business

Great movies leave plenty of excellent footage on the cutting-room floor. It's part of the process, my son David, a film director, tells me.

The same is true when an author writes a book. Following the interviews I conducted while researching my new book, "Use Your Head to Get Your Foot in the Door: Job Search Secrets No One Else Will Tell You," I found that I couldn't include all the inspiring stories I heard. But I can share these stories in this column! And reading them might nudge you toward a career change you contemplated but never realized.

Tim practiced law successfully for more than 30 years. His practice included representing defendants who had some tough breaks growing up and followed the wrong path. "Story after story was the same sad situation: absent parents, no motivation to do well in school, little supervision, basically no encouragement. It started to occur to me that I could have done more for them at an earlier point in their lives than I could with all my legal training and experience," he said.

So Tim decided "early retirement" for him would mean a return to college to get a teaching degree, and he'd concentrate his job search in some of the poorest neighborhood schools in his city. His student-teaching semester almost did him in, but he says, "I am determined to let every one of my students know that if they are willing to do the work, I am willing to be their biggest cheerleader. And I love every minute of it."

By the way, Tim made that move seven years ago, and he's still going strong.

Maureen owns an art-supply store. She is an unlikely entrepreneur: a former nurse who enjoyed painting as a hobby. She worked at a hospital three days a week with hours that made it possible for her to be available for her kids' activities. She was highly satisfied with her career and could have stayed in it with no regrets.

Then Maureen inherited a few thousand dollars from a relative, which got her thinking about what she should do with that money. In the back of her mind, she'd always thought it might be fun to be proprietor of a little store where artists would hang out and discuss their work, find inspiration for projects, and buy supplies.

After considerable thought and consultation with folks in the business and her bank, Maureen decided to leave the hospital and leased a small storefront. She has since expanded twice. "I love opening my little shop every morning, knowing that I built this business and that my customers trust me to take good care of them -- not so different from my nursing days," she said.

I heard so many of these stories. Some career changers went for a variation of a theme, like the interior designer who got her real-estate license and is in great demand for the high-end clients who appreciate her eye for the details. Others took great leaps, like the insurance executive who went to cosmetology school with an eye toward owning a funky salon.

Some were burned out by their current careers, others downsized out of their jobs. Some had put dreams aside for more practical occupations.

Like I've always said, find a job you love and you'll never work another day in your life.

Mackay's Moral: Don't be afraid to take the plunge -- just test the water before you dive in!