 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
| ||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Life Begins at ... 54
It is surely a sign of aging that I did not remember how this adage ends. All I could remember is the “life begins at…” part. So, being an Internet junkie, I went to Google and typed in “life begins at...” and hit the “Return” bar. In a nanosecond it was all before my eyes. It was absolutely remarkable all of the points in one’s life at which life is alleged to begin. There’s conception, 30, 40, 50, 60, and 80. The two most popular points appeared to be conception and 40. But finding no clear consensus, I decided to do a little independent thinking, something I concluded is becoming a lost art now that we have an over abundance of “news” channels on television and the world wide web, which we all know is the most credible source of information on the face of the earth.
So I conducted a one-person focus group (me, myself and I) and reached the conclusion that at least for me, life began at age 54. Why that age? Was it because that’s when I realized that I would soon qualify for the “senior citizen” discount at Bob Evans or the “senior citizen” menu at Denny’s? Or was it because that’s when my unsolicited AARP membership application appeared in the mail? No. It was because at the tender age of 54, I found myself launching a new career.
From age 32 to age 53, with the exception of those times when I was out of town on business, I arose every work day and proceeded to drive to the same building in Warrendale, PA, put in my 8+ hours of work, and head home. Sure, I held a number of “progressively more responsible” positions over the course of those years, buy by and large, my work life had become a predictable routine, almost a habit. Then came that shocking moment that more and more of us have come to experience. Call it downsized, right sized, reengineered, dehired, or any of a half-dozen or so euphemisms that exist for the word “fired”. That’s right, after 21 years with the same company, my position was eliminated; I was fired!
Oh, I received a generous severance package and was treated rather well, considering that my life had been turned upside down in the course of a thirty minute meeting with the boss on a sunny Monday morning. But however you cut it, at age 54 and with two children in college, I was without a job for the first time in over 30 years. It was time to start over. A fear-inducing prospect if ever there was one.
The next twelve months saw a whirlwind of activity. I entered an outplacement program, contacted everyone I could think of to let them know I was in the job market, and chased more jobs in more places than Hershey’s has kisses. I spoke with countless “headhunters”, most of whom were only interested in me, it seemed, if I had what it took to fill one of their current searches. I posted my resume on dozens of web sites. And I “went on” a number of fruitless job interviews, some over the phone, some in person, and some by video conference. I even interviewed with companies that were in the throws of bankruptcy (how desperate is that?). When it was all said and done, one year later, I was no further ahead than I was the day after that fateful Monday morning twelve months previous.
Tired of getting nowhere fast pursuing life as a “salary man” (the Japanese term for someone who works for a paycheck), and with the encouragement of my family, I decided I was going to live out my work life “doing what I wanted to do”, not doing what I had to do to earn a couple of bucks! For years, my true interests had been in teaching and consulting. With the advice of several colleagues who had been successful in the teaching profession and a few who worked in the world of consulting, I was convinced I had what it took to make a go of it. Not having a Ph.D., I understood my chances of landing a full-time or part-time college faculty position were limited. So I decided to go the adjunct route.
I spent the next three months gearing up to launch my own business. From pursuing adjunct faculty appointments with colleges and universities, to taking a “how to start a business” course offered by the SBA, to meeting with financial and legal advisors, to developing a business plan outline, to putting together a checklist of things that needed to be done before I would “open the doors” for business, I was very busy, but it was a “good” busy, unlike the prior twelve months when I had been “busy” but not very productive. I knew it would take between six months and a year to get established, so I did everything I could to accelerate the preparation process. In the end, the announcement of the establishment of my consulting practice came shortly after Labor Day 2003, roughly three months after I decided to take the plunge.
The ensuing year and one-half have been challenging, to say the least. But I haven’t been this happy with work for a long, long time. I’ve learned how to market my business inexpensively. I’ve gained a first-hand appreciation for the concept of “accounts receivable”. I’ve met some wonderful people during the course of my consulting engagements. I’ve had the opportunity to work in industries that I never would have experienced had it not been for my decision. And, most importantly, I’ve learned that your “true” friends think of you when they need a consultant or when consulting opportunities come to their attention. Business was slow at first, as I expected, but it has picked up to the point where if I can keep the current momentum going, I will look back on what could have been a “black” Monday with the feeling that it was a blessing in disguise.
Marc Cammarata is President of M.A. Cammarata & Associates, a management consulting firm providing human resources and operations management solutions to healthcare organizations. He can be reached at 412.364.0444 or macammarata@verizon.net.
