John saw that photo journalism was going away along with the newspaper business going into decline. During the last decade, he retrained and became a home inspector. He had a business inspecting homes when they were to be sold. Just as he was making a go of it, the great recession hit. We know what the great recession did to the real estate market. John once again made a move into the energy efficiency market place where he partnered with contractors to help home owners determine how they could save money by making their home more energy efficient. John enjoyed the green energy part of the job but he was a salesman which he did not enjoy. However, he learned a number of sale techniques that he felt comfortable with. John could not make a go of it financially and took a job working in a boutique home improvement store. He is making half of what he made as a photojournalist. However, he is making a go of it! He is now looking at moving back into the new home business as that segment of the market improves. If all goes well he should return to his previous earning potential. Family All of the shifts has been stressful on his marriage as his wife became the primary provider. To put it bluntly this whole transition has not been easy on him or his family! I had coffee with John last week and for the first time since I have known him I saw optimism in him. He has learned something new at each step of the way. Kind of like when we were adolescents making adolescent decisions. The difference is we have obligations that we did not have when we were young. We have spouses and children. It would have been easy for John to throw in the towel and give up. It probably would have wrecked his marriage. He did not give up and is willing to make yet another transition. Kind of like when we were adolescents making adolescent decisions. Are you making adolescent decisions? [UPDATE: John now has a job with a growing home improvement company. He is not back to where was as a photojournalist but he is on the right trajectory.] Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...