During a recent family holiday, we met up with a couple that we hadn’t seen for a few years. What they’d achieved in the intervening years made me feel like I was standing still!
Turns out that they’d not only built their own house from scratch on a picturesque coastal property, but they’d also created stunning guest accommodation and now run a successful bed and breakfast business. A massive departure from their past careers as sheep and cattle farmers.
While some people do settle into a few roles, for most of their professional lives, many experienced business people I’ve spoken to have pursued several, often wildly different, paths.
And it’s not always just one after the other. Within the Flying Solo community, we find more and more entrepreneurs run a portfolio of multiple businesses at the same time. Also, in his article In praise of blooming late, Robert gives examples of people who are doing their finest work later in life.
While I’ve spent some time in real jobs, as well as having a couple of small businesses, I’ve never strayed very far from the marketing/communications industry. So, while I’m very happy exactly where I am now, it’s still exciting to think that something entirely different is waiting down the track.
Have you considered what you might do for a living if it was in an area totally unrelated to what you do now? It can be both an exhilarating and daunting prospect. It’s that infamous interview question “Where do you see yourself in five years?”
Whether you're starting out or winding down, all fired up or even feeling burnt out, we'd love to hear your career change thoughts and experiences here.
“ While some people do settle into are few roles for most of their professional lives, many experienced business people I’ve spoken to have pursued several, often wildly different, paths. ”
Peter Crocker is a director of Flying Solo responsible for marketing and advertising. As a business copywriter he partners with digital agencies and corporate clients on websites and digital content. He’s the co-author of Flying Solo Revisited – How to go it alone in business.
