Part II of III: Thinking About A Mid-Career Change?

Rowan Manahan threw down the Job Hunt gauntlet and called for a Group Writing Project. Not one to shy away from a good project, here's today's offering.

Yesterday's Part I  ended with:

So here you are at mid-career:

• You may be seeing yourself as the sum total of a degree, a title, and work experience. The result is confusion about career aspirations and possibilities.

• Your organization has set--and changed--job standards over time. The result is confusion and reduced confidence about your real talent, aptitude, and all the ways you are smart.

• Your hope needs to be encouraged, sparked, and given a foundation for the future.

Natural Talents: The Importance of What You Can't Not Do

Everyone has natural, innate talent. Just watch them. Pay attention to yourself, too.

Watch who can't not organize something. . .who can't not run the numbers when a project is proposed. . .who can't not ask just the right question at the right moment.

These are all indicators of one's innate talent. What can't you not do?

There's a lot of confusion about differentiating between skills and natural talents.

Here's a way to start thinking about them that I hope you will find helpful:

Learned skills

These come from repetitive "doing" of tasks. They are often rigid and fixed to a certain job application. They don't imply intuitive understanding, growth, or adaptability to new situations.

Innate skills

These flow from natural talent. When you are using these, you intuitively understand the task at hand and the context for it. You start to add your own little elements, look for ways to increase mastery, and even find that you are more flexible when faced with new situations requiring these. Why?

They are you.

That sounds easy enough. If so, then what happens on life's journey that causes us to suddenly feel out-of-step in our careers?

Check out the graphic and explanation that follow:

Use the ages as approximations and pay a little more attention to the "stages" of life.

Birth to Age 18: Most of what we think we know about ourselves is the result of what other people notice, tell us about, or think we ought to be doing. It's just the way it is. We go to school and are involved in activities that we like or don't like. But we don't deliberately think a lot about our talents. We're doing stuff.

Something that can cause confusion later:

Teenagers with reasonable intelligence can do just about anything. They've got enough energy and time to overcome lack of natural ability. So they'll start getting kudos about, say, "soccer" or "science,"only to find later on that they had really worked long and hard to become a little above average. In their local community they were stars. In the world at large, they can't compete with the real stars.

Bonus for parents: You really can't test for the innate "talents" of young people. But you can watch and encourage their successes. (You can test for interests, preferences that will give you a way to see their uniqueness, and even enthusiasm).

Age 19-30: Busy studying at college, learning a job, or both. Not thinking so much about a "career" as about "how do I make some money and get my life started?!"

Still lots of energy to devote to tasks. Still able to compensate for lack of innate talent as a result.

Age 30: Yes, this is special.

Why?

According to my medical sources (now drinking decaf) in the coffee room at All Things Workplace, cell birth is faster than cell death up until about age 30. That means we have a reserve of life. At about 30, the cellular birth/death rate is about parallel, and then...you get the idea.

So it's no surprise that in our early 30's we begin to re-evaluate what we're doing. We no longer have the surplus energy to consistently put out extra time and effort to perform well in areas that aren't really in our inherent talent zone.  If you hear yourself talking positively and reminiscing about jobs or experiences that were 2 or more iterations ago, consider it a sign from God.

It's also at this stage of life that reality sets in. "Wow. I am going to be as old as my Mom and Dad. Wow. They've worked for 40 years. Arrgh!  Do I want to do this for 40 more years?"

Suddenly the notion of congruency, talent, and meaning really kick in.

Age 45: We live in a youth-oriented culture. Yet mastery of one's talents takes off on a steep curve at this stage. Wisdom and discernment make one's talents and skills even more effective.

There is an even bigger issue for many, though: peace (or not) with one's life.

A person with a passion can muster energy and resources to get the job done--and frequently has more resources available at this age.

If there is a problem with lack of peace with one's self: Instead of simply being discontented like those in their 30's, the incongruent 45-ish person begins to die on the inside. Finding and using one's real talents become increasingly important for one's total well-being and view of life ahead.

Fast forward to 55-65: People become "bitter" or "better."

Those operating in their "talent zone" continue to learn, grow, and perform. The upward curve is just not rocket-steep.

Those who don't resolve the bigger issue of integrating life/career/natural talents experience deep discouragement and can become angry with the world. (You've seen them). Sadly, they may never know why.

Note: My personal experience has been that the "bitter" outlook is much more characteristic of men than women.

Where is your Career Hope?

I believe it lies in the ability that I know you have to understand the process above, pinpoint your unique talents, skills, and values, and live a life where your career is a part of who you are--not the other way 'round.

Coming up in Part III: Some practical ways to look at talents, skills, and values.

What's happened in your career life that can help someone else, refine a concept, and add to the conversation? Jump in with a comment of your own!

And: expand your chances of job success and check in with (the really not-so) Evil HR Lady, Jason Alba, Jason Warner, and Karen at Please Don't Call Us Headhunters!

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Comments

[Dean]

Steve -

Very interesting stuff. Given that there are stages, one crucial skill it would seem, is to be able to recognize that the things that are happening is natural and then relax into those changes so we can take advantage of what is happening. Instead I think there is a tendency to get wrapped up in our own axles and not be able to see reality and lean into the changes. I suspect that those who are able to flow with the contours of life do the best with your topic. The question is how do we find the contours, and I must say that what you have written helps immensely, and then how do we find the right actions that fit where we are in these contours? The process is sort of like re-inventing ourselves at various points in our lives.

[Alex]

Great post. I really enjoy your writing. By the way, I run a Careers Article Directory and if you have some articles for distribution, you are very welcome to post them.
Regards,
Alex
http://www.smarthowto.com

[Karin H.]

Hi Steve

What I found (sometimes the 'hard' way) in my 'career-path' to be extremely helpful (with hindsight in the beginning) is to give yourself the time and 'grace' to find out what you love doing. (Like you said, find out what you cannot not do.) Then 'listen' to it and try to adjust your work, task, job, life even, towards it. This doesn't mean to stay in your comfort zone - to me it meant expanding that zone time and time again.
(Always say my life started at 30, my real career and enjoyment, pride etc in my work at 40 ;-))

What eeks me most is persons telling me they are too old to change again into a job they would really like. Never! You're really never too old to reach out and get that 'goal'.

Karin H. (Keep It Simple Sweetheart, specially in business)

[Steve Roesler]

Hello, Dean,

Well, you've generated my newest favorite saying: "wrapped up in our own axles"! I think you'll see that again along the way (with attribution).

Your idea of flowing with the contours of life seems right on the money to me. And really, the idea of the article is to raise awareness of those so that when people feel a pinch, they know it's not unusual. And, that it's a signal to pause and do some serious reflection before going head-on in a direction that's not providing satisfaction.

Thanks, Dean, for the bigger picture take on the issue.

[Steve Roesler]

Hello, Alex, and thanks for the kind comment.

I'll have a look and see what we can do.

[Steve Roesler]

So true, Karin. And your description as well as your own life are perfect examples.

If one has a close look at the flow, it's apparent that not only is it possible to "go for it" later in life, but for most there is a body of wisdom--in addition to talent--that can make the journey more profoundly satisfying.

And a little "self-grace" goes a long way. Just KISS, eh?

[Jenniferbarthe]

Very good article. I started to question my motivation for life when I was 25, but it took me four years to gather up the courage to follow my true ambition. It hasn't always been easy since I've been following my dreams, but I'm so much happier now. The ages of 25 to 30, really are a pivotal time in a young person's life.