Career Change 40 Exciting Career Change Ideas for the Over 40's

Becoming a Marketer

Following is part one of an interview with Cheryl Benton, owner of 747 Marketing.  Their website says, "We've built a consulting business that helps our clients gain unfair competitive advantages by outwitting the other guys."  Visit Cheryl Benton’s website simply by Googling 747 Marketing.  Q. Why did you choose marketing as a career?A. Actually, I didn't choose it as a career. It chose me. I started out thinking I was going to be a high school English teacher. I believe John Lennon said, "Life happens when you're making other plans." I was substitute teaching, because there was such a glut of English teachers. I was there until the end of the school year, and I thought, "I'll have to go back to substituting in the fall." I thought, "I'll get some kind of summer job." But, if you told businesses you were going back to teaching in the fall, they wouldn't pay anything. So, I thought, "The next place I go, I'll act like I'll stay here forever." And, that turned out to be a 10 year summer job in a technology firm. I got into advertising there. I became the Ad Director, and then the Marketing Director. After 10 years, I left there and started my own ad agency on Long Island. I had that for 10 years, and it was acquired.Q. What made you decide to start your own agency? A. I was on the client side, and we were working with agencies. I was at a point where I wanted to try the agency side. It would be more interesting and challenging. And, ironically, people were saying, "Even though you've been a marketing person for 10 years, you haven't had experience on the agency side." So, I was finding that the agency door was tough. At that time, some of the big agencies had training programs, but my time for that had long since gone by. I thought, "At this point, I don't want to start all over in my career." So, I said, "I'm going to start my own agency and figure it out along the way."Q. Did you find it fairly easy to pick things up, or was it challenging, or stressful?A. Yes, all of the above. Whenever you're starting something new -- and especially when you're going from something very secure -- all of a sudden, you take this giant leap into uncharted waters. This is particularly true when it's an entrepreneurial project. But, there's a lot of adrenaline, and you have to believe you can do it. My first client was the firm I was working for, and then I had a couple of clients. That was terrific, because they all believed enough in me to allow me to do that. They were enormously helpful. I learned, and part of growing and doing anything is making mistakes. And, saying, "OK, what did I learn from that?" Then, you pick up and move ahead. For example, when you're starting up something, any client who came your way, you say, "Oh, I can do that," or, "I'll take that on." Then, you start to realize that you have to focus your effort more. I found that it took as much time, if not more time, to handle a very small client with a very tiny budget, than it did to pursue clients with bigger budgets. That was a big lesson: When to say no, and when to say, "OK, I'm not going to say yes to this kind of client -- even if it would provide some short-term income. I need to focus on the bigger things that will ultimately be more beneficial." Q. You've worked in Manhattan most of your career. What strengths are required to succeed in this competitive environment?A. You've got to be willing to accept failures, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start over again. In Manhattan or Boise, if you love what you do, and you keep at it, you will succeed.Q. The Manhattan work world has changed since you started. Tell us a change that affected you, and how you adapted. A. Now, with computers and the Blackberry, it's the total commingling of your business and personal life. You're always on 24/7 call, even on vacation. You're getting off a plane and checking your Blackberry. And, there's a good and bad side to that. The good side is: You can work remotely and you can handle certain business things a lot easier than you could 20 years ago, when you had to physically be in the office to do something. The downside is: You're never free! (Laughs.) Q. You've been active in many associations and groups. Did they help you with transitions?A. Yes, it's been great to be in them. I've been involved in advertising industry associations. They've been great for a number of reasons. Early on in your career it's fantastic because you can reach out to other people. It expands your network. I've been in the B/PAA (Business and Professional Advertising Association) and the BMA (Business Marketing Association). Some of my very closest friends are from those organizations. We're friends to this day.You find you have a nationwide network. And that is so critical because when you're ready to do something new, you sit down and say, "Who is in my network?" I would say to anyone at any stage: Get involved with groups in your industry. In your younger days you're taking from those groups. And, when you get more experienced in whatever you do, you will give back to those groups. Q. You continue to have a very successful career. To you, what is career success?A. I think it's loving what you're doing. I've always felt very fortunate that I've always loved what I was getting paid to do. I always loved advertising, I loved marketing, and I love what I do now at The Three Tomatoes Newsletter. I think that's the key to anyone's success. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone who has been successful in an endeavor who has hated what they do. It doesn't mean every day you get up saying, "Oh, my gosh, this is great." Obviously, there are lots of days you get up and say, "Oh, gosh, I have to face this client or that challenge." But overall, it was loving the business I was in, and the people in that business, and feeling that adrenaline. And yes, I loved doing that.Q. What's next for you?A. Who knows! (Laughs.) I have no idea. I love The Three Tomatoes. That's the thing I'm having the most fun with these days. I'm spending a lot of time on it, and we'll see where that takes me. I started out teaching, so kids and education have always been very important to me. So, I've become very involved with a couple of non-profit groups that work with New York kids and education. That has fulfilled that other piece of me. And, that goes back to figuring out what has been important to you all along. Look at what you are passionate about.````````````````````````````````````````

James O. Armstrong, who serves as Editor and President of NowWhatJobs.net, http://www.nowwhatjobs.net, which is The Resource for Job Transitions over 40, also wrote "Now What:  Discovering Your New Life and Career after 50."  In addition, he is the Cofounder with his wife of Armstrong Solutions Inc., http://www.armstrongsolutions.net, which is a Counseling, Coaching and Career Management Practice with a reduced fee schedule to expand their services to a larger group of men and women with needs.  Armstrong also serves as President of James Armstrong & Associates, Inc., which is a national and international media representation firm serving Central US and Canada out of his Suburban Chicago base.

Wanted: Baby Boomer Teachers!

Today, there is a greater demand for teachers nationwide than there has been in many years.  Of course, there is not an equal demand for every teacher in every specialty, but there is a tremendous need for teachers precisely because so many baby boomers are leaving the teaching profession due to retirement.  This development, in turn, offers a great opportunity for other men and women, who are also baby boomers, to take those positions from the retiring teachers.

Let me give you an example.  A person who came into the picture as a substitute high school math teacher for our then junior in high school the following year joined the staff of Woodstock High School and became a full-time math teacher in her late 50s.  I believe this is the type of transition our nation will see happen with greater frequency all across America. 

In the past, my mother also went back to school to finish her Associate of Arts degree in her early 40s.  Then, she earned her Bachelor's degree, received her Master's degree, and subsequently taught high school photography through the age of 70 at Parkway South High School in St. Louis County, Missouri. 

And while the individual paycheck may not be significant relative to private industry, public sector pensions for teachers are really excellent.  For example, the formula in the State of Missouri for a retired teacher is 80% of your previous income after 30 years of service.  Teachers are paid a salary based upon their education level, with the max pay level probably being a Master's degree plus 30 hours. 

In my own circle, I have a good friend in St. Louis, who earned a Master's degree plus 30 hours, and let us estimate that he retired at $60,000 in annual income from his Suburban St. Louis position.  His retirement at 30 years would be 80% of that figure.  However, since he actually worked 33 years, the percentage on the retirement formula was 88%.  So, by taking 88% of $60,000, my friend made approximately $52,800 per year, which began at age 55.

Please bear in mind that teachers throughout our nation do NOT qualify for Social Security.  So this becomes both a substitute for Social Security and a private pension added together.

But, if someone goes back to school and they qualify to become a teacher in their 40s, they could still work for the next 20 or 25 years.  In other words, taking my mother's case as an example, age 45 + 25 years = age 70. 

The school districts, in turn, want good teachers, so they may continue to extend that teacher's contract even beyond the normal retirement point, if it's appropriate in a unique circumstance. 

Continuing adult education instructor

One of my best friends from St. Louis retired as a public school teacher in mathematics after a 33 year career in a suburban high school.  But, his real love has always been music over the years.  So each week, he takes a one hour lesson on the mandolin and a one hour lesson on the guitar. 

Then, at the local junior college during both the fall and spring semesters, he teaches a class on guitar.  He said he doesn't make much money doing it, but it's very gratifying to him on an emotional level.

Ministry

Individual men and women may also feel the call to ministry later in life.  That scenario pertained to my own father and my wife. My father went to seminary and graduated in his mid 40s and went on to a longer term career in the ministry.  My book, "Now What?  Discovering Your New Life and Career After 50," contains 19 profiles, one of which is of my 85 year old father.  My Dad is literally the senior associate pastor -- senior meaning oldest -- on the staff of St. Louis Family Church, which is perhaps the largest Protestant church in the Greater St. Louis area. 

Ministry today is actually a common career track for men and women, as we get older.  This happens with Catholic priests, it happens in the Protestant clergy and it happens in the Jewish clergy as well.  My wife is also an ordained pastor, who is a full-time minister in charge of Fresh Harvest Church in Woodstock, Illinois and who is also the point person for Fresh Harvest Ministries.  She is also involved with a ministry organization, which has a call to our nation and is located in Washington D.C.

Fitness trainer

I am also a member of the McHenry County College Fitness Center, which has every kind of conceivable exercise machine you can imagine from rowing machines to stationary bicycles to treadmills to a cross country ski apparatus, as well as all sorts of different weight-related machines.  MCC's Fitness Center employs fitness coaches, who have degrees, and these trainers come in all different ages.  The oldest one, who once served as a coach for one of the Olympic teams, is today in his 70s.  But, he still works on a part-time basis at McHenry County College in the fitness center. 

I believe fitness should be one part of the transition we pursue, as we get older.  In fact, many of the people in my exercise group, who work out three to five days per week at the same time in the early morning, when I use the facility, are actually in their late 60s, 70s or even 80s.  The name of this group is "the Wild Bunch," where I am perhaps the youngest person in the group.

Of course, it is always good to be "the youngest," no matter how the group is defined.

Questions and Answers About Career Transitions

Q: Who is James O. Armstrong?I am an author of a book about career transitions for baby boomers which came out last spring.  The name of the book is "Now What?  Discovering Your New Life and Career After 50."  The book is being sold at retail bookstores and by virtually every online bookstore in the U.S. today and in Canada.  In addition, I'm a website entrepreneur, where my focus is on job transitions for men and women over age 40, as well as on subjects like college and training options, relocating, volunteering and other subjects of interest to baby boomers and younger seniors as we transition into the next chapter of our lives.  I am also the President of James Armstrong & Associates, Inc., which is a northwest suburban Chicago national and international media representation firm.  Today I see my role as being one of speaking hope into my generation of fellow baby boomers that the best may be yet to come instead of past tense.  Men and women today are visiting our website which is http://www.NowWhatJobs.net because they probably just lost a job or a loved one, friend or neighbor just lost a job.  And, they are beginning to look for answers that make sense going forward into the next chapter of their lives.Q: What challenges have you faced that reflect what you just talked about –- in terms of speaking hope to your generation?During the 1990s, I personally went through three reorganization or downsizing exercises, which put me into the position of needing to find a new job.  In each case, I emerged victorious from that search process.  In addition to those personal experiences, I should also point out that over the past 30 years I have had an extensive amount of experience as a marketing consultant with all sorts of economic development organizations in the United States and Canada.  Those organizations have included foreign countries, states and provinces, cities, regional chambers of commerce, economic development corporations and partnerships, ports and airports, real estate developers, commercial real estate companies, builders and engineering companies, among other companies in this market niche.Q: Have you reinvented yourself, and if so how?Early in my career in the media industry, I discovered that the sales career path was significantly different than the editorial or creative direction.  Specifically, my sales and marketing direction led me to a 13 year employee status with BusinessWeek Magazine, where I was a national and international account manager.  It also led me to an eight year career with Industry Week Magazine, where I served as Director of Economic Development among other responsibilities.  And it resulted in recent years in an involvement with The Financial Times of London in the Midwest with selected accounts and working on special reports.  Beyond those assignments, I have also functioned as the Director of Economic Development for a series of magazines, including my current assignment at Inbound Logistics, which is the leading logistics and global trade magazine in North America in editorial and advertising pages.  This background has also allowed me to interact with people up to and including governors of states, lieutenant governors and directors of commerce or departments of economic development.  These individuals tend to be cabinet level officers covering the economic development or commerce department area for states throughout the United States.Q: What would you say to someone who has career anxiety?I believe those anxieties are certainly justified, but perhaps magnified unnecessarily by the national media, which tends to provide an incomplete picture of what is happening in the jobs and career area in the United States.  Specifically, the major TV networks and big city daily newspapers in the U.S. especially tend to focus on layoffs that occur in large companies.  As a result, men and women get the misimpression that jobs are constantly decreasing, when in fact the small business sector is busy generating jobs in our economy.  Government at all levels also has job opportunities.  The healthcare sector, including dental health in such areas as dental hygienists, is also creating jobs for our society.  And, so, we need to focus on where the jobs are available and not where some large company eliminated 3,000 jobs yesterday.  Look at the total picture in regard to the job situation in America and elsewhere.  The simple truth of the matter is there is a labor shortage in America and there is especially a skills shortage, which will become increasingly critical in the years to come.  Q: Tell us about an obstacle that you faced in your career and how you overcame that.When my office closed at BusinessWeek Magazine in St. Louis, I wound up exploring other options in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago.  Then, I wound up moving to Chicago because no similar jobs were available at that time in the St. Louis area.  That was a successful transition, but I had to be willing to move physically and I had to be willing to explore options at another national magazine other than my current employer, whether I wanted to do so or not, for the sake of the financial needs of my family.  In other words, by being willing to move to Chicago, I was able to take care of the needs of my family.  The follow through in this process meant that I had to demonstrate flexibility plus a willingness to do whatever it would take to get the job done.Q: Someone says to you, "What can I do right now to help my career?"More education is always an option even if that means going to a truck driver training school for six weeks to become a truck driver.  The income levels you're talking about there range from perhaps $35,000 to $75,000 a year as a truck driver, depending on how many hours you're driving each year and several other factors.  But, the opportunities are there in that area just as they exist in warehousing and some types of manufacturing jobs.  It's all about being willing to explore options that perhaps you haven't considered in the past.  You may even conclude that today is the day to begin exploring those options.Q: Tell us a little about your book, "Now What?"My book profiles 19 men and women from all over the U.S. in all sorts of different jobs and career paths, at all different ages ranging from early 50s to 85 years old and with the fullest possible range of educational levels.  Each of the transitions for these men and women were successful.  As a result, the stories are inspiring to other men and women, especially those in difficult circumstances.  For someone who has been feeling a little down in the mouth lately or might be anticipating a transition in careers coming up soon, the book would make an ideal purchase.Q: Someone tells you, "I see a transition coming up on the horizon.  What would you say to me?"You need to start planning now for what your strategy will be.  The biggest point is not to simply send a resume out once or twice a week, but to work hard in the job transition process just like you have worked full-time in the past.  To land a new job, make sure to interact with friends of yours from the industry, with vendors that you've known over a period of time, while developing a database program in your computer, and keeping track of people you've contacted, including what they had to say, and then getting back to them with appropriate follow-up correspondence.  That effort includes your resume and letters of endorsement of you as a person.  By the way, your resume needs to cite specific accomplishments in terms of what you actually achieved in the job while you were there, because everyone wants to hire someone who is outstanding.  If 10 people have the very same experience and the same education, the one that actually accomplished something while he or she was in the position will be selected. Q: Someone says to you, "Jim, I cannot do it.  I want to give up."Well, if you do give up, then that becomes a self-fulfilling prophesy where the end conclusion is failure.  So, if you want to fail, then simply don't make any effort.  If that's your disposition, then there's nothing I can say or do to make you think or act differently.  But, if you're willing to make an effort, the more effort you make, the better will be the outcome.  If you choose to contact 20 different prospects every day and follow through with the appropriate correspondence, that's the kind of aggressive approach you need to take as compared to a passive effort, which might only include contacting perhaps one or two people per week.  More contact is the better approach and interacting with people who you know, including friends and neighbors, and men and women in the same company or industry, plus vendors to your former company will all be part of a winning process.  Q: Someone says to you, "I know there aren't any jobs in this town, but all my family and friends are here.  And I'm even taking care of an aging parent here."Everything has to be taken into consideration.  If you can afford not to work in the future, then the aging parent consideration might become foremost.  But if you have to continue to receive a paycheck, then you may want to consider moving to where jobs are more plentiful, such as the Rocky Mountain states.  The unemployment rate there typically falls into the two to three percent range.  Q: "But my kids are in high school here."That's unfortunate.  But having a job is more important than where your kids are in high school.  Flexibility in terms of pursuing all your options is very important to your ultimate success.Q: Why did you decide to devote so much of your life to helping your fellow baby boomers?I believe it's a calling which the Lord has given to me.