What Color is your Parachute?

A long time ago, I came upon this book entitled "What Color is your Parachute".  Its basically, as the book says, a practical manual for job hunters and career changers....it helps you not only to find a job, but find your passion in life.....I can distinctly remember a drawing in the book showing a boy or man in a crossroad...ahead of him where several pathways...his choices were as follows:  stay with current employer, look for another job, change careers, do own business, do freelance, etc......
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In London, I met people who would go on "sabbatical leave" ...Let me quote Wikipedia on this..."Sabbatical or a sabbatical (from Latin sabbaticus, from Greek sabbatikos, from Hebrew shabbat, i.e., Sabbath, literally a "ceasing") is a rest from work, or a hiatus, often lasting from two months to a year. The concept of sabbatical has a source in shmita, described several places in the Bible (Leviticus 25, for example, where there is a commandment to desist from working the fields in the seventh year). In the strict sense, therefore, sabbatical lasts a year." (Source:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabbatical)
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These people who were on sabbatical would go on trips, or do voluntary work or even do another job not related to their current one..some take time off to really determine what they want to do for the remainder of their lives...Amazingly, their employers do allow them to do this.....Do employers in Manila allow this too???
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Now lets go back to Philippine setting....most of my family and friends have been working in their chosen profession for their entire adult life....my classic example on this is my mom...she is retired now, but she started working in a government institution ever since she was 17 or 18 years old....and she never left and she worked there for almost 40 years...Mom was happy and contented...
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The generation nowadays is a bit different....one type of  employee will have several employers in his entire career....he/she will go on job hopping from one job to another in a span of 2 to 3 years....their main reason is "career advancement".....
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Another type of people are the "career-shifters" ...these are the people who are either brave or foolish enough to change careers in search of their passions in life...some are in it for the money...while others have more noble causes like "more time for their families" or "in order to help other people"....normally, their families and friends will not understand or even support them, initially....
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Whatever color is your parachute is....I guess as long as your happy, contented, satisfied, accomplished, and fulfilled in what you do....Also, as long as your career or job will help you achieve your goals and purpose in life....by the way, do you already know your purpose in life???  =)

Hope this helps,

G.