How 15 of My Friends Have Pivoted
Surprising statistics among my acquaintances
I’ve been so focused on my own pivot from being in marketing to then finding floristry as my vocation. This late blooming that happened at the age of 50 felt almost incredible even to me and so I spent good 2 years trying to analyze and backtrack how this happened. The resulting book <My Personal Pivot> is complete with a questionnaire and tips to help other experience this amazing discovery.
But recently during my trip to Korea, I encountered a small army of women in their 50’s all deep in launching their 2nd careers. The sheer proportion of people already having made the pivot was not only surprising but also greatly inspiring. And I am now analyzing each case to figure out what patterns I see as well as note down useful insights.
Here are different groups of 2nd careerers.
1.English Teachers
Those with international experience and fluent English skills found their second calling in teaching English. All of them belong to one institute or another, teaching kids and young students, mainly in Korea. Two of them come from Finance background and one from corporate marketing, which suggests that one's previous jobs don’t really matter here.
They have all earned a certificate or two in English teaching and have done short stints in private tutoring before scoring more stable employment at these English teaching organizations.
It seems being fluent with multiple languages is a real advantage and directly related to income potential. If you have a sense and a little passion for teaching, all the better. Out of all the groups, this one reaches the ‘career’ level relatively easily and quickly.
2. Product / Brand Launches
There is a diversity within this category, as some have a creative brand based on personal crafts like floristry or photography and some sell actual physical products like bags, food, or jewelry that are either developed or sourced via OEM. Businesses based on one’s skill and talents have the advantage of requiring minimal investment but they also come with the limitation to scale up. On the other hand, when you have a product to sell, there needs to be some investment in the beginning but once the sales take off, you reap bigger reward.
What I also see is that when the ‘offer’ is chosen from one’s long thought-through dreams, it tends to do better as the entrepreneur tends to be more passionate and longer term plans are in place. To me, this proves the importnce of knowing your North Star as that helps you ground yourself no matter what the fickle trend is today. And it’s hard to dampen the drive of someone who is in the process of realizing one’s long-awaited dream.
3.Certified experts
You can always pick up books or online courses to study and earn a new certificate. I’ve seen a close friend recently made it to become a real estate agent. Another acquaintance became a personal style consultant with a international certification.
The important thing is to find the area of expertise that matches your personal interest and talent. I have met several business coaches during my corporate career, who seemed to know a method or two but presented a rather soulless attitude. When you operate only from a manual, the lack of depth is usually detected.
4.Youtuber / Influencer
I personally applaude the few people who have conjured up the courage to venture into the modern Youtube economy. Two of my friends are in this pursuit, one still hesitant and on and off, the other with 1 year plus stint selling clothes via Youtube. Both of them have past experience or talent in the area of clothing and personal style so they have chose the right area.
As the nature of using these media platforms require being seen, it is very important to develop a thick skin and not be swayed and shaken by harsh comments or some of your family members’ nosy feedback.
5.Writers
Two people are published authors and one is trying to win a movie scenario competition. As you might guess, these people have honed their writing skills for decades. I think writing is one skill that you can’t learn within 1-2 years of practice. Long years of reading, writing and being passionate about storytelling seems to be pre-requisite.
These are the five categories of 2nd career jobs that I have observed. They are obviously statistics from my own small circle (15 people or so). And the pool here is a mix of those living in Korea and the Netherlands, aged between 35-57. What do you think? Were there any surprises? I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity but really at the sincerity and passion.
My Key Takeaways for a Successful Pivot
Don’t give up looking for your North Star. Those who knew exactly what they wanted to do, wasted no time to develop the skills, gather the resources and start to put oneself out there. The clarity of knowing what you want helps you focus and plan for the long haul.
If you haven’t defined your North Star, stay close to your area of knowledge and interest. Choosing an item purely out of profit potential or latest trend is highly risky as the competition can be extremely high with a lot of similar offers.
Initial financial investment remains a major risk. When you need to produce goods or invest in a space, that immediately puts a lot of pressure on earning back cash within a limited time frame. I would find ways to pilot a small scale idea using the online / digital marketing, free spaces (like your own home or garden) and your circle of friends and family.
Look deep into your talent, hobby or even a habit that you have kept for a long time. There might some idea or a clue there. Reading and writing for sure. Cooking or baking definitely. Hiking and then stopping by one of the hot trendy restaurants on weekends can also become your own expertise area.
Embrace the initial discomfot of putting your face, voice and opinions out there. This is purely a choice. But the fact remains that the more of your thoughts and ways you share, the faster you can build your audience. And this will directly influence how big and fast your business will grow.
Early experimentation breeds confidence. Those who practiced or experimented early felt far more comfortable navigating this new life stage.
We are already living in an era where 2nd careers are becoming natural, even essential. In Korea, where I have more aging friends and where the market is more competitive, I had observed more dynamic activities in this regard. Still, the fact remains that this is still all very new, even to most of my Korean friends and perhaps even more so here in the Netherlands.
I personally welcome the prospect of 2nd and 3rd career. I love interacting with the world through work. And if that work happens to be what I’d always wanted to do and something I’ve thought through, I am even excited.
If you are someone who needs to get some thoughts put together on this topic, visit my website and look into the section My Personal Pivot. I have a book and coaching program on offer, as well as some great floral experiences to try.