BRIDGE JOBS--NOT GOING DOWN THE CORPORATE LADDER
Bridge jobs are those things which fill a gap between now—and later. They are sometimes described as crawling down the corporate ladder—and other times as the best thing that ever happened.
But odd things are happening. Bridge jobs are becoming kind of-- Life—Part 2, as the PBS TV program says—that which we never expected to happen. We had it all planned out.
There are people now who, though no fault of their own, have ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. They are laid off, and who wants to go back to the same old thing.
It may appear that the time for action is now—social change opportunities, perhaps with non-profits—going back to school—completely revamping and rethinking the career thing.
Some experts are re-naming this phenomenon as Encore Careers.
We are definitely seeing, whether through layoff, the economy, or just a mid-life crisis, that the demand or desire for an Encore Career is occurring at about 50 to 55 years old, despite the input of the economy. We are, in fact, observing individuals in 10 year career segments.
Writers are going off to start organic farms. There seems to be a burning desire to finish the career story in a positive way. Some people are going abroad to teach and change the world—a la Peace Corps.
The stories of those finding and taking “bridge” jobs have really unique endings—like failing in love with the new thing—figuring out how to start a new endeavor Perhaps some eventually go back to original career paths, but not always. Bottom line: reinvention is definitely taking place.
Many clients of my clients now identify themselves as permanent part-timers. One former client is going to Egypt to teach in a boy’s school—the only way, he says, to make a huge impact on the world in a positive way—but the only way to save and accumulate money. And what will he do with that money? He will live somewhere abroad and write 3 novels, at least. That’s what he has always wanted to do, and figuring out how to do this and still make a positive impact on the world, is making him quite happy.
In so many cases, Bridge jobs are an absolute necessity, but the “career transition” and “midlife crisis” bunch are actually electing to go this route—or one-half of a couple does this while the other half supports a family.
Truly, again, the world of work is changing. Choosing the entrepreneurial route can, also, be labeled a “bridge” job—in that it leaps from one reality to another.
Instead of being asked “what is your management style”, and “how do you like to be managed?”—one can just say—“hey, I have this great idea, and it looks like a VC firm is about ready to give me some funding, and I’m going to go for it. This is my one chance to make an impact, positive and Green, on the world. I will do it”.
And so be it, they will. We are watching it happen.
There is a huge demand for people in the health care field, for instance, and they will have to be re-schooled for the roles assigned. This is going to put forth a whole new surge of supporting further schooling. Bridge jobs will be created in the interim. It all comes down to meeting needs.
Encore careers will be created for people, and created well before sixty years old. It is conceivable that individuals will have more than one Encore career as they move through working years.
Many who had suspected that independence would not necessarily be desirable, are loving it. Call it going down the corporate ladder if you will, but the phenomenon is growing.
It is time to go through, up and down, in the work world. Thinking the unthinkable, and doing it, is getting to be the norm. There are a few careers where one can keep on going up in a given path, but this is becoming a rarity with some careers, while holding on with other areas.
Even service oriented industries are changing their approach and protocol, necessitating a re-training and education of their workforce. Nothing is as it once was. The change has happened and growing in momentum.
Get ready for more and more change going forward. We cannot and will not go back in the world of work. Creative visionaries and entrepreneurs abound. More and more of the over-qualified are ending up at lower levels of work. I huge number of workers have more than one job at a time, or during different months of the year.
Try to think the unthinkable, and that is “work reality” for now. It is working well for many, and at least practical for others.
But odd things are happening. Bridge jobs are becoming kind of-- Life—Part 2, as the PBS TV program says—that which we never expected to happen. We had it all planned out.
There are people now who, though no fault of their own, have ended up at the wrong place at the wrong time. They are laid off, and who wants to go back to the same old thing.
It may appear that the time for action is now—social change opportunities, perhaps with non-profits—going back to school—completely revamping and rethinking the career thing.
Some experts are re-naming this phenomenon as Encore Careers.
We are definitely seeing, whether through layoff, the economy, or just a mid-life crisis, that the demand or desire for an Encore Career is occurring at about 50 to 55 years old, despite the input of the economy. We are, in fact, observing individuals in 10 year career segments.
Writers are going off to start organic farms. There seems to be a burning desire to finish the career story in a positive way. Some people are going abroad to teach and change the world—a la Peace Corps.
The stories of those finding and taking “bridge” jobs have really unique endings—like failing in love with the new thing—figuring out how to start a new endeavor Perhaps some eventually go back to original career paths, but not always. Bottom line: reinvention is definitely taking place.
Many clients of my clients now identify themselves as permanent part-timers. One former client is going to Egypt to teach in a boy’s school—the only way, he says, to make a huge impact on the world in a positive way—but the only way to save and accumulate money. And what will he do with that money? He will live somewhere abroad and write 3 novels, at least. That’s what he has always wanted to do, and figuring out how to do this and still make a positive impact on the world, is making him quite happy.
In so many cases, Bridge jobs are an absolute necessity, but the “career transition” and “midlife crisis” bunch are actually electing to go this route—or one-half of a couple does this while the other half supports a family.
Truly, again, the world of work is changing. Choosing the entrepreneurial route can, also, be labeled a “bridge” job—in that it leaps from one reality to another.
Instead of being asked “what is your management style”, and “how do you like to be managed?”—one can just say—“hey, I have this great idea, and it looks like a VC firm is about ready to give me some funding, and I’m going to go for it. This is my one chance to make an impact, positive and Green, on the world. I will do it”.
And so be it, they will. We are watching it happen.
There is a huge demand for people in the health care field, for instance, and they will have to be re-schooled for the roles assigned. This is going to put forth a whole new surge of supporting further schooling. Bridge jobs will be created in the interim. It all comes down to meeting needs.
Encore careers will be created for people, and created well before sixty years old. It is conceivable that individuals will have more than one Encore career as they move through working years.
Many who had suspected that independence would not necessarily be desirable, are loving it. Call it going down the corporate ladder if you will, but the phenomenon is growing.
It is time to go through, up and down, in the work world. Thinking the unthinkable, and doing it, is getting to be the norm. There are a few careers where one can keep on going up in a given path, but this is becoming a rarity with some careers, while holding on with other areas.
Even service oriented industries are changing their approach and protocol, necessitating a re-training and education of their workforce. Nothing is as it once was. The change has happened and growing in momentum.
Get ready for more and more change going forward. We cannot and will not go back in the world of work. Creative visionaries and entrepreneurs abound. More and more of the over-qualified are ending up at lower levels of work. I huge number of workers have more than one job at a time, or during different months of the year.
Try to think the unthinkable, and that is “work reality” for now. It is working well for many, and at least practical for others.
posted by Beth Ross
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4:02 PM
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