Test it out: A trial-and-error approach to a career makes sense for some
Chicago resident Peter Nance, 32, says he loves working on cars. It just took him a while to figure it out. “I’ve probably had eight jobs since I graduated from college and of those eight, four were in completely different fields,” he says. “Nothing was even close to what I’m doing now.”
Since graduating from Illinois State University in 2008, Nance says he’s been
an assistant to an insurance sales rep, a restaurant manager, a leadership coach and now, a mechanic. “It seems like a very unlikely route but it’s actually pretty logical,” he says. “Right away, I learned that I wasn’t going to be an office guy, so the insurance thing didn’t work out. A buddy of mine was opening a restaurant and needed a manager, so I did that for a couple of years. I really liked working with the wait staff and kitchen personnel,
but I hated the customers. So, I moved to Omaha, Nebraska, to become a job consultant and personal coach.
At that point, Nance says he felt like he was following a fairly logical career path. “It really was one thing leading to the next and they all felt like natural continuations of the previous job,” he says.
The mechanic gig? That one was a little different. While in Omaha, Nance says he worked with several community colleges and certified training centers
and found himself really intrigued
by the work they were doing and the approach they took to their work. “It just seemed very pragmatic to me, like people working on cars and leaving it
there at the end of the day. There were solutions to problems, collaboration and the feeling of satisfaction when a repair was complete,” says Nance. “I’d talk to graduates of the program as part of our marketing, and they were all positive about their current work.”
Nance enrolled in a program, earned his certification, and moved with his family back to Chicago earlier this year to find a job. “I’ve done some part-time jobs for a few different shops but I’m looking for a very specific type of shop so I’m holding off on committing to a full-time job for now,” he says. “There definitely are jobs out there and I just want to make sure I get something I really like.”
Pick and choose
Many job experts agree that the model of staying in one job for decades is a relic of the past. “People didn’t have as many options 30 or 40 years ago,” says T.J. Kohler, a former analyst with the U.S. Department of Labor. “Someone born in 1964 might have 10 to 12 jobs over a lifetime, but they’re usually in one or two fields. Today, it’s common to see someone completely change careers four
times by the time they’re 50.”