A Job With Security - USA TODAY Education - K-12 Education Online

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July 9, 2003
Wanted: A job with security
Career changers often shift priorities as
well as workplace
By Stephanie Armour
The tepid economy is giving rise to a
new breed of career changer. Unlike the
job hoppers of the late 1990s who fled
traditional businesses for uncertain dotcom
riches, today's career switchers are
professionals in search of a sure thing.
Rattled by the economic turmoil of
recent years, these beleaguered workers
are leaving industries shaken by layoffs
for careers where the prospects are
more secure, even if the pay is not as
generous.
Survivors of failed start-ups are
launching their own businesses, where
they can set their hours instead of
worrying about being laid off. Even
owners of businesses in hard-hit
industries, who once earned six-figure
incomes, are closing shop to become
school teachers. The housing boom is
drawing recruits to take jobs as loan
officers and real estate agents.
Employees are increasingly finding
they must switch industries to find jobs
— 85% of workers undergoing a career
transition did so in 2002, up 11% from
the prior year, according to a survey of
nearly 6,000 employees by New Yorkbased
human resource consultants DBM.
In this tough job market, 52% of those
who found new employment took a
reduction in pay, with an average cut of
roughly 10%.
Career changers are giving rise to more
free agents — entrepreneurs or
contractors working for themselves
instead of an employer. Those who have
marketable skills might feel being on
their own is more secure than surviving
the mercurial swings of the economy,
experts say.
Others have been forced out of work
and turned to consulting or similar jobs
because they can't find employment
elsewhere. They struggle with higher
insurance costs and uncertainty about
where their next assignment will come
from. The number of such free agents
(defined as temporary contract workers,
freelancers, independent professionals
and consultants) has more than doubled
since 1980, to an estimated 30 million,
according to a June study by Troy, Mich.-
based staffing provider Kelly Services.
That's a 25% jump since 1998.
"People are going to the safer jobs that
were so unsexy in the dot-com era. The
post-2000 era, it's back to basics," says
Samantha Ettus, president of New Yorkbased
Ettus Media Management, which
provides career strategy services. "The
trend is to go (with) what's safe."
Seeking a secure job
The search for safer ground is a driving
factor for career changers such as Jon
Kravitz of Beachwood, Ohio. Hit by
slumping demand, he filed for
bankruptcy protection and closed his
steel-processing plant in September of
2001. Now, he's back in school studying
to be a teacher, and already has taught a
reading class as a student instructor to
ninth- and 10th-graders.
Instead of operating cranes and
unloading trucks, Kravitz, 48, teaches
vocabulary words to teens. The pay is
less than the six-figure income he used
to bring home, but now he feels he's got
a solid future; employment of teachers in
special education, preschool,
kindergarten and elementary school is
expected to increase 37% from 234,000
in 2000 to 320,000 in 2010, according to
the Department of Labor.
"I had to make a career change. I felt
the steel industry was too unstable. I
could have gotten another steel industry
job, but I would have been out of work in
a year or two," says Kravitz. "After
making six figures for many years, it's
different. But there is real demand for
teachers, especially male teachers."
There are advantages, such as summers
off with his wife, Kim, 54, a guidance
counselor. And as the parent of two
college-age children, Kravitz also reasons
that he's got some hands-on experience.
Industries seen as booming despite the
anemic economy include professional
jobs (such as those in the health care,
education and computer and
mathematical fields). Those areas are
expected to see a 26% increase — adding
6.9 million jobs — from 2000 to 2010,
according to Department of Labor
projections.
Employment in service occupations is
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AS SEEN IN USA TODAY’S MONEY SECTION, JULY 9, 2003
projected to increase by 5.1 million, or 19.5%. Health care
support occupations are expected to grow 33.4%, adding 1.1
million new jobs. Computer software engineers are expected
to add 380,000 jobs by 2010, and medical assistants jobs
should grow by 187,000. Registered nurses will add 561,000
jobs, a 26% jump over 2000. Truck drivers, security guards,
accountants and auditors all will be in demand.
Occupations with the biggest decreases are in office and
administrative support and jobs such as order clerks and
tellers, which have been hit hard by increased automation.
Meaningful work crucial
For those in search of more secure jobs, here's what's in: jobs
that allow more work/life balance; work that is meaningful and
enjoyable; benefit coverage; good relationships with managers
and co-workers; and trustworthy employers. What's out: Jobs
that deliver quick payoffs but no long-term security.
"A lot of the guys we deal with, they took jobs in the late '90s
for the dot-com payoff. When the economy got tough, most of
them never had any energy or passion for it," says Bob
Lambert in Irvine, Calif., managing partner at executive search
firm Christian & Timbers. "The economy is forcing more people
to face reality. It becomes the catalyst for change."
Marshall Longtin, 33, of Green Lake, Wash., used to crave the
high-tech payoff. For a decade, he worked in the tech industry,
partly in management and telecom sales. Then the dot-com
boom went bust.
In March of 2002, he left his job, feeling he needed safer
ground, and turned to real estate. Longtin bought some
investment properties that he began refurbishing and renting,
then decided to take a 60-hour training course to get a real
estate license. He finished in April and has sold several homes
as an agent for zipRealty.
"I found what I should have been doing all along," Longtin
says. "But the money in the tech sector was great, and I
wouldn't have left it if it hadn't dried up. Now, I'd never
go back."
Risks of career switching
Not everyone is so lucky. Some career counselors and
executive recruiters say hopscotching can lead to "professional
rebound," the career equivalent of dating rebound. Downsized
employees are so worried about job insecurity, they leap to
new industries they don't love. What they think is a safety net
becomes a trap.
Career counselors also say it's easy to underestimate the
financial and personal costs of making a drastic move.
Returning to school or training for a different profession can
cost tens of thousands of dollars, plus a time commitment of
months or years.
Executives who once earned top dollars can find themselves
at the bottom rung of the pay ladder, competing with younger
workers who command smaller salaries but might not have the
same debt loads or family responsibilities. Slightly less than half
of career-transitioning employees got the same or higher pay in
new jobs, the DBM study says. It can also be an ego blow,
experts say, to be the new "kid," working for a boss who might
be fresh out of school.
"You can do it in the late 30s or early 40s, but if you wait
much longer, you're perceived as too old," says David Theobald,
CEO and co-founder of Netshare.com, an online job listing and
career resource site for executives earning $100,000 and up.
"For those earning $150,000 and up, it's much more difficult to
make a career move. You're going to have to work very hard to
make it happen."
Returning to school or doing some sort of apprenticeship is
frequently necessary, and career changes are one reason that
universities and colleges are seeing an enrollment boom. The
number of students age 35 and older in degree-granting
institutions has soared from about 823,000 in 1970 to an
estimated 2.9 million in 2001 — doubling from 9.6% of total
students to 19.2%, according to the National Center for
Education Statistics.
For John Philbin, 38, an economy-driven career
transformation has meant going back to school and sacrificing
financially — at least for now. Philbin, of University Heights,
Ohio, was laid off in September 2002 from his job in
manufacturing sales. While he knew the business well, he was
convinced there had to be a more secure career alternative
that he would enjoy more. The father of two (Maggie, 5, and
Jack, 4) is attending Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio,
studying to become a teacher in preschool through third grade.
Every week, he passes up golf outings with friends to study
topics such as the role of phonics in reading. He goes to the
library to study instead of having extra time with his kids. It's a
bit intimidating, Philbin says, because he was never a good
student and wasn't sure what it would be like to be one of the
oldest in the class.
"I have 30 years left to work. Male teachers are pretty scarce
in every grade, so that's a bonus for me. I'll be in demand,"
Philbin says. "And I want to be a role model for my own
children. I don't want them to see me work hard in a job I can't
stand just to put food on the table."
The investment of time and money in retraining can pay off.
Sam DeBord, 26, was a tech consultant for
PricewaterhouseCoopers until he lost his job in 2001. He did a
few odd jobs, such as teaching Web design, before settling on a
new career: working as a loan officer. Because of the
refinancing craze, DeBord has never been busier or in more
demand.
"With the downturn in the economy, this is one area that's
picking up," says DeBord of San Diego. "Business is crazy,
mortgage companies are hiring as fast as they can. It's very
secure."
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AS SEEN IN USA TODAY’S MONEY SECTION, JULY 9, 2003
Entrepreneurship rising
Career changes driven by economic
turmoil can also be a catalyst for
entrepreneurship. The Small Business
Administration's Office of Advocacy
reports that the number of sole
proprietorships climbed from 17.5
million in 2000 to 18.3 million in 2002.
While starting a business is a gamble in a
lackluster economy, it can often seem
like a more secure option to workers
who believe they have marketable skills.
It can also represent greater individual
freedom and a chance to follow a
career passion.
"So many times, people take the jobs
that fell into their lap, that had a lucrative
(pay) package or were jobs their family
thought they were supposed to take,"
says Rebecca Zucker, who runs Next Step
Partners, a San Francisco-based
organization that focuses on career
strategies. "They haven't had a chance to
ask, 'What have I always wanted to do in
my life' "
Kevin Quaintance, 35, had the answer
to that question. He wanted to launch
a company.
Quaintance moved to Silicon Valley
from Los Angeles in 1999 to join the dotcom
gold rush. But the riches never
came. Instead, he joined a succession of
start-ups that went belly-up. In August
2002, he lost his job as director of
operations when his Internet firm — his
third employer since moving — ran out
of funding.
Unable to find another job, Quaintance
decided to take control and in December
2002 started his own wireless service
company, Authdirect, which he runs
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from his garage. He now has 10
customers and monthly income.
Quaintance admits it's a risk, but he
says that having more control by running
his own company might actually be
more of a sure thing than joining yet
another floundering start-up.
"This is my company, and I control the
destiny. Before, I was one of the
employees, and I didn't have any
control," says Quaintance of San Jose,
Calif. His son, Austin, is 8 months old.
"And I can spend more time with Austin,
I can help watch him during the day. If I
was working 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., I'd miss out
on that."
Wanted: A job with
security, 1-2B
APPLICATIONS: careers, cause & effect, graphic organizer, analysis
DISCUSSION: How do today’s job hoppers differ from the
career switchers of the late 1990s Why are many workers
changing industries What is a “free agent” What industries
are booming despite the weak economy Which occupations
are seeing the biggest decreases What types of
perks have become crucial to employees What is “professional
rebound” In your opinion, is it more important to
have a job you enjoy or one that pays well
ACTIVITY: Create a graphic organizer that lists the pros and
cons of working for yourself and working for an employer.
After, decide which you would prefer, and explain why in
writing. Then, share the lists you generated and the choice
you made with your parents. Ask for their feedback.
By Eileen Blass, USA TODAY
Laid off, moving on: Camp counselor John Philbin,
left, rides on a bus with campers Ben Giller, 12, center,
and Charlie Boeschenstein, 12. Philbin was in
manufacturing sales but is taking college classes to
become a teacher.
Reprinted with permission. All rights reserved.