Life Changes

It really is amazing how fast life changes. What is even more amazing is how fast life passes us by and before we know it our next chapter in life has begun. Our lives can be like a novel with continuous changes. Our lives are really not as predictable as one may think.

You have plans when you finish school in hopes that the subject in which you study becomes your career. In reality, most people not only change jobs but change careers a number of times before finally retiring. Then there are those people that never retire because of one reason or another.

Statistically, a large percentage of people will change careers 3 to 7 times in their lifetime. While 54% of people consider changing careers, only 44% of those who have considered changing have truly changed.

If we look at this in a few ways from the time you would graduate with say a 4-year bachelor’s degree. You would be approximately 22 years of age. By the time you reach the average retirement age of 65 years old or 43 years of employment. You would have changed careers almost every 6 to 10 years.

Why do People Change Careers?

There are a great number of reasons why people would change careers. According to some research by talent solutions which helps employees and employers connect. Most people change careers due to an increase in salary, usually between 3% and 5%, while others prefer to change for goal or philosophy changes. This goes back to the finding that the career they went to school for just is not what they expected.

A few other reasons are as simple as not being satisfied with the leadership. Something I have brought up in a past post regarding true leadership and why people lead the way they do.

People may also choose to change due to Life Changes including the birth of a child or just lifestyle-alone changes. When thinking of some things in life that change those things that are unpredictable. Our lives change so fast at times that the last thing we realize is life has passed us by.

Conclusion

Don’t get caught in the trap of “this is what I went to school for, so this is what I will do the rest of my life.” This statement is really an old thought that is now no longer true. I tell my boys that the money and the education are nice. However, your happiness to enjoy your career is more important.