Most people do not welcome career change. Even those wanting to reinvent themselves find it costly and stressful, like Minnesota's governor, Jessie Ventura. He's gone from wrestling in tights and a feather boa to stumping across the state in jeans and a leather jacket discussing policy with legislators in suits and ties. Jessie "The Body" touted himself as Jessie "The Mind" during his gubernatorial run. Now he finds himself in the role of Jessie "The Guv."

Famous Career Changers

Jessie hasn't been the only public figure to undergo a career change. A skiing accident took Sonny Bono's life, prompting his widow to take over his congressional seat. House Speaker Newt Gingrich unexpectedly resigned from his position and is now the CEO of a communications and management-consulting firm.

These political examples show us how career shifts vary. They can be prompted by graduation, divorce, the death of a spouse, the birth of a child, the relocation of a company, the closing of a plant or any number of events, planned and unplanned.

Examples in my own community include a third grade teacher who is now a TV anchor, an attorney-turned-professional-clown, a basketball star who's become a youth leader, a retail sales clerk in law school, a medical doctor-turned-architect, and a military pilot teaching high-school math.

The Process of Career Shifts

How's it done? There are numerous books written on the subject, yet nearly everyone seems to follow a similar path:

Disrupting Events: Downsizing, relocation, graduation, company buyouts, confusion, lack of direction, divorce, death of a loved one: career changes start with events that disrupt your routine. Sonny Bono's widow, a housewife, never expected to run for Congress, nor did Newt anticipate he'd resign after the elections.

Dealing With Feelings: Along with disruptions come powerful feelings: hurt, resentment, disappointment, anger, fear and self-doubt. Dealing with feelings means learning how to find new direction, meaning, or purpose from them. For example, deep hurt teaches us what is truly important or what has been taken for granted. Resentment and anger often indicate things left unsaid or opportunities missed. Fear and self-doubt show vulnerabilities. Once you identify feelings, even the negative ones, transformation can take place.

Becoming Focused: Getting focused happens after we deal with feelings, when we say, "Enough is enough!" That's when we set goals and concentrate on what we need to do to reach them.

Making a Commitment: If focus pushes you forward, commitment carries you to the prize. It's the key to reaching your goal. It means putting one foot in front of the other everyday. Commitment is the courage to keep going when others might quit. Commitment is the difference between an unsuccessful and a successful career change.

Having a Plan: A written plan will give you both direction and motivation, particularly if it includes a back-up plan. To write your plan, state your objective with timetables. Set goals and plan specific actions to help you achieve them.

Finally, not everyone is like Minnesota's Governor Jessie Ventura. Sometimes the things that make you restless are part of professional life. Perhaps they simply signal a desire for new challenges rather than a new career. Consider joining a professional association. Whether you are starting out or starting over, membership in an association allows you to connect with like-minded professionals, become inspired and decide to contribute to your field rather than leave it.

Center for Career/Life Planning © 1999