The Job Trap

By Jay Markunas, Career Consultant

“Overall U.S. employment is expected to go up 10 percent in the next decade, but there are some professions that are actually expected to see their ranks shrink” is how this CNBC article entitled Disappearing Professions begins. Reporters, Insurance Underwriters, and even Computer Programmers are just some of the professions expected to see a decline in the workforce.

Career Decision
We tend to spend more time deciding on the purchase of a car or home than we do on the one “constant” we will have our entire life — our profession! Cars will come and go. Homes may come and go, but our profession is something that up until 30 - 40 years ago was the one thing that we would follow us our entire life.

Thirty to forty years ago, a child would learn the trade of his parents. If dad was a cobbler, then chances were that Tommy would be a cobbler. If mom was a teacher, then chances were that Sally would be a teacher. Your destiny was generally set before you were born.

The Job Trap
Today we live in an environment of freedom. We can choose where we live, and we can choose our career. By 18 we have generally made a determination of what career field we want to enter. After investing years and years of study, training, money, and sacrifice, we enter our career with zeal.

But 5, 10, or more years later, many realize they made a mistake. At that point, those individuals may feel trapped — a term I call The Job Trap. Trap because you believe you have too much experience in your chosen field, and if you start over it will cost 5, 10, or more years of sacrifice and eating beans & rice! So, like most, you just say “I may hate it, but its a job and I have to stick it out.”

But, I’m Tired Of Living With The Decisions of an 18 Year Old!
You don’t have to be trapped. That decision made at 18 to enter a particular field doesn’t have to be the “final Destination”. Many people decide to take the proper steps to change careers. Looking at your skills and interests is the first step, and there are plenty of assessments that can help you. That’s the first step in Destination: New Career which we will teach on October 23rd in Austin, Texas. We will show attendees how they can LOVE THEIR WORK, and love their life.

The First Step is Identifying What You Like To Do
It is easy to identify things like “watching football” or “shopping”, but using the right assessments & exercises can allow you to identify interests that you may have never thought of. A career assessment is the first step, and tomorrow I will talk about the different assessments and how they are best used. Come back tomorrow to find out!

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