“This is your captain speaking. We are currently cruising at 30,000 feet and shortly the cabin staff will begin serving drinks.”

How many times have you heard words like those, and yearned to be saying them yourself? Doesn’t the cool, calm, and collected tone of your captain’s voice instill a certain sense of security and well-being, that must make even the most nervous, and phobic, of flyers rest easy?

“Due to strong head winds on the in-bound leg we now expect to be outside the terminal at 10:30pm rather than 9:30pm.” Or, “Take off this afternoon has been slightly delayed while we await the final off sign of our departure paperwork.”

See, it’s always someone else’s fault, never yours! The job’s all spin, isn’t it? Even I could do that. I bet elocution lessons are part of “flight” training, and as captain, you are probably given a book containing all the lines you’ll ever need to calm and reassure your patients passengers.

I once wanted to be an airline pilot. I once believed (still do, actually) there was a certain… romance in air travel. Of late night departures, taxying along runways guided only by the edge lights, and watching as the glow of the city far below vanishes into the darkness.

And what did you say was required to become a pilot? A good voice?

Unfortunately though, those of us who think we can talk our way into, and through, a job like this have something else coming. A pyramid like structure, that’s what.

At the bottom of this “pyramid” is a single engine Cessna aircraft. Pretty easy to fly, I’ve even done it myself. A four engine Boeing 747, located at the top of the pyramid, is another matter though.

And no, the control tower could not talk a novice through landing one of those babies if the pilot became incapacitated, as Hollywood script writers would have us believe.

So make that an inverted pyramid structure, where working your way to the top involves travelling a path that, when viewed from the ground looking up, is above your head, not below your feet. And unless you are a fly (no pun intended) with sticky, feet you are more than likely to fall should you take a wrong step.

And, sadly, a good bedside manner just isn’t enough to reach the top.

But would you really want to get to the top? This is literally a job that requires travel, and being thousands of miles from home on Christmas day, your kids birthdays, and at the weekend. You don’t clock in at 9am, or run for the bus at 5pm, in this kind of gig either.

There’s jet-lag, fast turn arounds, and while there are exotic locations aplenty, there’s no time to see them. And if you thought an office cubicle was constricted trying spending the duration of a 24 hour flight in the confines of a cockpit.

You won’t find me there, I’ll be in economy (unless I can fluke an upgrade), sipping wine and watching Casablanca on the in-flight movie channel. Now there’s air travel romance for you.

Someone wrote in asking if I was going to cover this one, and I’m surprised I didn’t think of it sooner, given a former flatmate was a fashion photographer! And what an eye opening experience that was, but I digress…

Well the job description sounds uber cool doesn’t it? Let’s see, take photos of actors, models, celebrities, TV, Radio, and media personalities, not to mention all the fabulous, glamourous “beautiful people” who make the A-List.

You go to all the openings, debuts, launches, lunches, and after parties in town, and what is it you have to do? Take photos! Huh, how hard can that be? Furthermore your work is published in the top fashion magazines, and your photography is the talk of the town.

And then as my former flatmate discovered, there are a whole bunch of extra “perks”. Like the “friendships” with the aforementioned fabulous, glamourous beautiful people, and the over eager wannabe models and B-Listers trying to “get noticed”.

The list goes on, oh, and who else is able to boast about being invited to Nicole Kidman’s house for dinner?

I have a camera, I could have a crack at this. Ok, it’s a very small digital camera, but it has a resolution of 3.2 Megapixels, and it does take photos, what more do you ask?

Well actually just a little more than that…

Like some actual talent and ability for taking photos. And a little charisma so you can “work it baby, work it.” A decent portfolio that will catch the eye of someone like Miranda Priestly is a must. And while we are talking about Miranda Priestly some of her attitude would also go a long to bringing your ambitions to fruition.

And you know about attitude don’t you? Either you have, or you don’t. Looks like my digital cam isn’t going to cut it for me after all. And by the way, yes, size matters in this industry babee.

But then there’s also long hours, countless re-shots, the fabulous, glamourous beautiful people, and other A-Listers who “forget” show up for the shot, or who are three hours “fashionably” late, dah-ling. There are late nights in the dark room, and the countless rejections from Miranda Priestly and her ilk.

So is it really for you?

My old flatmate is a food photographer now. He says food doesn’t talk back, turn up late, nor call at 3 o’clock in the morning to talk incessantly about domestic problems, or final demands from the tax office.

Good food speaks for itself he says, and doesn’t have bad hair days, nor blood shot eyes.

But the best part is he can be tempted by good food without getting into the least bit of trouble with his wife!

Ok, here’s a fun one. Who wouldn’t want to be an Astronaut? It’s pioneering and groundbreaking work. You get to blast off into the wide blue yonder and go places most people (expect for those with a lazy few million dollars), wouldn’t have the remotest hope of coming within several billions miles of.

And then there’s having fun floating above the Earth in a gravity free environment, trying to spot things like the Great Wall of China, and the Sydney Opera House (which should be visible if they’ve kept its tiles pristine white).

And if you’re really lucky, and can get rostered aboard the right rocket, you might even be the first person to set foot on another planet. And that could prove a short cut to your next career, as a celebrity, you know, a star who travelled among the stars, if you play your cards right.

Tempted then are you? Ok, so how does one become an Astronaut, I hear you ask. Well, there are one or two prerequisites.

First up you should at least have the ability to pilot a Jumbo jet (Concorde would be a bonus but is not essential), plus also be familiar with the flight modes of a couple of the latest model jet fighters.

It would also help to have the mental agility of Albert Eienstein, and the constitution of a championship triathlete. You should also be prepared to undergo intrusive medical tests daily, and look forward to “tumble runs”, where you are locked in a small pod, which then is spun around the room at amazing velocity!

You should also enjoy living in conditions akin to a sardine can, and in very close proximity to other people. If you like privacy, and stretching out on the sofa at the end of a long day (whenever days actually end in space – does anyone know?), this job may not be for you.

And if you thought airline food was bad, wait till you try the rocket ship variety. It’s not really food though, it’s a kind of liquid pulp, which you slip through straws out of plastic bags. Mind you, they say it tastes ok, and at least there are no dishes to wash afterwards.

And while pilots will tell you landing a plane is the trickiest part of their job, taking off is the least fun for an Astronaut. Unless you like the feeling of a dozen elephants standing on your chest as you accelerate to Earth escape velocity.

So is it for you? And just going back to the point about being an instant celebrity. Well no, not quite. While the rest us can look forward to 15 seconds of fame, an Astronaut is limited to just ten seconds. That’s the length of the final countdown sequence. After that, I’m sorry, but we’re all watching the rocket, not you!

Heather Mundell

Heather worked in HR management for eight years, and after five years as a stay at home full-time parent, became a certified professional coach. In 2003 she founded her coaching business Dream Big Coaching Services.

What prompted you to change careers?

I changed careers from HR director to parent-at-home because being the full-time caretaker for my newborn was more important to me than human resources, and because I could financially. After my second daughter turned one, I started thinking about what I wanted in a career and what I was willing to contribute to it.

I didn’t have a passion for HR and felt that another director job wouldn’t allow me to spend the kind of time I wanted to with my kids. I researched different ideas and finally settled on coaching, because it was a perfect match for my talents, skills and values and because as a self-employed coach I could be in charge of my schedule.

What was the biggest challenge of the career change process?

The biggest challenge of the career change process was simply taking a leap into the unknown. I didn’t know when I left HR if I would be miserable at home with my daughter (at times I was!)

When I started my coaching business I had no idea whether I had what it took to get clients and make a go of it. Through both of these transitions I had to get comfortable with feeling uncomfortable, and learn how to ride the inevitable ups and downs.

To what degree were you able to utilise previous skills and experience in your new career? Did you need any new qualifications?

As a coach I rely on many of the skills I developed as an HR director (good listening, critical thinking, creative problem solving) and added a bunch of new ones (all of the coaching competencies as laid out by the International Coach Federation, plus entrepreneurial skills). I spent a year in a coach training program to become a certified professional coach.

What advice would you offer anyone considering a career change?

Decide what’s important to you in your life and then examine whether getting that really requires an entire career change. Do you want to work fewer hours? More challenge? Less stress? In many cases people can achieve the difference they are looking for without embarking on a complete career overhaul.

Sometimes changing jobs within the same company or changing jobs within the same industry can make a huge difference. Even taking on a different project or delegating out an old one can help. Spending more off hours engaged in something you’re passionate about generally improves your outlook at work as well.

If you know you’re interested in a career change, take your time and do your homework. Go back to your list of what you want in your life, make a list of the skills you enjoy using, and research different career options. You can do a lot of this on your own online,or from books, or you can get guidance from your college’s career development office (even if you’re an alumni) or a career coach.

And before you sign up for grad school, be sure it really is the ticket to what you want, rather than something you “hope” will get you the job you want. Too many people incur too much debt attending graduate programs that don’t end up yielding the results they were hoping for.

If you want to be an accountant you go to university for three years. If you want to be a lawyer you go for six. There’s a lot to be said for these university type places isn’t there? Do a degree in your field of interest, and then get a job in your field of interest. Easy, right?

But not quite so if you want to be a… Rock Star. And that’s unfortunate because there’s a lot of people who would like the idea of becoming a Rock Star by doing a degree, in er, Rock Star-ery. If only it were that simple.

But no, it’s just a little harder than that. You need talent, ambition, persistence, charisma, and preferably an ability to work the media. Like Oasis used to. Bigger than the Beatles? Heck no, but did they stir up controversy (read: publicity) with those comments, or what?

As a Rock Star you also need a thick skin. And not just to stop bags developing under your eyes after partying for 21 days and nights non-stop (which is compulsory in this line of work, but the way). You need it so that when (your former friends) the media trash that “difficult second album”, you’ll take all it with a smile, and say “Well, third time lucky, then.”

Being a Rock Star isn’t just about zapping around the world, in a Learjet, playing sell out concerts in super-sized arenas. It’s about dealing with your fans ever declining expectations, as each album succeeding your brilliant “the next Beatles” like debut, slides further and further into mediocrity.

Being a Rock Star isn’t about penning Led Zeppelin “Stairway to Heaven” type classics with each and every album, it’s trying to work out there the creative spark went, and why you can’t write a single decent chorus, let alone song, anymore.

Nor is it about flying to tropical island paradises to record albums, or having queues of groupies waiting outside your hotel room, but rather never being able to walk along the street unrecognised, or being able to buy a coffee without getting mobbed. In fact, you can’t even enter the meat tray raffle at the local pub anymore, because if you win the press will say you rigged the contest!

So I ask, is it really for you? Being a Rock Star requires cool and attitude, something a university degree can neither teach, or impart.

Then again Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones considers the iconic band a business enterprise, not a creative collective. How’s that, then? The original bad boys of rock were in fact working to a business plan, not a desire to rebel.

Righto then, I’m cancelling the guitar lessons, and if I’m quick, I just may be able to grab one of the last places in this year’s accounting intake at the local university…

Penelope Trunk

Penelope played volleyball for nine years and reached the US Professional Beach Volleyball Tour. She has since had three careers, working as an entrepreneur, professional writer, and software marketing executive, where she helped launch new businesses for Fortune 100 companies, and manage on-line marketing for a startup through its IPO.

What prompted you to change careers?

I changed careers from volleyball to software marketing when I realized that my learning curve had plateaued in volleyball. I was very good at marketing myself to sponsors. And while my tour rank remained pretty steady, my sponsors kept getting better and better.

That’s when I realized that I had more growth potential in marketing than in volleyball – it was time to move on. I picked software because I knew I could market anything, so I wanted to work in a field that was known for good salaries.

What was the biggest challenge of the career change process?

The biggest challenge is convincing myself I could really do it, and talking to people about my marketing career like I was really doing it. It took a long time for people who knew me well to see me as a marketing expert and not a volleyball player.

At first, when I’d go for interviews, I felt like a compete poser telling people I knew anything about marketing. But soon I realized that whatever I didn’t know I could learn quickly. I picked a field I was good at so I could learn it quickly.

To what degree were you able to utilise previous skills and experience in your new career? Did you need any new qualifications?

I read a lot. I gained a competitive edge in volleyball because I read more – about weight lifting, jump training, endurance, for example – than anyone else. I used that same tactic in marketing. I read a lot to make up for my lack of experience.

The most important skill I leveraged was learning something new. When I started playing beach volleyball I was not from California and all the natives had more experience on the beach than I did. I had to convince myself that I could learn something new quickly.

I had to figure out how to break into pickup games, convince coaches to work with me, and figure out when to let people know I need help and when to fake it. All these skills are important for any new career. They are skills that help you get your bearings in a totally new situation.

What advice would you offer anyone considering a career change?

Figure out what you have to leverage. Don’t start out completely new. Look back on your life at the things you have done in an outstanding way. That is where your talent is. Use that talent to make the career change, and then you have something to put on your resume for experience.

Don’t change to a career that will not be an outlet for talents you have not already shown. Each of us has a few outstanding talents – we don’t have unlimited, undiscovered talents, even though we wish we did. Work is the most interesting when we are doing it very well, learning quickly, very engaged.

These traits come from areas where we have some talent. (A good book on this idea is “Flow“.) So when you’re making a career change, be honest with yourself about where your talents lie. You’ll be happiest with your work if you cater to them.

Acting has to be best job ever, right? I mean you get to work with all those stars, socialise with all those stars (and go to all those decadent parties to boot), and maybe even marry one or two (or five) of those stars. (Just not all at the same time though, please!)

At other times you travel the world, and visit exotic locations to “work”, and stay in five star hotels each night. Then there’s the times you walk the red carpet on premiere night, applauded by an adoring public. Doesn’t leave much time to work on that acceptance speech should when you win that Oscar!

Well all of that may be true, but first you’ve got to get into drama school. (And sometimes that in itself is harder than landing a role in a movie!) Then you have to complete the course and graduate. Then you have to compete for the attention of a casting agent. That is compete with all the other acting graduates, not just from your acting school, but all the other schools as well!

To say nothing of the competition from the experienced actors! And while we’re on the subject, how many out-of-work actors are there again? Why do so many actors refer to that something called their “lucky break”? Even the best known ones? I thought lucky breaks were for other people, not actors!

Sure acting is fun, challenging, and glamourous. Finding acting work however, may not be.

But then again, what’s so glamorous about all those late night shoots? And the early morning shoots? As in 3-am early, shots? How about having to lose 20 kilos for a role? How about having to gain 20 kilos for a role?

And how about all those fans? How about the extra persistent ones, who seem to somehow get hold of your mobile phone number, your address, and your private photo collection, and try and auction the whole lot off over the internet? Ah, the price of fame!

How about having the paparazzi camped on your doorstep, day and night, waiting for that candid, and often less than flattering photo “op”?

So, no, I’m not saying discount acting as a career, (seriously!) if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be, but honestly winning millions in lotto just might be easier!

Of course a Hollywood talent scout may be working undercover at your workplace and has already informed his superiors of your hilarious antics at the water cooler.

Excuse me, have to go, I think that is the phone call I’ve been “waiting for”…