CAREER PLANNING - Introduction

Pain and suffering is inevitable, being miserable is optional. -- Art Canin

The idea for this section was inspired by a friend who was forced to take an early retirement from a big corporation because of downsizing. As part of a "transition package" the company offered employees two well respected career tests, evaluation of the results by a professional and possible job placement. Since she wasn't ready to quit working (and earning) but wasn't sure what she wanted to do, she took them up on their offer. She was impressed not only with the nature of the tests (there are no wrong answers) but especially with what the tests revealed with respect to her aptitude for other lines of work. They revealed very different career directions she had never thought of but which interested her none the less. She went from having a lack of direction to being excited and hopeful about the future. She said of her experience:

"The idea of life/career transitions can be very exciting when we keep focused on understanding how to appreciate and leverage our past experiences in light of taking a new tack and adding new dimensions to our lives. We should focus more on our achievements than on the list of jobs we've had."

We thought: If there are head hunters for executives - why not for river guides?!

The two tests are called the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong-Interest Inventory and together they give professional career counselors a window into fresh directions for you to consider. They each take about an hour, cost about $15, are easily found through community or university career service centers and for anyone who's even a little curious about what they'll reveal about you, they're fun.