Passed the Protean Certification🎊—Celebrating a successful end to 2024 with Anago-san🍺

It has been over two years since I took early retirement (changed jobs) from the company I had worked at for 34 years and 4 months since joining as a new graduate.
The catalyst was the extensive reading and social media use I started during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And, what I encountered through reading wasthe "Protean Career."
This was two years before I even took the career consultant training course.

The "Modern Protean Career," a practical refinement of the theory proposed by Professor Douglas Hall, updated by Professor Kensuke Tanaka of Hosei University.

And, four years after first encountering it, I took the "Protean Certification" exam from the "Protean Career Association" andpassed on my first attempt. *Details of the exam are not public, so I will refrain from introducing them.

What is a "Protean Career"...?
▼Website of the Protean Career Association▼

A Protean Career is a career theory for living better in the unpredictable VUCA era by being"protean" (ever-changing) and "future-oriented," and it is a strategy for living happily.
*Protean comes from Proteus, the attendant to the Greek sea god Poseidon.
He can change his shape freely!

Moving from an era where you "entrusted your career to the company" to"proactively shaping your own career." In other words, it is important to live strategically as the"manager of your own life."

There are two keys to this

Identity x Adaptability

I was impressed by this way of thinking, and since I was already in my mid-50s, I took action to shift my second story from a life entrusted to a company to a "proactive career."
My goal was...
Counselor (area of expertise) x Supporting people who find life difficult (addressing social issues)
It wasn't about "changing jobs" from the start; changing jobs was the decision that resulted from my practice.

Perhaps most people take the exam and then challenge themselves with a "Protean Career," but I was different.

I started with practice first; this exam was for confirmation.

Pretty cool, lol

I read the related books, was impressed, and being easily influenced, Ishifted to a "Protean Career" lifestyle starting the year I turned 57.

In about two years of activity, I was able to land my dream job as a counselor.
During this process, I accumulated the "career capital" that the "Modern Protean Career" emphasizes.
Career capital consists of three pillars:"Business Capital," "Social Capital," and "Economic Capital."

Below, I will briefly introduce my accumulations.

🔴Business CapitalーIndulging in the joy of lifelong learning lol
・Continued reading an average of 10 books per month since the COVID-19 pandemic
・Taking on new skills
　Career Consultant, Financial Planner, Japanese Sign Language, etc.
・Taking on new work
　First career change at 57ーEngaged in global human resource development
　Transitioned to a counselor role at 59

🔴Social CapitalーMeeting new companions
・Forming new connections through obtaining the Career Consultant qualification
　Training courses, seminars and events hosted by the Japan Career Development Association, etc.
・Increased connections on social mediaーTotal of 8 accounts/over 6,500 followers
　Facebook, X, Instagram, note, Threads

🔴Economic CapitalーThinking about how to earn
・Self-investment + asset management using retirement money + severance pay + savings
　→Full utilization of iDeCo, NISA, and general investments
・Moving from "earning" suddenly to "earning gradually"

It is difficult to suddenly "earn (a lot)" when changing careers in your late 50s.
I don't have the preparation or the capacity (at the moment) to start a business or become a sole proprietor.
What supported me here was the retirement severance pay applied to "management" when I retired from the company I worked at for 34 years.
To be honest, I received a "surprisingly large" amount ( ﾟДﾟ)

It was the first time I thought it was good to have been in management lol
With this, even if I had a low income or was unemployed, I was able to take on new things with psychological peace of mind by using a strategy of "not losing" assets, including utilizing asset management.

Now, the customary celebration is once again from Anago-san (^^)/

Thank you for reading my self-proclaimed "Protean" second story to the end.
By looking back on my footprints like this, I was able to immerse myself in psychological success while also reflecting on various things for the future.
I will continue to explore what an "ordinary middle-aged man" like me can do and enjoy the process.