Career change in tough economic times
When the going gets tough, the tough get going: towards new careers. Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for themselves, the most resourceful people will take stock of their personal attributes and accomplishments and somehow figure out how to put them to good use in another job, career, or field entirely.
Over the past year, we have seen an increasing number of applicants trying to find work as a nanny or even a housekeeper, without any prior paid experience. For some, this is indeed a change and a stressful decision. Leaving jobs as senior managers, paralegals, medical professionals, IT technicians, and many other positions is often a blow to status, ego, and certainly income level when it comes time to apply for a job This usually includes diapers, cleaning, and responding to people who could easily have worked for you before.
However, these emotional issues aside, many domestic jobs can become truly enviable positions. As an example, let’s take Sandra, a mix of real applicants currently registered. She was a bank loan officer earning more than $50,000 a year, plus commissions. She worked 10 hours a day, took work home and ended up with an ulcer worrying about every loan; if she didn’t get approved, she didn’t get commission.
They hired her as a babysitter for $400 a week. She was initially depressed because she was earning less money and she felt that she was in a very low position. But when the time came, she realized that there were many weeks when she actually only made $400 in the bank. She now had a weekly salary with no taxes, no stress, and she could play games and watch TV most of the time. If she prepared dinner for the whole family, she was invited to stay and eat with them. When the weekends came, she was often invited to help with the kids and she traveled to some very exotic places for free and she earned overtime.
Another compound is Tony, a very successful commercial real estate developer, until two years ago. Tony was always a frustrated gardener and found work as a caretaker on a large beachfront property. His salary is about 1/3 of what he used to be, but he loves it because there is no stress. No numbers to meet, no customers to impress, no sales to make.
There are many domestic positions that are totally suitable for almost all backgrounds. Families are more interested in hiring someone who is mature and trustworthy than in finding someone with years of paid experience.
If you’ve been out of work for a long time, your unemployment benefits have run out, and you’re ready to move back in with your parents or even lose your home to foreclosure, don’t give up just yet! The home field probably has exactly what you need to survive, generate income, and even give you the opportunity to reduce your stress and examine your options for now and for the future.
Think of it this way: It’s better to mop someone’s floor than stand in line at a soup kitchen or welfare office to apply for food stamps.