Do You Know When to Throw in the Towel in Your Career - Career Pivot

Do You Know When to 'Throw in the Towel' in Your Career - Career Pivot Do You Know When to ‘Throw in the Towel?’ Sometimes you have to know when to ‘throw in the towel’ and move in a new direction. I know, I know, some of you are saying that is being a quitter or more importantly, admitting that you are a failure. Well, that is BS. I have written about failing and why it is a good thing in my post Failure Is Not an Option Is Total BS. For most of us, the real challenge is knowing when to ‘throw in the towel’ and go in a different direction. I wantto tell you two stories of individuals who spent a long time pursuing a career direction that was not going to work no matter how hard they tried. Age-Friendly Job Markets Both of these individuals are approximately 60 years of age and live in Austin, Texas where I have lived for almost 40 years. Austin has a very bifurcated job market with a lot of high-end and low-end jobs and not much in between. The Austin-Round Rock also has a very publicly displayed low employment rate of 3.3%. The jobs that are difficult to find are those for people in the 18-49 years of age bracket. The unemployment rate for 50 and older is over 12%. The Austin area job market is not senior friendly. This is nothing new because TheAtlantic.com ran an articleback in 2015 calledWhere Not to Be Old and Joblessand Austin was #4 on the list. In fact, Austin Community College, AARP and Austin Uphave joined forces under the AARP Foundation Women’s Economic Stability Initiativeto create theBack to Work 50+ program in Austin.They are focused on the 50+ female cohort because this is the most vulnerable demographic to fall into poverty after a career-changing event, like divorce, death of a spouse, or a layoff. That should set the stage for the stories I am about to tell you. ‘Throw in the Towel’ on Austin I have been working with Sandra on and off for about 3 years. Sandra moved to Austin after spending a long career in various portions of the technology and entertainment industries. She had her greatest success in the gaming and technology industries in Silicon Valley and other cities in the west. The great recession caused her career to come to a screechinghalt. She decided to move to Austin to get a fresh start over 3 years ago. She has had a few interviews in Austin and San Antonio but for 3 years it has been a fruitless search. We sat down over a cup of coffee this week and I asked her why is she still here. She has no family here. Sandra is very much a loner and has not been successful at building a network here. She has put in a valiant effort but after 3 years it was time to throw in the towel. She told me she did not want to tell her family that she wanted to move back to Arizona where she last lived. The story is much deeper than I am telling you but it was a sense that she had failed. This is a woman who is extremely intelligent with academic credentials that are top notch, and a career with many successes. The 3 years in Austin have worn her out both emotionally and physically but she is still fearful to give up. I do not know what Sandra will do but she really needs to consider ‘throwing in the towel’ on Austin and moving to a more age-friendly job market. ‘Throw in the Towel’ on a Career I met Tom through a variety of online resources. Tom had a very successful career for close to 30 years when he was laid off. His parents then became ill and needed him. He spent the next 10 years taking care of his parents. Sound familiar? He maintained all of his credentials during that time, PMP, Six Sigma, Scrum Master and a lot more. After 10 years of taking care of his parents, he wanted and needed to go back to work. He had no relevant experience in those 10 years. He spent several years looking for regular, full-time employment with no luck. Re-entering the employment scene after 10 years out was incredibly difficult. He was making ends meet through money he had from selling his house and various consulting gigs. When we met, I asked him why he was still in Austin and why he continued to pursue full-time employment â€" better known as a JOB. Last I heard from him, he has decided to build a portfolio career, where one major component was in wholesaling a major commodity. He had partnered with someone he knew well who would help him learn the ropes. This is a whole new direction where he can work for himself and use many of the same skills. My guess is he will never return to full-time employment but he should be able to support himself and have a happy life. Why Are We So Reluctant to ‘Throw in the Towel?’ Sometimes we get so comfortable beating our heads against a wall that we become numb to the fact there are other options. Other times we simply do not know other options exist. I am currently building an online community and one of the common phrases I hear from my initial cohort is “you can do that?” If you are interested in learning more please visit careerpivot.com/community. So many new and creative opportunities have been created in the last 5 years and many times we do not know about them. We are reluctant to throw in the towel because we are ignorant of the vast and almost seemingly endless options. If you find yourself in this situation, I highly recommend you readNecessary Endings (affiliate link)byHenry Cloud. The description of the book includes the following: While endings are a natural part of business and life, we often experience them with a sense of hesitation, sadness, resignation, or regret. But consultant, psychologist, and best-selling author, Dr. Henry Cloud, sees endings differently. He argues that our personal and professional lives can only improve to the degree that we can see endings as a necessary and strategic step to something better. If we cannot see endings in a positive light and execute them well, he asserts, the “better” will never come, either in business growth or our personal lives. What do you need to end? Are you going to ‘throw in the towel’ so a new beginning can start? Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...