ADULTS IN MID-CAREER CHANGE: CASE STUDIES FOR ADVISORS

Abstract

Adults are making mid-career changes more frequently today than ever before. According to Arbeiter et al., over 40,000 Americans are engaging in or anticipating a career change at some time in the future.1 Of these, 60% desire educational and career services. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that over 14,000,000 adults are currently enrolled in two- and four-year college credit courses.2 Three trends have i weased the importance of rumtraditional student programs in many universities across the country: 1) the increase in numbers and visibility of the adult, non-traditional college student population, 2) the stabilization or decrease in the size of the traditional, younger student population, and 3) the expanded services and offerings of programs and courses geared to nontraditional students.3 Thus, academic advisors must be able to understand the needs and motivations of adult learners and to develop advising skills and programs in response to these needs. The purpose of this paper is to outline some of the motivations and needs of both full-time and part-time adult learners who are in transition from work to school and to offer suggestions to academic advisors on how to meet those needs.