Starting second career in mid-life

After more than 20 years, Sally is leaving her first and only job at a major government organisation, for a second career.

“Do people in similar situation make successful career switch?” I asked her as she sipped latte (and me, a long black) in a cafe in Ang Mo Kio Library, and pondered over working life in general. Many people in their mid- and late-40s, who have worked in only one job, do not have skill sets other than what they have been doing, day after day, year after year, in the same department of the same institution.

I suppose when you are younger, switching to a totally different job is much easier because you still have enough enthusiasm and energy (and humility) to start from the ground up in your new job. For instance, fresh after National Service, I worked in the personnel department of a factory, calculating wages, overtime and allowances. After some years, I applied to be a newspaper journalist.

The paper’s managing director, a chap called Lind Holloway, wanted to know if I was sure I could make it as a journalist, a different kettle of fish from working in the factory. The year was 1977 and the Five-Nation Bersatu Padu military exercise had just finished. I told the MD that one of the war games involved a competition in the jungle. The Singapore Armed Forces contingent comprised relatively inexperienced National Servicemen who were not given any chance of winning against veterans of the other armies (from Malaysian, Australia, New Zealand and Britain).

But the NSmen came in first, much to the surprise of the British umpires who concluded that there was nothing that youth could not do and succeed if they set their mind to it. The managing director chuckled and I got the job.

By being young, I’m not talking about chronological years, but about being young in spirit and attitude. A youthful attitude means being willing to do anything that someone else has done, and to succeed in it, whether it be sky diving, selling insurance policies or managing a plant.

Planted mindset

Speaking about plants, I know a former plant manager, Peter, engineering graduate from Strathclyde University, one of the top institutions in Britain. All his life Peter managed plants until he was entrenched in his early 40s. That was 15 years ago. Since then, he concentrated his energy on getting another similar job. That was all he believed he was capable of doing, and nothing else. For a spell, he worked in Karachi, Pakistan, managing a cooking-oil production unit. He came back, looked high and low but couldn’t find another plant opening.

Now Peter’s in his late 50s, still economically active but unemployed. So what’s he gonna do? Nothing, except keep looking for a plant manager’s job, even when Singapore is hollowing out its manufacturing plants.

In contrast to Peter, I know a chap who was with me from recruit to officer-cadet days. Call him Jimmy. In our three years of National Service, he was Best Recruit, Best NCO Trainee and Sword of Honour cadet. After NS, he became an insurance salesman and pretty soon he was earning more than the combined income of the rest of us, his former comrades.

Genetically-coded success

Jimmy belongs to a class of people born with “genetically-coded” success skills. They don’t need prior experience or qualification -- throw them in any job and they cannot help, but succeed, even if a tsunami hits.

For the rest of us, average and below-average folks, we need to acquire some survival and success strategies. I’m not talknig about an MBA (although it would be useful if you can afford it) but an appreciation and understanding of essential skills that are necessary today and tomorrow.

Many of these SOS (secrets of success) can be found in self-help and personal development books, and Web sites such as the NS Portal. Go to the Lifestyle Pursuits Channel and click on Career to discover, for instance, the SOS of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs (few are more successful than these two), and how you can acquire the skills as well.

Financial nest egg creates self-confidence

The first secret of success, if you don't know already, is to build a nest egg. While you are working in a steady job and drawing an adequate salary, you should also at the same time be setting aside a monthly sum from your take-home pay, to build a nest egg.

Sound financial planning dictates that a working adult should have savings that are equal or more than two years of his salary. So, your first SOS is to start saving until you have reached that sum of money in, say, five years.

With this nest egg, you will think and act more confidently. You will be able to treat your co-workers and your bosses with dignity and respect, and not to grovel. The worst thing that can befall you in your workplace is to lose your job, but that is not a major concern because now you have enough cash to tide you over two or more years.

Besides giving you self-confidence, cold cash also generates a warm feeling in the heart.

There are many other self-help techniques and strategies and smart career moves on the NS Portal, but they all begin with the practice and discipline of saving.