[jvanderbot]

Most folks aren't professionals. If you are a farm laborer for a few years, then a hair stylist, then a cook - that's two career changes.

My professional white-collar wife has done 3 changes already and we're barely middle-aged. I've done 2 myself (factory worker -> Researcher -> Engineer).

My Mom has done about 5-6. My dad 1. My mother in law has done at least 5, and my father in law at least 3.

My brother has done 2 (soldier -> sales -> design). My 4 bros-in-law have done at least 3 each (all starting with soldier).

Sis in law has done 0. My sisters are 3,2 and are still young.

Does my story cancel yours? no, but the story isn't clear either.

[sanderjd]

How many of these things are "careers", though? To me, many of these examples sound like doing a bunch of different jobs, not careers.

Was being a factory worker a career, or was that a job you were doing before you started your first career as a researcher?

But I do think this thread is making me realize that this is probably a boring dispute over what "career" means.

[jvanderbot]

Yep - that is the issue. You can define it however you want so it's fairly arbitrary. To answer your question - given it was a major life direction change, I consider it a career change. I'd say a career change probably involves a similar life change in all cases.