Thrown off the merry-go-round ...

... and looking for a way to climb back on

I'm writing this blog for myself and for anyone else in the midst of -- or perhaps just contemplating -- a midlife career change. Maybe, like me, you've lost a job just when you felt that you were finally settling into a comfortable rut. Or maybe you're stuck in a job that you're desperate to get out, but you can't imagine stepping out into the void without a big safety net to catch you. Perhaps you've already "been here, done this" and can offer advice, encouragement, or wisdom gained in the School of Hard Knocks.

I hope this blog will connect with people who are, or have been, in a similar situation. That would include anyone who has had to deal with:

• Being laid off, fired, outsourced or otherwise made redundant
• Living with Mom & Dad after years of happily going solo
• Starting all over again when some of your age-peers are talking about taking early retirement
• Feeling burnt-out, lost, or panicked because life has dealt you an unexpected blow below the belt
• Redefining or reinventing yourself just when you thought you had finally figured out "what you wanted to be when you grew up" -- or when you'd finally made a place for yourself in your chosen profession
• Finding a job in the "real world" after years (decades, even) in academia

Whatever your circumstances, concerns, or aspirations, I hope you'll follow me on my journey down a new path while I fill you in on the road I've come so far. Feel free to ask questions or offer comments and suggestions, while I share what I've been learning while feeling my way through the foggy bottoms and and climbing back up into the light.

P.S.

My name, of course, is not really "Finnegan Begin-Again." I'm using a pseudonym so that I can be frank without embarrassment. Paradoxical, isn't it? I'm going to hide behind a phony name so that I can really be honest. I hope you don't mind.