Queen E. Ward has been an administrative secretary in Chicago for 20 years. Ward enjoys her work but she also has a dream: She wants to become a lawyer.
“I wanted to put the finishing touches on who I wanted to be, and because of my concern for the quantity and quality of life, I decided to become an activist on medical issues and help make life easier for people concerned about the health-care system,” Ward said.
And that’s why in 1997 she decided to return to college while working full time to complete her undergraduate degree, which she will receive this year. She then will enroll in law school and graduate in 2005.
“Knowing that I’m totally in charge of myself gives me the energy to work full time, go to school and help with my family,” Ward said. “It makes me feel good.”
It’s never too late to make changes, she emphasizes. “Even if you feel you’re stuck, you’re not,” said the secretary, who is 48 years old. “All you have to do is to find a passion in this life and go for it.”
Getting “unstuck” means recognizing that there’s something more you want to do in life, and that your unhappiness at work is “more than just having a bad day,” according to Betsy Kyte Newman, founder and director of Consulting and Career Services, a Cincinnati-based firm that designs management development programs.
Newman, who founded her firm in 1981, addresses this challenging issue in her new book, “Getting Unstuck: Moving Ahead with Your Career” (Pearson, $19.95). She observes that by getting out of the rut you’re in “you’ll be more productive and successful. The current job market also works in your favor, and it’s generally accepted today that no one field or even one career necessarily is going to satisfy you for your entire life.”
The process of getting “unstuck,” Newman suggests, “begins with deciding to change. Next, make a self-assessment and decide what it is you want to do and what your next step should be. Explore your career options and the realities involved, including what additional skills and education will be necessary.
“Finally, form a strategic action plan, a campaign to get unstuck,” Newman said.
Carol J. Walano, a career counselor and coach headquartered in Chicago, started out as an employee in 1979. By 1986, Walano, who has a master’s degree in counseling psychology, decided to get “unstuck” and to open her own business. In 1991, she started her current successful practice.
“It was a lot of hard work and it took quite a while, but it was worthwhile,” said Walano, who also is a certified and licensed professional counselor. “Everyone works so hard at least five days a week–it should be rewarding. You’ll find you’ll be more satisfied and more successful if you’re as close to your dream as possible.”
The counselor cites as an example of getting “unstuck” a client in his 30s who was a CPA but not happy in his job.
“He couldn’t figure out what was wrong,” Walano said. “But as we worked together, he discovered he really wanted to work with people.”
He went to graduate school for three years and earned a degree in organizational development. Currently working in human resources for a large company, his next step is to become an operations manager at a small firm.
“He’s on his way to being happy,” said Walano.
And to becoming “unstuck.”
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Carol Kleiman’s column also appears in Tuesday’s Business section. Watch her Career Coach segments Sunday and Tuesday mornings on CLTV. Send e-mail to ckleiman@tribune.com.
