In my last post I talked about how changing careers can be a scary prospect. Not only is it scary it can also be a very stressful time for people who must change involuntarily (Career, 2011). Fortunately this has not happened to me, but it has happened to a couple of my friends. One of my friends husband lost his job about a year ago, and he still hasn’t found gainful employment. They have decided to start their own cleaning business, and seem to be doing well at the moment.
When people face an involuntary change in making a living typically follow one or more activities such as: finding a job similar to the one they just lost, they make use of a secondary skill to make a change, some choose to return to school and try to acquire a new set of skills, or they opt to start their own business (Career, 2011). To some extent more than one of these may be pursued at the same time (Career, 2011). Even in personal life, a planning activity such as a change in careers begins with (1)Environmental Assessment (2) Setting Goals (3) Evaluate alternatives (4) cost assessment (5) implementation (Career, 2011).
Environmental assessment begins with making a list of your education, such as degrees or technical skills that you possess already. You should be able to discern through this a list of jobs or activities you would be happy doing. Goal setting is your next step. At this point it might not hurt to seek the advice from senior colleagues or a mentor to help you create your action plan (Career, 2011). Evaluating alternatives involves studying on companies to apply to, curricula to study in school or starting a business of your own (Career, 2011). Cost assessment is just that, you may have to decide whether to work part time and earn a low income while in school or try to get in on the lower level of a job quickly and try to work up (Career, 2011). Either way will only be successful if you carry out the last step of Implementation. The most important factor for getting to the top is personal drive and ambition, without this, you will not succeed (Career, 2011).
According to IRS data, in 2008, there were over 23 million sole proprietors who filed tax returns (Career, 2011). Putting that into context, the number of self-employed sole proprietors is greater than the total number of government employees at all levels (federal, state and local) (Career, 2011). So it seems that many Americans have moved forward with starting their own businesses, versus working for a company. Who knows how long this trend will continue and grow? I don’t think that self-starting a business is for everyone and sometimes people will fail. But even so the very meaning of the word “career” for many people has changed from being a continuous activity to a succession of changing activities in a changing environment (Career, 2011).
I have decided to interview my friend whose husband lost his job last year to see what steps that they took, and how long this has taken them to get where they are now and if they plan on continuing the business they have started. My friends are in their 40’s and have recently started their own home cleaning business. I started by asking my friend when her husband lost his job, she stated “He was laid off last February after working for that company for over 16 years.” (Grayson, 2012) I continued by asking if her husband had thought about returning to school and pursuing a different career, and she told me that he had not wanted to go back to school.
The next few questions pertained to their new business, such as why they decided to start their own business, what research or advice did they seek before starting the business and has it been successful enough to sustain them. My friend told me that they did not seek advice, but they did research the area within a certain driving distance to minimize cost due to the high prices of gasoline (Grayson, 2012). So far after six months they have been able to pay their bills and maintain a moderate lifestyle.
I then asked if her husband was still seeking outside employment. She stated “He still looks for outside employment to help supply medical insurance for the family, but there are not that many positions available that pay what we make with our own business.” (Grayson, 2012)
Interview Questions:
1. How long has your husband been unemployed?
2. Did your husband ever contemplate going back to school?
3. Why did you decide to start your own business?
4. What advice, if any did you seek before starting this business?
5. Has your business been successful enough to sustain you?
6. Is your husband still looking for outside employment?
Career planning and changing. (2011, January). Encyclopedia of Small Business v. 0001. 4th edition. Retrieved February 5, 2012 from Gale Virtual Reference Library Database.
Grayson, E. (2012, February) I conducted an interview over the phone with a friend of mine whose husband lost his job last year.
The interview asked questions about whether her husband looked into going back to school or any other alternatives, and also what went into starting their own business.
No comments:
Post a Comment