After being made redundant in his mid-fifties, Peter Alderson’s facing a dilemma: he’d like to use the opportunity to make a change in his working life but feels he still needs to keep his income coming in. Sarah Cooper, Career and Lifestyle Coach, helps him decide his next move.

Question

Perhaps you could give me some advice on the following dilemma that I have.

I recently lost my job as a Grade 4 architectural assistant due to redundancy, after working for a practice for 15 years. I am approaching my 56th birthday and planned to wind down in about two years’ time when I hoped to have most of my mortgage paid off. In my mind I visualised working part-time, possibly in a different kind of job, to take me up to retirement. A change of lifestyle in effect. Don’t get me wrong, there are aspects of my work I enjoyed and found very rewarding but the travelling and work pressures were beginning to take their toll and I was beginning to feel that things needed to change.

Now I have no job, I feel dreadful because I’m unemployed, and I don’t know what to do next. The prospect of trying to get back into architecture with a new company doesn’t excite me but I need an income and some sense of purpose in life, so I feel I must try.

In an ideal world, this would seem like a golden opportunity to look at other avenues, but the reality is that it’s not easy to come up with a realistic plan.

What would you advise as a way forward?

Yours faithfully,

Peter Alderson

Answer

Dear Peter

If I understand you correctly, your dilemma is whether to follow your heart and pursue the new lifestyle now, probably at a financial sacrifice, or to find a less fulfilling job that will maintain your current income level and fund a change of direction in two years’ time?

It’s not an easy decision and I admire you for taking your dream of a new lifestyle seriously.  I may be off here, but my hunch is that the key to this puzzle is knowing whether it’s money or fear that’s holding you back from doing what you want.

Sometimes, it’s the plain truth that we don’t have the finances in place. But often, money is, at least in part, an excuse and the real issue is that we either aren’t clear about what we really want, or we fear we won’t be able to achieve it.

Ask yourself honestly: if someone waved a magic wand and architecture jobs ceased to exist, how would you survive financially? Where could you cut back? Be ruthless and understand the level of income you really need to get by, right now. Does the answer make your new lifestyle a more do-able immediate option?

If you simply can’t see a way you would manage, it’s clear you need to bite the bullet and throw yourself into finding a transitional job.

Two things you can do to make this more palatable are:

Feed your dream. Create a vivid, tangible picture of where you want to be in two years’ time. Write it down on a sheet of A4. Cut out pictures that represent your new life. Buy books and join networks that relate to what you aspire to.

Make a plan. I know it’s easier said than done! But just take one small step at a time. What precisely stands in the way? If it’s money, what do you need to save every month and over what time-frame? If it’s skills or experience in a new field, what evening classes or online courses could you take? Do you know anyone who could mentor you?

Identify the specific questions you need answers to and then find people who are best placed to answer them. (See my tips for doing this successfully by following my free course at www.nomoredreadingmondays.com).

If you have a compelling vision of what you’re aiming for, and a realistic plan for getting there, the intervening two years will have the sense of purpose you’re looking for.

On the other hand, if the magic wand-waving question reveals that you can go for your lifestyle change now, fantastic. Points 1 and 2 are just as relevant, just with a shorter time scale.

I do hope this helps you decide on your course of action. Good luck!

Sarah Cooper is a Career Change Coach who specialises in working with people who want to follow their passions, express their creativity or help people or society in some way. If you need guidance on which path to take next, try Sarah’s FREE mini e-course ‘5 Keys to Finding Freedom By Doing What You Love’ at www.nomoredreadingmondays.com

If you have a question that you would like answered by a careers expert, email careerworkshop@jobsite.co.uk. For more career-related advice, visit www.jobsite.co.uk/home/careertools.html.

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