{"id":23321,"date":"2013-02-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2013-02-21T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ceric.org\/2013\/02\/theory-corner-pasture-izing-ones-career-path\/"},"modified":"2013-02-21T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2013-02-21T05:00:00","slug":"theory-corner-pasture-izing-ones-career-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ceric.ca\/fr\/2013\/02\/theory-corner-pasture-izing-ones-career-path\/","title":{"rendered":"THEORY CORNER: Pasture-izing One\u2019s Career Path"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

by Marc Verhoeve<\/em><\/p>\n

In an earlier article I wrote,\u00a0A Look at Donald Super’s Stages of Career Development in the 21st Century<\/em>\u00a0(available on\u00a0contactpoint.ca<\/a>), I ended with a discussion about Super\u2019s redefinition of the Decline Stage. As I have just reached the \u201c65 Level\u201d, I thought that I would discuss this stage\u2026 as a member of the first wave of Baby Boomers edging into retirement.<\/p>\n

In my previous article, I stated:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs I counsel these clients, I have the challenge of investigating with the client the range of options, from full-time to part-time \u201cportfolio workers\u201d to searching vehicles that service the non-work dimensions of one\u2019s career. I have defined this stage as \u201ccareer renewal\u201d because it allows the client to investigate a wider range of activities because they are, in many cases, not constrained by the financial bonds of a full-time job. They become a \u201ctemporal millionaire\u201d because they now fully own their time.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Five years ago, when I turned 60, I \u201cretired\u201d from the education sector as a school counsellor after 32 years. I immediately transitioned to the role of Executive Director for the Ontario School Counsellors\u2019 Association (OSCA). The transition of work culture was quite dramatic. After being in a work environment where I interacted daily with almost 2,000 students and over 100 staff, the shift to SOHO worker (Small Office\/ Home Office) was a culture shock. No more bells to remind one of the time and no more interruptions via walk-in traffic or phone calls. While I missed the face-to-face interaction with students, teachers and parents, working from home significantly increased my productivity in projects and research. The downside was two-fold. First, one is forced to be an aggressive time manager, otherwise it can evolve into a 24\/7 job. Second, there is the danger of professional isolation, unless one continually communicates with colleagues (via phone or email) to network and solicit feedback.<\/p>\n

After five years, I have left my position at OSCA\u2026 to transition to the next stage in the retirement continuum. Interestingly, I received inquiries from colleagues and friends asking whether I was now REALLY going to retire. My response was: \u201cYou can\u2019t pasture-ize me yet!\u201d<\/p>\n

As I indicated in my previous article, I have been consulting with Research Psychologists Press since the 1980s. When I left OSCA, RPP contacted me about providing input on the development of a new career assessment tool, Jackson Career Explorer, as well as working with them in the design of a JCE training webinar for school counsellors.<\/p>\n

In addition, my previous career assessment private practice has auto-rebooted thanks to referrals from colleagues. (I had placed my practice in hiatus while I was working for OSCA). I have also initiated re-involvement with professional and community agencies.
\nOn reflecting on my career-pathing in this last stage of Donald Super\u2019s developmental model, I return to his redefinition of \u201ccareer\u201d, as I had discussed at length in my JVIS Manual:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Donald Super stated that one\u2019s \u201ccareer\u201d encompasses all activities that comprise your identity; your job is that part that you get paid for. One\u2019s \u201ccareer resilience\u201d increases when one does not invest all of one\u2019s identity into one\u2019s job (I termed this being \u201cfire-proof\u201d).<\/p>\n

As one moves into retirement, this becomes even more critical. I have watched friends and colleagues move into retirement. Those who had extended their identity into the other sectors of Super\u2019s constellation experienced a smooth transition into retirement. However, it was tragic to watch teacher-colleagues who retired before me return to the school staff room daily after their retirement day\u2026 lost, and not knowing where else to go.<\/p>\n

Havighurst discussed this issue in his Activity theory:<\/p>\n

\u201cThus older adults who are actively involved in a variety of situations and who establish new roles and relationships are more likely to age with a sense of satisfaction.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0(Mosby’s Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. \u00a9 2009, Elsevier.)<\/p>\n

This final stage in \u201ccareer\u201d development is becoming more critical because it has become a larger segment of one\u2019s lifespan. German chancellor Otto von Bismarck created the world’s first comprehensive government social safety net in the 1880s, providing for old-age pensions and setting 60 as the age of retirement. He chose 60 because he thought that the number of citizens older than 60 would be insignificant. At a Teacher Pension info-session that I attended, we were told that, for most retired teachers in Ontario, their years in retirement usually outnumber the years that they worked as teachers!<\/p>\n

A segment of my private-practice clients were \u201cgolden-handshakers\u201d (early retirees). Their career paths were in one of three directions:<\/p>\n