European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 29, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                              F o c u s time to move on Are you read for a new career by Vivian Marino the associated press ome people would envy Bob Goldstein he has a steady Job in an Active Field earning More than $50,000 a year with full benefits including a savings plan for retirement. Yet the 41 year old mortgage broker is restless. His 1994 Resolution is to toss his work aside and try something new. Perhaps do something with his hands. I m getting to the Point where i realize there Aren t that Many years left 40 years at most. It s time to be Happy and do what i enjoy Goldstein said from his Jacksonville fla., office. While Many people have been forced to change careers because of economic instability others like Goldstein Are making the move out of sheer desire for a change. As the population Ages and life expectancies increase the number of career switchers in this category is bound to Rise As Well. You have a Choice in life. Either you re going to work to achieve certain goals or you re going to work to pay Bills said Hank Madden a financial planner who is counselling Goldstein and his wife Lisa. People Are realizing this is no dress rehearsal. This is  people who change careers because they re unsatisfied with work Are part of the landscape. Recent interviews revealed a new York Magazine editor who opened a pet shop on the Maine Shore a former chief financial officer from Washington who runs a fishing resort in Montana an actress who sold movie rights to a screenplay she wrote and a poet turned computer Salesman who got Rich As a corporate speaker and humorist. The average american worker in fact is expected to change careers at least three times during his or her lifetime government data shows. Current High school and College graduates have been told to expect to hold at least 10 or More jobs in their working careers. Not surprisingly the likelihood for change depends on a person s occupation and level of education. Bureau of labor statistics figures show College. Graduates will stay in a particular occupation for about eight years. By contrast those without a High school degree stay in one occupation for five years. Kitchen workers and shoe salespeople Are by far the most transient lasting about a year and under while Barbers and Farmers will stay put for 20 years or More but the Economy too has played a major role in directing people s careers. Many Middle management positions have been eliminated in recent years As companies restructured. Every Day you can pick up the paper and see some big Fortune 500 company is cutting 1,000 or 2,000 jobs said Jeffrey j. Mayer Chicago author of find the Job you be always wanted in half the time with half the Effort and himself a successful career switcher. Mayer says everyone regardless of How secure he or she thinks their Job is should develop an alternative at left service members line up to enter a Job fair in Germany. Above at age 46, Terrylynn Pearson quit her Job and started her own marketing company. Is Dave Casey employment game plan. That could mean anything from taking extra classes to learn new skills to keeping in touch with acquaintances who work in a Field that interests you. Mayer said individuals also must be willing to aggressively Market themselves and possibly relocate when the time comes. Robert w. Thirsk director of the career services office at the University of North Carolina in Greensboro said he s seen a big increase in night class enrolment. The workshops he conducts on changing careers fill up. Rapidly. Thirsk who recently made a change of his own by. Moving to North Carolina after 26 years at the University of Washington in Seattle said More often a dissatisfied worker May merely need to do some tinkering to feel More Job satisfaction. In fact he said 60 percent to 70 percent of the students enrolled in his workshops decided afterwards that they could resolve whatever problems they had in their present occupation without making a drastic career move. We re talking about maybe getting new responsibilities at work or even going to a different company Thirsk said. Most often you la be using the same kinds of  financial planners and career advisers emphasize that those who have met the most Success in switching career gears have been Able to Transfer their skills and talents. Retraining is so darn expensive said Victoria Felton Collins a psychologist and financial planner from Costa Mesa Calif. Most people do Well because the new Job was in some Way related to the old  californians Valerie red horse and Jeffery Armstrong will agree with that. Red horse a 34-year-old actress from Tarzana says she had a Tough time getting acting jobs because of her native american background. She turned to writing screenplays instead. She says she s close to completing a Deal on one script about the life of a tribal Warrior and matriarch. I be also been asked to turn it into a Book she said. Armstrong/47, of Santa Cruz left his Job As a computer Salesman to become St. Silicon a High tech humorist paid big Bucks by major corporations to poke fun at High technology at management conferences and other business events. I worked in the Silicon Valley for seven years. And during that time i realized a corporation is like a body and a body has different parts he said explaining Why he wished to move on. Not everyone can make a successful transition or should even try. In some cases what a person May really need is a creative outlet through a Hobby or Volunteer work. When you make a Radical change in your career you face a High probability of failure said Jonathan Pond a Boston financial planner who has helped numerous professional athletes find work after their playing Days. I can t Tell you the number of situations i be seen where the 50-year-old executive who has managed a couple Hundred people decides to go out and Start his or her own business. One year later they have a failed business lost their life savings. And they re Back on the Job Market with in essence a taint on their re sume getting Start some Steps for making career changes determine if a change is needed. Are you Content with your Job or do you feel bored or burned out most people should look at their careers in three to five year periods since it s usually during those intervals that they be mastered their responsibilities and May help wanted. And Given not need new challenges. Dream a Little. Try to imagine what types of jobs or lines of work you would enjoy. What kinds of businesses or industries do you find fascinating make a list of All the aspects of your current or prior jobs that you like and dislike. Do some self evaluation. List your skills interests values and goals. Where else can your skills be used do you need to go Back to school or get additional training assess the Job Market. Research the jobs and organizations that interest you and learn How they re affected by economic conditions. Read publications that pertain to the Job Market. One source occupational quarterly can be found in most Public libraries. Develop a marketing plan. Put together a resume and cover letter that will convince prospective employers that they can t get along without you. Do some networking by talking to friends relatives and business acquaintances. The associated press no matter what uniform you Wear in the european theater or if you Wear none at All help is available to Start a new career. All services offer transition assistance programs designed to educate those leaving the military about their potent ional in the civilian Job Market. The army has 11 major Job assistance centers in Germany including Sites in Baum older Heidelberg and Wurzburg. An office in Schinnen the Netherlands services those stationed in the United kingdom and a Center in Vicenza Italy assists those in the Mediterranean Region. The centers come under the army career alumni program. The air Force has six similar centers in Germany. The transition assistance program can be found at base family support centers. Ramstein a and Span Dahlem a Are among the places offering transition services. The air Force has two locations in Italy Aviano a and san Vito Dei Normanna air station. The san Vito office will close by mid june. Torrejon a in Madrid services those stationed in Spain. For sailors and marines seven family service centers in the United kingdom Italy and Spain Are available for assistance under the transition assistance management program. Rota naval air station Spain and Naples support activity Italy Are among the locations. The programs Are designed for service members department of defense civilians and family members. Jon Connor the stars and stripes is Ken George military personnel wait outside am Assignee Center trailer Oge resume help and Job counselling. How to know i you re Ripe for change by the associated press if you re wondering about a new Job or career the following quiz May help determine whether you need to make professional or Persona changes. Question were developed by Joyce a. Schwirz who runs a a los Angeles based marketing and Carroi packaging firm. You be just bought a ticket for a $10 million lottery. If you win you will a buy your company s business and run it your Way. B pay off credit card debts and finance the kids College education. C teach surfing in Hawaii. You be been invited to your 20-year High school reunion. Do you a wish you were a successful lawyer who could Limo into town. B worry that your company won t give you Lime off to attend. C think about winning the reunion s Tennis tournament to prove to former classmates you re not uncoordinated. What would you like to be doing in the next five years a anything but what you re doing now. B the same work but with More pay and More acknowledgement. C climbing the Himalayas. You re in a dead end Job and hear rumours about company layoffs. Do you a convince your Bosses to give you a settlement package so you can get your mba. B get your resume in order. C take a vacation with your family while you have the time and Money. At an older Friend s retirement dinner you congratulate him but wish a you were retiring with full benefits at age 55. B you la make it to retirement at your company. C you and your Friend can now go fishing together More often. After a vacation you return to the office look at the pile of paperwork and a realize How much you hate paperwork and wish you can do carpentry instead. B dread going to the staff meeting and getting still More work. C wonder if you la get to finish the science fiction Book you started. Your spouse has been Laid off and has returned to school full time. Now you a secretly wish it had been you so you can go for your dream career teaching history. B realize you need to get a better Job to support your. Family. C Are Happy your spouse will have More time to spend with the kids. You Haven t had a Good vacation in three years and you feel a there must be something you can do that would be More fun. B glad your company s been so Busy in a bad Economy but think about working for a company that would give you More time off. C like cashing in your vacation time to train for the new York Marathon.  if you have More a answers you probably need to change careers or Start your own business. Those who chose b most should change jobs before the decision is made for them. Many c answers mean you May need to adapt your life to allow you to do More of the things you love. The stars and stripes 17 16 the stars and stripes saturday january 29, 1994