Valuable Diversions - Financial Freedom and Professional Security Through Career Acts

A Side Job. Profitable Hobby. Weekend Rock Band. Under the old rules of employment those with multiple sources of income may have been chastised by a spouse, parent, or nosy mother-in-law for "not having a professional focus" , "not being serious about your job" , "not sticking with it", and "being too distracted".

This is a new decade and those days are over.

Just as the riskiest financial investment strategy is to have all of your money in one place, the riskiest career management strategy is to have all of your income from one organization- unless you occupy a critical role, possess skills that are difficult to find on the labor market, and work for a company with financial security. There is a small percentage of working adults today in that group - with millions more who want to be a part of it. Heck, I want you to be part of it, enjoying full job security and financial freedom.

I am not advocating for you to add additional dull or stressful career acts. Multiple boring jobs would still result in an unsatisfying career overall (and an anxiety-filled life). You deserve more. I want you to do more of what you love, even if you start small with a profitable hobby, an eBay business, or a side job that starts you in an industry or occupational field you find interesting.

Here are three great reasons why you should consider leveraging your talents to manage your overall career as a portfolio of career acts:

Financial Gain and Security. If you are like most people, your career is your number one asset. And, as any other asset, you'd like to manage it for the maximum return. If you added a second career act (of something you loved doing) that provided an after-tax income of even 12K annually from age 25 through age 50, you would add $300,000 to your lifetime earnings. I know you didn't need me to do that math, but it is worth the visual - especially when contrasted with the fact that most people have less than $150,000 in their 401Ks upon retirement and the average home is now worth less than $175,000.
Intrinsic Rewards and Fulfillment. The additional benefit (one that neither your house nor your 401K will offer) is that your career can be a source of intrinsic rewards. If you have ever worked on a project you found interesting - really getting into the flow -- you know the joy and energy the right career act can give you. While I don't believe you should work more hours, I do believe you should devote more energy to building desired career acts to achieve greater fulfillment. Career acts also supply a stress-easing sense of security that comes from knowing if one act of your work-life becomes stale or disappears entirely that you have other sources of stimulation and income. Your career becomes more nimble and less stressful as your attention can be redirected positively, for personal and financial gain.
Professional Advancement. Careers are advanced through the acquisition of needed skills and a strong professional network. Multiple career acts can propel a career faster by multiplying the number of skills gained and people in one's professional network at a faster rate. You don't need to just believe me though. Published in 2009, researchers from the University of Aberdeen, Drs. Pouliakas, Panos, and Zangelidis, tracked over 5,500 people for almost 15 years, examining their employment patterns. While only 8.5% had a second career, those who did were able to use a second career act to obtain "new skills and expertise and as a stepping stone to a new career". Many of these people with diverse multiple career acts were able to springboard into entrepreneurial ventures. Having multiple income streams is a very productive way to grow your career.

Having a second or third career act (of something you love to do) makes sense. Have I convinced you yet?

Paula Caligiuri, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Human Resource Management Department at Rutgers University where she has directed the Center for HR Strategy since 2001. As a career expert, Dr. Caligiuri has written Get a Job, Not a Life: Do What You Love and Let Your Talents Work for You (FT Press, 2010) http://www.getalifenotajob.com. She has been recognized as one of the most prolific authors in the field of international business for her work in global careers, international human resource management, and global leadership development. For human resource management professionals she has also written (with Steven Poelmans) Harmonizing Work, Family, and Personal Life (Cambridge Press, 2008) and (with Dave Lepak and Jaime Bonache) Managing the Global Workforce (Wiley, 2010). Dr. Caligiuri has covered career-related topics for CNN and has hosted a pilot for a television show, CareerWATCH. She holds a Ph.D. from Penn State University in industrial and organizational psychology. Dr. Caligiuri is a popular work-life harmony and career fulfillment blogger: http://www.paulacaligiuri.com/blog

Career BurnOUT - Warning Signs and 3 Remedies to Fix it Fast

The money is OK but you still have a feeling of complacency. You can barely drag yourself into work after 5 days off and you really can't be bothered to look for another job. You haven't taken any professional development courses and quite frankly, are not too interested. These are some of the common symptoms of career burnout or career inertia. Career Inertia occurs for may reasons and may show up in a variety of ways. You'll know if you are suffering from it. If you are generally inactive or sluggish when it comes to doing what you love for a career here are some remedies to rid you of this toxic condition.

The money is OK but you still have a feeling of complacency.
You can barely drag yourself into work after 5 days off
You really can't be bothered to look for another job.
You haven't taken any professional development courses and quite frankly, are not too interested.
These are some of the common symptoms of career burnout or career inertia.When the complacency sets in and the desire to just do as little as possible to get by during the work day. You're in Career BurnOut, sometimes referred to as Career Inertia. But what do you do to correct this problem? How do you fall in love with your work again? How do you feel excited about work?

The easy answer, choose a career path that allows you to use your areas of competence 80% of the time. Choose a career path where you are actively involved in learning about something which excites you 15% of the time. Here are 3 easy to implement solutions to take back your Career and get moving making money doing what you love.

Solutions:

Think Differently- If you are going to find and do work you're passionate about, you have to be creative in your thinking. There are several ways to make money doing what you love-several ways. Thinking that is narrow eliminates the special vision needed to identify the multiple avenues available. When you only see one or two options you tend to give up. The key is identifying opportunities but more than two, for you to leverage your knowledge and time for money. Can you think of ways you can use your assets, knowledge and creative genius to generate income to support your life?

Define Success for Career and for your Life. If you are going to perform a career change make sure it's done on your terms. Defining what success will look like to you in your career and in your life determines the strategy. If you can write or illustrate your vision of success, the strategy will be revealed. Sometimes the picture of success for your career is not the same as your Life's vision. It will be great if you can merge the two but if you can't, be Specific for each. Clarifying and Defining your Success is the most important thing you can do to begin the transition to work you love. Clarity promotes action. Action is the precursor for achieving success.

Develop a Plan of Escape. Let's face it, ideas are great but no plan means no action. Once you start to believe in yourself and your ability to create this new career path, write it down. Break down your big idea into smaller bite-sized pieces. These smaller pieces are your next action steps. Smaller pieces eliminates the overwhelm that accompanies a big idea. Changing careers is hard work, don't make it harder on yourself by becoming overwhelmed with the many ideas and tasks that need to be accomplished.
If you've discovered that you really do want to spend more time with your family, you really want to make money doing what you love and you are willing to start moving on creating the life that you dream of. Get a consultation with a Career Transition Expert today, instead of tomorrow.

If you enjoyed this article, I would like to invite you to grab a free copy of my e-book:Dull to Fiery Career in 5 Steps when you visit http://www.naturalcareer.com. With these steps you identify which career path best suits your career and life goals. As a career change expert I am devoted to helping you find income generating opportunities so you can balance doing what you love and getting paid to do it. You could always learn more about me by visiting my blog: www.naturalcareer.com/blog

Ten Myths About Selecting a Career

Do you know everything about your selecting career? Lots of people believe that they know the right way to go about choosing their profession, but habitually they wrap up selecting their career that is fruitless. Here are ten mythologies of selecting a career along with wherewithal that can assist you.

Choosing a career is easy: In fact, choosing a career is a mixed up process and you should give it the time it justify. Career preparation is a multi-step process that engages learning enough about yourself and the occupations.
A career counselor can update what occupation to choose: A career counselor, or any other career growth professional, can't tell you what best career is for you. He or she can provide you only guidance in choosing a career which can make easy your choice.
I can't make a livelihood from my hobby: When preferring a career, it makes good judgment to choose one that is related to and what you enjoy doing in your leisure time. Additionally, people tend to become very expert in their hobbies, although most of the skill is added casually.
Should I choose a career from "Best Career" inventory: There are several articles and books that list what "the Experts" Predict will be "Hot Jobs." It can't harm to look at this inventory, but you shouldn't use the inventory to read out your choice. The forecasts are normally rooted in valid data.
Handsome salary package will make me happy: Numerous evaluations have shown that money doesn't in actual fact guide to job contentment. Lots of people enjoying what they do at work are much more vital. Nevertheless you should consider earnings, when evaluating a profession.
Just the once I choose a career I'll be stuck in it always: If you are unsatisfied in your career for any reason, you can always change it. A lot of people change careers quite a few times over the course of their life span.
If I change career my skills will go to squander: Your skill is your to preserve. You can transfer your skill from one profession to another. You may not use them in the literal same way, but they won't go to waste.
If my relatives are happy in a specific area, I will be too: If a big name you know has a career that interests you, look into it, but be aware of the fact that it may not essentially be a good install for you. All I have to do is select a profession.
Things will fall afterward: Selecting a career is a big start, but there's a lot more to do afterward. A Career Action Plan is a road map that takes you from choosing a career and becoming employed in that occupation.
There's not enough, I can do an occupation without actually working in it: First hand experience is great, there are other ways to explore an occupation. You can read about it either in print means or online. You can also discuss with those working in that area.

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