Research Paper Topic: What Motivates People to Change Careers?

What circumstances can influence an individual career path? Besides article and books researched a variety of candidates will be interviewed to see if there are really a few common denominators as far as motivating factors for changing careers. There are many reasons why people chose a career path, but what motivates them to change careers? I just fell into it. Boring, not challenging anymore. Completed my degree and want to do something in my field. I want to make a difference in peoples lives. I want more money. Im unhappy with what Im doing. My position is redundant. Ive been floating from job to job and want a career path. I want to work for myself. Something is missing from my job and Im not sure what it is. (Career Clarity 2007) What are the influencing factors? In todays day and age there are so many options out there. Even if someone doesnt make a change out of necessity it gives individuals an opportunity to pursue their goals whether its a passion, money or thirst for knowledge. Making a Difference: James Morrison (phone interview June 11, 2012) James felt as if something was missing from his job. He had a career in civil service specifically in the education sector. Growing up in Ireland he saw many of his friends and siblings have their careers chosen for them by the European version of the college entrance exams. He had a passion and a thirst for knowledge and was determined to carve a career path in that direction. He was the first and only child in his family to make his dreams a reality. Once James graduated he won the lottery for a green card and went to work for a small investment firm in the US. Even though he learned quite a bit about the finance world, he knew that this wasnt his calling. At the same time he decided to get more involved with the Irish community and started volunteering. He had a lot of dealings with the Irish government and decided to pursue a career in civil service. This opened up a number of career opportunities for him. He was able to combine his two passions; education and helping people. James

was fortunate to work between the US and Ireland where he established quite a few connections that would be useful to him later in his career. Even though James loved working for the Irish government, he became frustrated on the amount of time and layers of management that he had to deal with. He was then offered an exciting job at the embassy when he had an unfortunate accident. During his six month recovery he had time to reflect and knew it was the perfect decision to make some critical decisions when it came to his career. A friend asked him to fill in for a year and manage a study abroad program for students. It was the perfect opportunity for him to segway into education. Throughout his career James knew that early on he had identified a not only a passion for education but also to give back and help people and was able to stick to his career choices and make calculated decisions that resulted in a successful and satisfying career. It is estimated that Americans average 10-14 jobs between the ages of 18 and 34 and 3-5 career changes by the age of 38 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2008). People that find themselves on the market are more apt to change careers for a number of reasons; one of the biggest things to think about is which direction they would like to take before committing to a full time job. There is also contract opportunities that allow people to work temporarily and try out new positions before making a career commitment. There are just so many options out there. But with all this said, what are the biggest motivating factors? What are the common dominators regardless of the job market, current state of the economy and new emerging markets and technologies? Working for Myself: Jeff Gould (phone interview June 1, 2012) Jeff his own staffing business focused in the financial services industry. While he enjoys what he does, hes not sure how long he can stay afloat and support his family so hes considering changing careers. Jeffs father was a CPA and fell into accounting. He went to a school where there was a heavy emphasis on accounting majors. The Big Four did on campus recruiting and soon Jeff graduated and went into public accounting. Financial stability wasnt a factor; he lived with his father and had very few

bills if any at all. He was able to focus solely on what he wanted to do. He felt it was a great career choice; he was exposed to a variety of industries and companies and was able to learn and grow. He got his CPA and decided to move out to California for a year. There he did forensic accounting and worked on litigation. It was interesting work, but not for him. He decided to move back to Boston. There he received a call from a well known staffing agency in the accounting and finance world, and was offered a job as a recruiter. Jeff thought that this combined the best of worlds, accounting and finance and working with people. After the downturn in the economy and a company restructuring Jeff left and started his own business. One of the major reasons was that when he started his own business there was security in job. No one could come in and restructure his job and take his book of business. But with todays economy and clients being pickier than ever Jeff faces some tough decisions. He is struggling to continue to do something he loves and be his own boss opposed to something that is more financially stable in these trying times. This seems to be the common factors with most job seekers. What are some of the other influencers out there? Do market conditions play a part in changing jobs? Does todays market economic factors play a large role in determining what career path one will choose? Today people are less likely to remain at a company based on loyalty but more for the fact of mere survival. With downsizing and the loss of jobs, people are holding on to jobs for financial and security reasons. Anyone in a job that is looking for a career change is taking carefully planned measures before executing a job search. Even with todays grim outlook on jobs, seems that people are looking at the recession as an opportunity to make a change. Even though there are definitely financial constraints to be considered, as workers are joining the growing ranks of the unemployed they are viewing it as an opportunity to change careers and do something new. My Job isnt Fulfilling: Brian Neubold (personal interview September 2010)

Brian was getting married and just got laid off from his job. He viewed this as having a positive impact on his life. With the support of his fianc he was able to explore different career options and find one that he really enjoyed. This change doesnt always come with financial hardship and emotional stress.

Alexandra Levit (2009) discuss seven common motivations for changing careers; family, independence, learning, money, passion, set back and talent. She interviews several candidates and their motivations for changing jobs. Finding your Passion: Steve (Alexandra Levit 2009) One of the more interesting candidates that Alexandra Levit (2009)interviews, Steve changed careers three times in the course of his life. He worked for his fathers company and discovered that really wasnt what he wanted to do. Next he pursued life as a stock broker. He was captivated by the amount of money that he could make in this particular field. But as he got older, he really wanted more of a quality of life and decided to go into business for himself. He discovered his passion and ran with it. He put a lot of time and effort into his business, but because he was his own boss and it he enjoyed what he was doing it didnt really feel like work to him. He also benefited financial because he took pride in what he was doing and was fulfilled and his customers knew it. Quality of Life: Frank Dadah (personal interview June 22, 2012) Frank was motivated to change careers to assemble some sort of quality of life as well as financial gain. Frank spent many years in the restaurant business. He had a passion for food and loved training and managing his employees. He worked for several national chains and opened up restaurants all over the east coast. He then decided to buy a restaurant with a partner. After a few years they sold it for a profit. While Frank had a passion for food and the restaurant business, he longed for normal hours, weekends off and a quality of life. He got a call from a staffing firm and became a recruiter. He had an opportunity

to manage people and have a quality of life. While the industry has its ups and downs its a rewarding role and it allows him to spend more time with his family and still fulfill his financial goals. Passion - Michael Suvak (phone interview June 1, 2012) Michael knew that when he graduated college he knew that he wanted to get into psychology. He went on to get is Masters and PHD. While going to school he knew that he didnt want to get into clinical psychology, but become a professor of psychology. He worked two jobs, went to school in the evenings and had a family to raise. After finally graduating with his PHD, he applied to a number of schools. He had a number of choices in mind. But due to the economy the number of vacancies greatly diminished. Colleges simply were not adding to staff and professors were extending their retirement. His relentless pursuit and dedication finally landed him a great teaching job and he didnt have to relocate his family. So this story has a very happy ending. More often than not, people find themselves at a crossroads and out of work giving them an opportunity whether they like it or not to re-invent themselves. As people get older it seems that their goals and objectives change. They know that if they do something that makes them happy, the financial part will follow. Quality of life seemed to be another big factor. People wanted to spend more time with their families and the reality is no matter how hard that one worked there was no guarantee that it was appreciated or rewarded. Since the recession hit people have been working longer and harder with a reduced staff and reduced salaries just to get passed over for promotion and even face layoffs it the company takes a down turn. Many older workers find themselves with the reality of changing careers. Some of their jobs are obsolete or they have a hard time getting hired so they have to make a career change. The role of a coach in these situations can really help support individuals and guide them through the process so they feel comfortable and confident with the decisions they are making. Its often a confusing and scary time for individuals and the positive support of a coach and professional guidance can help build self esteem and make them comfortable through the career change process.

The seven common motivations described by Alexandra Levitt (2009) prove to be true. With all the candidates that there were personal interviews conducted, with along with the candidates that changed careers in Alexandra Levit's (2009)book, most seem to share the fact that they had some time of setback. Each candidate was laid off, had medical leave or some life changing event where they were able to reflect on their careers and change their career path. No matter the reason for the lay off; these are life altering decisions with many factors to take into consideration. A coach can really help guide an individual through these turbulent times. They can help them explore the different career options but also help them discover the whys in choosing career. Exploring an individual goals and objectives and helping them get there themselves are crucial in making them feel confident in choosing a career. There are a lot of factors to be considered; what are the financial ramifications? Does further education need to be explored? Do they want to choose a career that they are passionate about? A coach really helps individuals explore all the options. They dont give them the answers or persuade them to choose one career over another, but simply give them to tools to make decisions that will make them feel confident. The seven common motivations described by Alexandra Levitt (2009) prove to be true. With all the candidates that there were personal interviews conducted, with along with the candidates that changed careers in Alexandra Levit's (2009)book, most seem to share the fact that they had some time of setback. Each candidate was laid off, had medical leave or some life changing event where they were able to reflect on their careers and change their career path. Frank wanted to spend more time with his family, Jeff needed independence, Michael had a thirst for learning, Steve at first identified with money and James had a passion for education. All suffered a setback in order to make their career change and each one was talented when it came to their true calling. Each one was motivated to make a change that was going to fulfill them and transform their lives for the better. Conducting this research was enlightening. First for the interesting career changes people have made and what influenced them along

the way impacting their decisions. Second to listen to the transitions people made was truly fascinating. But after conducting research and interviews it is apparent that each individual was influenced by one of these common factors described by Alexandra Levitt (2009). If the individual is driven and motivated or a combination, its enough to initiate a change in careers and the energy where it can be done.

References: Top 10 Reasons why People Change Careers, Career Clarity 2007 A New Job A New You Alexandra Levit 2009 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, April 2008 People Change Careers 5-7 times, Recruit Group 2009 What Color is My Parachute , Richard N. Bolles 2011 B.Miller, American Demographic 1997 Career Change Statistics, Jullien Gordon 2011 Brian Neubold, personal interview 2011 Michael Suvak, personal interview 2012 James Morrison, personal interview 2012 Frank Dadah, personal interview 2012 Jeff Gould, personal interview 2012