The economy is down. Layoffs have decimated the workforce. If you’re one of those out of work or worried if you’ll have work at this time next week, it’s natural to consider a career change.

When the Great Depression hit, my grandfather’s business failed, along with many others. His career change was going to work for the railroad, running the dining car on trains to and from Florida.

Today, the Associated Press tells us that teaching is the most popular new career. Government work of all kinds starts to look good when the economy turns down. It looks steady, secure, and safe. It comes complete with benefits.

This is also the time of the “necessity entrepreneur.”  Those people start a business to keep the cash coming in after getting laid off.

This is also the time when “find a great job” schemes and scams surge. They promise big money and good jobs.

It will be easy. It’s a sure thing. Usually the folks who make those promises also are the folks who are going to sell you something to make them come true.

Here’s an example. A news release trumpets: “Recent Study Demonstrates The Fastest Way to a New Career is Likely in the Field of Real Estate.”

Sounds good, eh? But there’s no research in the news release to support the claim. There’s just a link to the site of the company who issued the release.

That’s where you’ll find a comparison chart of carefully chosen examples. You’ll also find the following statement. “A Great High-Paying Job – You’re practically guaranteed to get a job where you can earn $50,000 in the first year.”

The key word here is “can.” When you see that word in any claim about income from a job, you can usually be sure of two things.

You can be sure that the job involves commission selling. And you can be sure that the figure quoted is the best that anyone has done in living memory.

I don’t have anything against a real estate career. I’ve suggested to coaching clients who have sales skills, self-discipline, and the ability to master detail that getting into real estate now is a good long term strategy.

But it’s not likely to be a short term solution to cash flow problems. The real estate market is down, way down. Here’s a quote from the Charlotte Observer.

“Allen Tate, the Carolinas leading real estate firm, is closing one-fourth of its offices amid a wrenching housing slump that saw area sales and prices fall hard again last month.”

Tough times can be the spur to a career change that makes your life rich and rewarding. But they also bring lots of promises from people who want to sell you a magic solution.

Be skeptical. Do your due diligence before you invest in a “magical” career change.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 17th, 2009 at 6:48 am and is filed under Hot Careers and Business Opportunities. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.