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7.1 Career Options: Past and Present

It is more difficult to track the number of careers people have than the number of specific
jobs they have held. We might occasionally hear of an actor who became a politician (former
president Ronald Reagan) or a person who was a riverboat pilot on the Mississippi River, a
gold miner, an investor, a public speaker, a journalist, and then a writer (Samuel Clemons,
aka Mark Twain). Most career changes are not as dramatic as these examples, though, and
researchers do not have a clear set of criteria about what defines a career or a career change.
For example, is a person who works as a laborer on a construction crew and then later forms
a home remodeling company making a career change? What about a newspaper reporter who
becomes a television news anchor? Because we may disagree on an answer to these ques-
tions, measuring the number of career changes people might have in their lifetime is difficult.

The good news is that you have options and do not have to stay with the first job you choose.
If you are not satisfied with that choice, you can change careers, gain additional education if
necessary, and move in a different direction. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you did not have to
waste time and money in dead-end jobs that are not right for you or will not lead to a satisfy-
ing career? You can often take a shortcut to a fulfilling career by learning more about yourself
and exploring the many career resources available to help you find the perfect fit. By now, we
hope you are asking, “Where do I start?” We suggest that you take a step-by-step approach
and explore the exercises, ideas, and resources presented in the other sections.

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