If my personal career transition is typical of others, then truly growth is messy! This post describes my transition in hopes of inspiring others who are considering or going through the same thing.
What does a career transition look like? In this post I detail what our family went through as together we made a career transition from industry to academia.
Some background
In 1987 I turned 37. My wife and I celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary.
Unfortunately, I had been laid off the year before.
I worked multiple, part-time jobs while seeking full-time employment.
After months of searching, praying, and talking we hit on an idea. Go back to school!
At the time I had an MBA. As such, going back to school entailed me getting a Ph.D.
It also meant I would need to prepare for the GMAT exam, an entrance test used by business schools. In order to prepare, I had to reduce my part-time hours, which was a challenge.
In Proverbs 3.5-6 we are instructed to trust the Lord wholeheartedly, while being careful not to rely on our own ability to make sense of things. When we trust like that, we are positioned for God to direct us to where He desires!
Where to go
With the encouragement of our pastor, I made the decision to look for a Ph.D. program.
Consequently, we visited several schools, including the University of South Florida, University of South Carolina, and the University of Georgia.
I was recruited by USF and UGA. USF was just starting their business Ph.D. program at the time.
In parallel, I began prep work for the GMAT exam. Actually, I had taken it once before, as soon as I had finished my bachelor’s degree.
Fortunately, I was able to raise my GMAT score. However, my score was below the average of other candidates who were under consideration at my first-choice school.
However, my interview with one of the UGA faculty members went well. In fact, he sent me a letter encouraging me to apply. Looking back, admission was the easy part!
I was at UGA for three years, fall 1987 through summer 1990. But, I left there ABD, meaning I had not completed my dissertation. It took two additional years, until 1992, to finish and graduate with a Ph.D.
Proverbs 13.19 teaches that a desire accomplished is sweet to the soul!
A family affair
Truly, graduate school for one individual is an adventure for an entire family.
We loaded a truck and moved from Florida to Georgia. Put the kids in new schools. And, learned to live off of student loans and a graduate assistantship. As expected, we had a very tight budget.
Worse yet, we drove a very old car!
However, that car carried me through the first several years of life as an assistant professor. The kids knew when I was coming home because the drive-shaft clanged when I turned the corner on the way to the house!
Proverbs 19.1 says that being poor and having integrity is better than being foolishly overconfident!
Our rented house allowed each of the kids to have their own bedroom. The schools there were good. Somehow, the kids survived my long hours away.
Better yet, the next-door neighbor had a teenage daughter a bit older than our oldest daughter. That neighbor regularly gave her barely-worn, hand-me-down designer clothes.
Come to think of it, that was probably the best our oldest ever dressed!
While there, the kids got to play in the snow. Better yet, there was a great sledding hill near the house.
In late summer 1989 we took our first of several trips to the mountains of North Georgia. Our youngest danced in the aisle during the clogging competition that year at the Georgia Mountain Fair. My wife and I retired to that same area of North Georgia in early 2021.
In short, graduate school was both an adventure and a strain on the entire family.
Life as a graduate student
Ph.D. programs are very demanding – academically, emotionally, and physically.
A typical week in graduate school was for me to work Sunday afternoon through Saturday afternoon. I took off Saturday evening and Sunday morning for family time and church activities.
Then, on Sunday afternoon, it was back to the office for more work.
After Ph.D. coursework was completed I had to study for qualifying exams – written and orals.
That was a very intense time as failure meant more time for prep before you could try again. To get the best use of the time available I sent the family to Florida so I could have the house to myself for a month and a half.
Well, it worked; I passed! And, I graduated!
Proverbs 13.12 says that hope deferred makes us heart-sick, but when desire is accomplished it’s like a tree of life!
The kids’ graduation gift for surviving the graduate school adventure was a trip with mom to Disney World. As expected, I stayed home and worked! The photo below is graduation day.
Life after graduate school
Afterward, there was another relocation.
This time to Ohio where I began my academic career at Miami University.
We lived in Ohio for twelve years before our move to Georgia College and my career transition to becoming an academic administrator, eventually serving as a business school dean.
Thoughts upon looking back
In short, career transitions are challenging. Also, they are risky. Truly, growth is messy.
Conversely, growth is exceedingly rewarding.
However, the alternative is to stay where you are. That is, you never change. And, you never grow beyond who or what you are at a point in time.
So, when considering where to grow, put out of your mind that you will settle for “what is.”
Remember, “what is” isn’t fine! Especially when you have the capacity and capability to be more and do more in your career.
From Proverbs 4.25-27 we learn the following: focus on your goal, carefully plan for where you are going, and don’t get distracted!
Apply This Today!
First, don’t take a career transition lightly. Consider carefully and plan accordingly. Why? Because finances and family issues are significant issues.
Second, recognize that career changes are messy. So, be prepared to deal with the unexpected, the frustrating, and the challenging.
Third, if you have a family, recognize that a career change isn’t simply an individual activity. Instead, the entire family is involved. Thus, be aware of that secondary impact going on around you.
Fourth, the transition itself is simply Step One. Why? Because what follows is establishing yourself in a new field/industry. Thus, play the long game when going through the process.
Fifth, for a person of faith, don’t attempt a transition on your own. Instead, make the life change a matter of prayer, counseling, and careful consideration.