Career paths are winding roads

Other Side of 50


 

 

I recently heard about a Twitter meme called #firstsevenjobs. A meme, if you don’t know, is an activity or image spread rapidly by internet users.

The objective with this particular meme is to list your first seven jobs, starting from the first time you received pay from someone other than your parents.

Some of the lists show how far we’ve come as a society. Here is Buzz Aldrin’s list:

“Dishwasher. Camp counselor. Fighter pilot. Astronaut. Commandant. Speaker. Author . . . now Global Space Statesman!”

How the world has changed since Aldrin’s first job in the late 1940s, when man only dreamed of walking on the moon, to today, when we actually have a call for a global space statesman.

Aldrin’s career trajectory was fairly linear; not a lot of weaving, but rather rocket-ship-like propulsion to astronaut status and beyond. The career progression of most of us is not that direct. Here are my #firstsevenjobs: impersonating Jack of Jack in the Box for kids’ parties (yes, in 1975 they actually had a Jack costume) arts and crafts camp counselor receptionist food company salesperson (Dole, Pepsi, M&M/Mars) transformation officer (relocating market research jobs to cost-saving locations) unpaid caregiver life-planning coach, now national advocate for seniors and family caregivers

I can see how each step occurred, but if anyone had asked me to imagine my career path 40 years ago, I never would have come up with any one of these jobs, let alone this career trail.

Some common factors as to why we have job transitions include further education, geographic moves, career advancement, market forces, life transitions and serendipity. I assume these factors account for most career changes.

But more importantly, it seems like the concept of a “career” that is managed and purposeful is one that may disappear with Aldrin’s generation. Most of us probably can’t imagine jobs that will be around even five years from now.

The bad news for college students declaring majors today is that it’s likely they will not remain in the field in which they were trained and that will cost them a lot of money.

The good news for those of us on the other side of 50 is that we will have greater job options as new markets and industries arise.

Our “job” as baby boomers and beyond will be to stay open to changes and willing to learn new skills.

Andrea Gallagher, CSA, is president of Senior Concerns. For more information, visit www.seniorconcerns.org or email andrea@seniorconcerns.org.


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