4 Career Change Questions to Ask if the DOGE, or Other Restructuring, Threatens Your Job: Be ready for a second act!

The incoming presidential administration, according to press reports, wants to create a Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, that could be charged with eliminating up to two-thirds of all federal jobs. Additional reports suggest the new administration may cut funding to certain state and local agencies, and other organizations, including those that research infectious diseases.

Such cuts, if they were to happen, would impact a huge swath or the economy. Regardless of your political affiliation, this could mean your job is on the line whether or not you work directly for the government. Now is the time to think about “plan B,”–career reinvention. Often, that means finding the intersection of:

1. What you love,
2. What you’re good at,
3. What you can be paid to do, and
4. What the world needs.

Federal workers would be hard-hit if such large cuts take place. The median salary for federal employees, according to a quick search, was more than $79,000 per year in 2022. The most common age group for federal employees is 50 to 54” according to another search.

Our experience with downsized workers shows that people can feel stuck or uncertain about their future, especially when they turn 50. They may have worked in the same job for many years and are feeling frustrated or bored. They may no longer be challenged by the work they are doing. Or they may have hit a “pay ceiling” — maxing out their salary compensation for the type of work they are doing, without the opportunity for further significant growth. And, depending on economic and business conditions, some workers near the top of their pay scale may find their jobs eliminated. Then they could find that a new company won’t hire them at the top of the scale

So, if you are working for a public agency or other organization that could lose its funding, start thinking about your next move.

What do you love?

Think about what activities or subjects you love when you start planning your next move. A former federal government co-worker pursued his interest in healthcare and became an E.M.T. Another acquaintance—an electronics technician for many years—began studying calculus at age 70 to qualify as an electrical engineer.

What are you good at?

Also consider whether or not you have the talent for what you love. For example, you may not want to pursue formal schooling in engineering if you lack mathematical aptitude even if you love to tinker and invent gadgets. Another classic example I’ve cited before is that “being kind-hearted” is not good enough to become a nurse because the job is quite technical.

Some downsized workers take jobs doing things they have done as hobbies for years. But this does not work for everyone. It may not be fun to spend eight-hours or more per day doing something that was exciting for one day a week. A client that loved baking, for example, accepted an apprenticeship in a commercial kitchen. She was heartbroken when she found the work was very different from baking at home.

Can you be paid for something you love?

Similarly, you may be able to monetize a spare time activity you love as a second-act or third-act career. For example, if you have established a successful social-media or website presence for a community group or club, you may be able to build this into paid freelance or contract work. It can take time and money, though, to turn a hobby or volunteer activity you love into a viable business, so think about whether you want to make the commitment. But remember the expression “if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life.” 

Does the world need your expertise?

You can love what you do and have expertise that can be monetized, but you will only make money when you are offering something “the world” needs. You will find it a challenge to establish whether the market needs the services you want to offer when entering a new field if you are unfamiliar with potential employers or customers.

It requires market research to determine whether you can convince prospective employers or customers that they need your services. Leverage LinkedIn and your personal network to identify people that are doing what you want to do so you can speak with them. Approach them by explaining that you are learning about your new field so they don’t view you as a competitor. People that love what they do like to talk about it, so you will get information.

We found examples of reinvention.

There are countless stories of successful career changes after years in government or corporate positions. A well-known example is that of Julia Child. We also found examples in our own files.

Julia Child was a longtime government employee when she took a cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu. She was 49 when she published “Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One,” in 1961. She got her own TV show, “The French Chef,” at the age of 51.

Some “not-so-famous” people we have worked with also demonstrated their ability to excel in new arenas. A woman who left a civil service job at the National Archives where she planned events, reinvented herself as a corporate meeting director. A fashion buyer we worked with found work in the construction industry that utilized her cost-cutting and spreadsheet skills.

These people are reminders that you always have the power to make a change and become the person you always wanted to be — the person you were meant to be. Act now to keep the DOGE, or any other government, economic, or corporate upheaval from derailing your career.