Self Assessment - Changing Careers

Your career choice should be based on a thorough understanding of your wants and needs and the requirements of the aviation labor market.

At mid-life, you have the advantage of being able to draw on many years of real-world experiences to select a career that:

• Lets you use the skills you enjoy most
• Pays enough to support your lifestyle
• Is in demand

Recognize what you don't like about your present career. Name specific sources of discontent. Some possible reasons are given below. Perhaps you can think of others that are relevant to your situation.

• You have skills you enjoy using, but your present job doesn't allow you to use them
• Your current job doesn't give you the monetary benefits that your work deserves
• You want to find a job that pays what you believe the job is worth
• You want to find work that is its own reward, that is satisfying and meaningful and that has intrinsic value, regardless of earnings
• You want a change of pace, to slow down and to have more time for yourself, your family and the community
• You're ready for a new challenge
• You want the chance to grow and learn in a direction that your present situation won't permit
• You want to enhance your image and prestige
• You don't like your present schedule, the hours, the shifts, the overtime or the lack of flexibility
• You're unemployed and you want to broaden your job search and explore new fields
• You're employed, but things at work are not as much fun anymore. Perhaps the company has changed hands or you have a new boss who doesn't support your career growth
• You feel you're ready for a change of environment and maybe a new career too

Stop and consider: Can you come up with creative ways to solve your problems without changing careers? For instance, would you be content to transfer to a different department, division or even a different company where you would have the same job in the same field?

Is your discontent related to:

• The job itself
• The company environment
• Yourself