Second Careers

When I grow up, I'm going to be a...

My friend Carole Coles Henry retired after over 20 years of working for the City of Phoenix. My uncle in North Dakota dedicated over 30 years with Northwest Airlines. My friend Ivan Johnson at Cox has tallied up over a quarter of a century in the cable industry here in Arizona. I even have a friend who has been waitressing at the same restaurant for 16 years.

It wasn't long ago that lifetime careers were the goal of every working person. Loyalty, job stability and financial security were treasured and considered more valuable than marrying a "sugar daddy." Job jumping in your 30s, 40s or 50s would have you viewed as someone very undependable. I look at resumes today, and the applicants feel that two years at the same company shows "staying power."

Not all career changes are voluntary. Life events in the form of forced re-locations, downsizing, family obligations and even divorce will force unexpected career transitions.

In the past, both employers and employees valued loyalty and tenure. Today, employers value productivity, and employees value job satisfaction. Terminations, job hopping and career changing by people of all ages is now the norm. Whatever the reason, a time comes when voluntary or unexpected career changes will happen.

Meet four career-changing ladies who share insight into their career paths.

Name: DeAnna Salazar
Current Career Title: Vice President of Human Resources and Employee Development
Company: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona

What was your very first job?
I started babysitting when I was about 12. But when I was in high school, my family moved to Mexico (my father worked for the Department of Justice). When I was 16, I got to spend the summer with my favorite aunt in a small town in Colorado. While there, I got a job as a car hop at an A&W hamburger stand. I was the worst car hop ever. I dropped virtually every tray I carried; I couldn't hang the trays on the windows properly. I got fired after about three weeks. I cannot believe they tolerated me for even that amount of time.

What was your salary?
When I babysat, I charged $1 per hour. At A&W, I think I got paid a little over $2 per hour. But, I also got a hamburger and shake with each shift.

Did you go to college?
Yes. I attended Adams State College in Alamosa, Colorado, and got a B.A. in history. I also got my law degree from A.S.U.

What was your career goal while attending college?
In college, I knew I wanted to go to law school. When I got out of law school, I wanted to join the Peace Corps. I applied; but at the time, funding was minimal and they wanted people with technical abilities (nurses, doctors, engineers, etc). So, I had to get a "real job".

What was your first career?
When I got out of law school, I clerked for Judge Ruth McGregor on the Arizona Court of Appeals. That is a pretty common position for new attorneys who want litigation careers. After that, I went to work for a Phoenix law firm (Lewis and Roca) as a litigation attorney.

What was your starting position?
Associate Attorney

Did you advance your career within this company?
Yes. I became a partner in the firm in 1996.

What were some of the obstacles you encountered in your first career?
I think the first real obstacle I encountered had to do with my age. I had just turned 25 when I got out of law school and had no real work experience. I think it made me less effective with some of my clients and the others with whom I practiced.

Did you have a mentor, either within the company or outside of the company?
I had fantastic mentors at the law firm where I worked. Both men and women. These were people who taught me about the importance of personal integrity and relationship building, not matter what one's profession happens to be.

How many years did you stay in that career? Why did you leave?
I was in a private law practice for about five years. When I became a partner at the firm (at the ripe old age of 31), I was concerned that there might be other opportunities out there that age and income would preclude me from pursuing as I got older and more experienced. I thought if I did not take a chance on something different, the opportunities might pass me by.

Let's talk Second Career... What is your current career position?
I am Vice President of Human Resources and Employee Development for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona.

How long have you wanted to work in this field?
I am not sure this type of job was ever on the radar screen. When I came to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona, I came because of its reputation for serving the community and its leadership. I began in the legal department and then moved into my current position after the woman who held it retired.

What caused you to make the jump? Was it salary, location, children or passion?
I "jumped" because I wanted to see where I might land. I knew that I had the opportunity to pursue other opportunities. I think I was afraid I would miss out on something great.

How did you go about taking the steps to make the career move?
I started by working at a different type of organization. I went to work as an in-house attorney for a bank. True "corporate life" is not something I had experienced. I worked for a small company that had just gone public.

Did you have to return to college to obtain this new career? Did you have to go through special training?
I got experience with employment issues when I worked at the bank. Following that, the smaller company I worked for specialized in providing human resource services to both large and small businesses. Some of my training was through experience. I have been fortunate enough (both in my current job and prior) to work for businesses that have given me opportunities that stretch my abilities.

What is most gratifying about your second career?
The diversity of the issues with which I have the opportunity to become involved. No day is ever the same.

What are some lessons that you can share with our PW readers in searching for their Second Career?
Do not take a job solely for pay. Compensation can never make up for dissatisfaction in your professional life.

If you could choose one more career in your lifetime, what would you choose?
I love to cook. At some point in my life, I want to be professionally trained to be a pastry chef.

Name: Molly Edwards
Age: 39
Current Career Title: President
Company: Molly Edwards & Associates

What was your very first job?
I worked for the City of Scottsdale in the Mayor's Office for Herb Drinkwater.

What was your salary?
$3.50 per hour, I think.

How old were you when you started your first job?
17 years old.

Did you go to college?
Yes. I have my degree from ASU in Urban Planning and Environmental Design, and I am currently pursuing my MA/PhD in Political Science from NAU.

What was your career goal while attending college?
To work as an Urban Planner in a Government agency.

What was your first career?
Project Architect.

What was your starting position?
Working for the City of Scottsdale as one of their Facilities Project Managers.

Did you advance your career within this company?
Yes, I had an interesting career path. I started out as the Cities Facilities Project Manager handling oversight for their internal construction projects. I then progressed to Neighborhood Planner, then Mediation Program Manager, then Housing Resources Manager. I think by the time I had left the City in 2006, I still held all of those positions, except for Neighborhood Planner. I juggled many responsibilities.

What were some of the obstacles you encountered in your first career?
Because I started out working for an organization that had a leader who believed in providing resources to help people be successful, I felt like I could do a lot of different things. The downside to this is that I took on various roles that caused me to get a little unfocused from my overall goals. However, it was also a wonderful thing, because it provided me many opportunities to learn and grow.

Did you have a mentor, either within the company or outside of the company?
I was fortunate to have had three. Debbi Dollar, who is now the Deputy City Manager in Mesa, and Raun Keagy, who was my immediate supervisor. They were both my champions while I was working at the City of Scottsdale. Debbi is an extraordinary leader and was the kind of boss that said, "Let me know what resources you need to help YOU be successful." Raun was my daily sounding board and helped me explore opportunities within the organization. He taught me about good customer service and how to treat citizens with respect. In my political career, it was Senator Carolyn Allen. Carolyn served as my mentor during Scottsdale Leadership and provided me many opportunities to participate in her campaigns, as well as within the political arena.

How many years did you stay in that career?
10 years. Why did you leave? I had been exploring the field of lobbying and was recruited by a company that wanted me to be in that capacity. It was a true stepping stone to where I am now.

Let's talk Second Career ... What is your current career position?
Lobbyist and Political Consultant

How long have you wanted to work in this field?
I've been in politics for over 10 years, but I have been in my current capacity for two years.

What caused you to make the jump? Was it salary, location, children or passion?
I had a life-altering experience back in 1998 when my brother suddenly passed away. I realized that life is too short not to accomplish all the things you want to do. I sat down with Debbi Dollar and she helped me map out a plan for the future. There were so many things I wanted to do, such as earn my PhD, go through management training, travel the world, start a family, and do more for people. The list went on and on; it was very overwhelming. Once I had a plan in place, I was able to accomplish these goals.

Did you have to return to college to obtain this new career? Did you have to go through special training?
No, but I did it anyways since I love learning. Did I go through special training? Yes, at the school of hard knocks. Most individuals who get into this field either had their undergrad in Political Science or went to Law School. From there, they would either have worked at a Law Firm or worked at the legislature first. Having worked at the City, you truly work as an ombudsman for people and advocate for their efforts. This was the most gratifying part of my job at the City. I wanted to take this to the next level and advocate for many different causes. Because of this, I am viewed as having taken the non-traditional route by those currently in the industry.

What is most gratifying about your second career?

That I am making a difference in the world. Through my actions, I give voice to people and organizations.

What are some lessons that you can share with our PW readers in searching for their Second Career?
"To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?" - Katherine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post

I live by this quote. A friend of mine sent this to me about 7 years ago, and now I live by it. Life is too short not to do the things you want to do. My mentor, Debbi Dollar also taught me about not getting overwhelmed and to take baby steps to get where you want to go. It's easy to feel overwhelmed when you are mapping out your goals.

Listen to your heart. Throughout my career, I have had many people tell me, "You aren't qualified," or, "You should have taken 'this' path to get to 'that' career." If you set your mind to something and you know you have the ability to do it, then go for it. But take the necessary steps to get there, and be patient.

Remember: when a door closes, a window opens somewhere else. So don't get discouraged.

If you could choose one more career in your lifetime, what would you choose?
The next most logical path would be for me to go into political office. I have explored this and I keep it on my radar. I have no regrets up to this point in my life, but if I was to take a totally different path it might be interesting to finish up my PhD and undertake Scientific Research on US Foreign Policy.

Name: Sharon Lechter
Age: 54
Current Career Title: Entrepreneur in Financial Education
Company: Lechter Development Group

What was your very first job?
My very first job I was a waitress at the Holiday House Restaurant in Orlando, Florida. Unless you count the hundreds of hours I spent working with my father from the age of 10 to clean up rental properties we owned.

What was your salary?
My salary was around $2/hour plus tips. So I worked hard for tips! From my father, it was a hug and kiss for a job well done.

How old were you when you started your first job?
I was 15 years old when I started as a waitress.

Did you go to college? What was your degree?
I attended Florida State University (Go Seminoles!) and my degree was in Accounting.

What was your career goal while attending college?
I wanted to become a partner in one of the major accounting firms.

What was your first career?
I started as an accountant with Coopers & Lybrand in Atlanta, Georgia.

What was your starting position?
Staff Accountant

Did you advance your career within this company?
Yes, I was on the fast track to promotion to Manager in under 4 years.

What were some of the obstacles you encountered in your first career?
I was only the fifth woman ever hired by Coopers & Lybrand in the Southeast US, and I worked primarily with small clients in small towns in the Southeast. There was quite a bit of bias against me as a woman, so I worked harder to achieve the same level of success as my male counterparts. It was just part of the job. They didn't have the term "sexual discrimination" back then; it was just expected if you wanted to succeed ... and I wanted to succeed.
Also, when I was ready to be promoted to Manager, the partners told me they were afraid to give me the title because it might anger my fellow male accountants. They offered me the pay raise to Manager, without the title. It was never about the money! One of my clients offered me an executive position in a new company he was investing in where I would be able to have an equity interest. It sparked the entrepreneur inside of me, and the rest is history.

Did you have a mentor, either within the company or outside of the company?
I have always had mentors, both men and women. Surrounding myself with successful people helps motivate me to keep learning new things and serving more people.

How many years did you stay in that career? Why did you leave?
I stayed a little more than three years, and then the entrepreneurial bug bit me. (And at 25, I thought I knew everything!) I left to join a company where I would have equity ownership.

Let's talk Second Career... What is your current career position?
In the early 90s, I started working in financial education, which allowed me to combine my professional training as an accountant and publishing experience with my passion as a parent. With two partners we built The Rich Dad Company into an international success reaching millions of people through financial education. However, in 2007, I made the decision to leave the management of The Rich Dad Company to pursue financial education specifically for children and families. This is where my true passion has directed me. I have founded a new company that is currently working with the Dale Carnegie Company to develop programs to teach young people about money as well as presentation skills. In addition, I have launched a new brand called YOUTHPreneur, which provides financial education for children and their families.

How long have you wanted to work in this field?
Since 1992, when my oldest child Phillip went off to college as a freshman. By Christmas, he had gotten himself into credit card debt. I was devastated because I thought I had taught him about money.

What caused you to make the jump? Was it salary, location, children, or passion?
It was true passion. I left a very successful company to follow my passion.

How did you go about taking the steps to make the career move?
I wanted to develop a program for young people that would teach them presentation skills as well as financial skills. So, I followed my own business principles and found the company best suited to deliver my message, Dale Carnegie, and formed an alliance that benefits their students, their students' parents, their franchisees, and Dale Carnegie first. If I provide the program that makes them more successful, then I will be successful. The message is more important than the messenger. In addition, I am developing materials under the brand YouthPreneur to teach basic entrepreneurial lessons to young people. If we can ignite the entrepreneurial spirit in our young people, we will all benefit.

Did you have to return to college to obtain this new career? Did you have to go through special training?
No.

What is most gratifying about your second career?
When you are "on purpose," it feels great!

What are some lessons that you can share with our PW readers in searching for their Second Career?
First, calculate how much time you spend on your career or your business. Then decide that you want to spend this time doing something that makes you happy, and something that contributes to the world. If your choice makes you happy, go for it. If you feel "out of integrity" with what you are doing, that it is not what you truly want to be doing, then have the courage to make a change. I believe if you pursue your passion, or your mission, and make a contribution to society, you will be successful. And, always surround yourself with people who expect the best from you. Their energy and expectations will be contagious.

If you could choose one more career in your lifetime, what would you choose?
My ultimate goal is to be a true philanthropist - to have the wealth that will allow me to support programs that truly help people improve their lives. It is not about the money; it is about the difference that money could make.

Name: Jennifer Lutz
Age: 35
Current Career Title: Registered Nurse
Company: Mayo Clinic Hospital

What was your very first job?
My first job was at a CVS pharmacy in Ridgefield Connecticut. I loved it because a lot of my friends worked there. I started it the day I turned 15, and I worked all through High School and didn't leave until I was 21. My first real corporate job was at a wireless billing company called ITDS in Stamford Connecticut.

What was your salary?
For CVS I think it was $6 and hour. At ITDS, it was 25K a year and I thought that was great! ITDS was a small company and we were really like a family. It was amazing to me that I got paid to go and work with my friends.

Did you go to college? What was your degree?
No, I didn't start college until I was in my 30s. Neither of my parents went to college and I often heard "college isn't for everyone." I spent a lot of time thinking I just wasn't a "school person" and that if I did go to college, I would be wasting my parent's money. When I started at ITDS, I realized I could make a decent salary and not have gone to college.

What was your first career?
My first career was primarily in telecommunications.

What was your starting position?
I started out at ITDS as a customer service representative. My clients were wireless companies around the country, and I was responsible for making sure their billing cycle was run, invoices printed and mailed on time. I also supported their users, mostly their billing and order entry departments, on our front end software.

Did you advance your career within this company?
I worked for ITDS in many different capacities. I moved from client services to training, where I was able to travel around the country and Brazil to train end users on our software. I also worked in conversion and implementation where I transitioned new customers onto our billing platform. Ultimately, through the work I did with ITDS, I was offered a job as the Billing Manager at WorldCom Wireless and had the opportunity to relocate to Arizona. While working at WorldCom, I also held several different positions in both billing and sales operations. By the time WorldCom had decided to move out of the wireless business and shut down our division, I was the Senior Manager of Billing Operations with 30 employees. My final job in the corporate world was as Director of Operations for a company in New Jersey that was attempting to launch a wireless resale division.

What were some of the obstacles you encountered in your first career?
I think one of the personal challenges in my first career was that I always felt self conscious that I did not have my degree. I am not sure it made a huge impact on my advancement opportunities, but I often felt that if I had that piece of paper I would be able to accomplish more. Another challenge was finding people who did their job with honesty and integrity. Often people would get caught up in the politics of the organization and lose sight of the common goal.

Did you have a mentor, either within the company or outside of the company?
I did not have one specific mentor; however, there were several women who were able to strike the balance between work and family whom I greatly admired.

How many years did you stay in that career? Why did you leave?
I stayed in telecommunications for 10 years before I decided to change paths. After working for the second company in a row with financial trouble, and dealing with the constant stress of not knowing when or if there was going to be a layoff, I decided I needed a change. I am not sure I would have had the courage to actually quit my job, so the silver lining to finding myself unemployed after a layoff was that I could finally pursue my dream. I remember the day I was let go and thinking this was the worst possible thing that could happen; in retrospect, I couldn't have asked for a bigger blessing.

Let's talk Second Career ... What is your current career position?
I am currently a Registered Nurse in an ICU at a local hospital.

How long have you wanted to work in this field?
I have always been drawn to the medical field and taking care of people; I just never thought I could afford to dedicate the amount of time or energy required to go back to nursing school.

What caused you to make the jump? Was it salary, location, children or passion?
There were a multitude of reasons why I chose nursing. First and foremost, I am passionate about wanting to make a difference. I felt as though I had spent 10 years working 70-hour weeks and being stressed for reasons that were really insignificant in the grand scheme of life. I wanted to be able to come home from work and know that what I did today helped make an impact. Additionally, nursing gives me the ability to spend more quality time with my family. Working three days a week allows me to be available for my children in a way my previous career did not.

How did you go about taking the steps to make the career move?
After I lost my job, I began researching nursing schools and different paths I could take. I talked to the community colleges and universities that are in the area and decided I wanted my BSN from ASU. Ultimately, it was a joint family decision, everyone acknowledging the sacrifices that needed to be made in order for us to afford for me to not work for several years. I was determined to complete my education in three and a half years. I mapped out the courses I needed to take every semester, including summer sessions, and started my first class in June 2004.

Did you have to return to college to get this new career? Did you have to go through special training?
I did all of my nursing prerequisites at the community colleges in the area and transferred to ASU college of nursing and healthcare innovation for my last four semesters. I was terrified of going back to school, in part because I still wasn't sure about how well I would perform, and partly because I was sure I would be the oldest person in any of my classes. I was pleasantly surprised on both counts. I ended up graduating Summa Cum Laude from ASU, and I met some incredible men and women along my journey who were returning to school later in life and were truly inspirational.

What is most gratifying about your second career?
I love that I learn something new every day, and experienced nurses I work with are still learning new things every day. I am thrilled that I am doing something that my children can be proud of, and hopefully I set a good example for them about working hard and following their dreams.

What are some lessons that you can share with our PW readers in searching for their Second Career?
We spend such a large part of our lives working, I think it is important to do something you love and makes you proud. I will never make the same amount of money as a nurse that I did as a Director of Operations, but at the end of the day, being happy with the path I have chosen resonates to all aspects of my life. I am a better wife, mother and friend not because I am making a lot of money, but because I love what I do and I feel like I am making a difference every day, even it is just a tiny difference.

If you could choose one more career in your lifetime, what would you choose?
I would choose something where I could be creative, like a photographer or painter or musician.