Changing gears

Aaron L. Pope

First published in Glue Magazine.

It was just one phone call, and I had been reduced to tears.

Seven years, two domestic aid-to-civil-power deployments and just over nine months in the deserts of Afghanistan – my military career was finished. I had lost my identity.

I had fulfilled my duty to my country, and I was free now to live a life I had never imagined. Like many other career soldiers, I believed I was a lifer. I was going to do 20 or 30 years in the military and retire on a nice pension somewhere the Canadian dollar was valued higher.

But then the phone call from the Canadian forces release section came through. It wasn’t much of a surprise; I was exhausted and suffering from a traumatic war-time tour. One serving of war was plenty for me; it was time to leave the military once and for all.

The moment I hung up the phone all the events from the past years hit me at once, and truth be told; I never felt so alone in my life.

Alone and without any civilian qualifications, like so many others who have been forced to upgrade their skills, I was going to have to go back to school if I was going to have any optimism about the future. Staring down the barrel of two years of education was bad enough; I had no idea what I was even going to study.

At Algonquin College, Jacqueline Miller, manager of workforce community outreach works with people who are trying to improve or to discover their skill sets. Whether you are fresh out of high school, coming back from years in the workforce, or an Alumnus who wishes to improve your resume, some time with Miller will help you get your career and education objectives on track.

“Education is something you will always have,” said Miller. “Many things will change in your life, but the education you obtain through post-secondary is really important.”

Thankfully I had some helpful staff members’ at veterans affairs who helped me realize the strengths I worked on for years in the military will suit any career I choose as long as I’m willing to do the work. The same can be said for anyone, but not everyone is going to get the benefit of a social worker for unemployed veterans. There are other people who are there to help the hopelessly career deficient masses.  

Alan Kearns of Career Joy, an Ottawa based professional development company, says that there are many challenges that come with career change. One’s Identity can feel lost even if someone makes the conscious decision to change direction. Then there is the economic reality, some people are going to need to supplement their incomes at jobs they may not want to do while they are retraining for a new career path.

Whether you’re going through a career revolution, or a career evolution, it is going to be difficult. The biggest challenges people face are often the challenges they put in front of themselves, says Kearns.

According to Statistics Canada, the average age of people in college is 24, and Canadians will change jobs over seven times during the course of their lives. Change is something everyone must endure in order to survive in the world.

It was the thought of returning to a classroom of college kids that really kept me up at night in the months leading up to the first day of classes. I was worried I would be the oldest guy in the room, the other students wouldn't take me seriously, or worse, I would be wasting even more time on a fruitless endeavour.

Nothing could have been further from reality. This is the time in my life when I wasn't expecting to make any new friends, or even have the energy to invest in fostering relationships outside of my usual circle. Life doesn't always turn out how you think it will. I find myself surrounded by a new group of amazing friends and colleagues who have challenged and inspired me to take on my new life.

A common question I’m asked about my military service is; do I miss it? Short answer, of course I do. To me it was a source of pride and identity. I had a mission I could believe in, and the opportunity to be a part of something bigger than anything I could imagine.

Whether it was fighting fires in the forests of British Columbia, or fighting terrorists in the deserts of Afghanistan, the mission was always the same. Protect your family, protect your friends and protect your home. All I ever wanted to do was protect the people I loved from the harshness of the world. And in the process, I had found out that the people I loved also wanted to look after me.

 The army was my family and anywhere I went in the world, I was home in the company of my brothers.  It was a singular experience, and it’s over.

Change is inevitable; it’s foolish to imagine life standing still on a planet moving through space at a speed of 1,800 kilometres per minute. I know I will never stop learning, and I will never stop changing.

A change in careers doesn't mean I have lost my family, friends and everything I care about. It means that I can start to live a new life; I can spend time with my family who've been to hell and back waiting for the phone to ring, or a knock on the door to tell them I'm okay, that I've made it.

My new career is life. And my family couldn't be happier to have me home.  

For myself, and the thousands of other adults who find themselves forced to change careers, there is hope. I have found a new calling here at Algonquin and I no longer feel alone. In fact I have never felt less alone now that I have a second chance at a new beginning.