Q:I am thinking about leaving the farm for personal reasons rather than financial ones. I am tired of farming.
We are not wealthy but we have managed to save a few dollars over the years and now when our daughter and son-in-law take over the farm, I am certain that all of us will be comfortable. My problem is that I am only 52. I would like a new career but I have been on the farm all of my life and I am not sure how to go about it. Do you have any suggestions?
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A:Career changes are common, but not in agriculture. The average person in the United States will change careers four to six times during their vocational life. The figures are likely similar in Canada.
This data is so significant that you can find a lot of literature with useful suggestions for those who are thinking about taking their careers in different directions.
The first suggestion is to make sure that leaving the farm is the right move.
If you think that you are stifled, stuck in a rut with no prospects for a better future and few opportunities to use your talents and skills, you are clearly looking at a career change.
The problem is that the farm is an interesting place that demands an amazing set of skills: agrology, banking, animal husbandry, equipment repair, weather prediction and market forecasting.
You need to understand that you are not likely to find another career that has so many challenges.
If you still want to leave the farm, the next suggestion is to figure out your options. Look at what you are capable of doing and what you might like to do.
Somewhere in that great skill bank you have developed are special interests that stand out above the rest.
If you liked balancing your accounting books, you might look at something to do with money management. If chasing coyotes was more than fun, you can consider parks management or any of the other opportunities working in our natural environment.
Remember, this is your opportunity to find a fulfilling lifestyle after leaving the farm.
Once you have selected a probable career, you need to do an inventory of your skills, identifying the ones you already have that will be helpful in your new career and the ones you don’t have but will have to learn if you are going to be successful.
Don’t be afraid to go back to school, even at 52. You can study online with distance courses or you can enroll in either a vocational or academic college. In this world of high technology, it is difficult to start a new career without formal training.
Throughout all of these processes, do not be afraid to ask for help.
You and your neighbours help each other during a family crisis, so why not ask for help when you are having a personal crisis, which is what a career change is?
Trained vocational counsellors can also help you make good decisions and give you the support required when you start venturing into new territories.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact: jandrews@producer.com.
