Recently, we the people celebrated our many freedoms: The right to say what we want (in most cases); the right to personal property (pending a veto override); and the right to launch low-grade explosives onto the neighbor's garage.

Here at Workbytes, we'll celebrate a lesser-known freedom: The right to chuck your career and start all over in a new one.

Of course, if you work for Maytag, Winnebago or Rubbermaid, you already are well acquainted with this particular liberty.

Most of us dream occasionally of a new career that offers more satisfaction, more prestige and double time on major holidays. Some of us actually do something about it.

We've all heard the inspirational stories: A beer-truck driver becomes an NFL kick returner. A busboy opens his own five-star restaurant. A twice-monthly business columnist is hired as Daisy Fuentes' personal manservant.

Add Workbytes regular Renee to the list.

Loyal readers will recall that Renee grew up in Decorah, Iowa, matriculated at Central College in Pella, then moved to California to work for a tourism organization that, if we mentioned the name, would make her work weekends until she retires.

Last week, she walked.

"I'd been thinking about a change for a couple of years but felt I needed to make some additional contacts and save a bit of cash before I could leap," she told Workbytes. "A friend of mine said: 'Just jump, and the net will find you.' "

Renee has decided to give freelance marketing a shot. (Her friend, we assume, still works for the circus.)

"Within a week of giving my notice, I had six companies offer future projects," Renee said.

Experts say that Gen-Xers like Renee will change careers an estimated 125,000 times. In many cases, before lunch.

Those same experts say the itch to switch can be satisfied one of two ways. Workers can, like Renee, follow a gut instinct, or they can try a more scientific approach, with someone we'll call Dr. Z.

Don Zytowski is director of research and development at National Career Assessment Services Inc., an Adel company that matches people to careers based on their personality traits, which are uncovered through a lengthy questionnaire.

Workbytes tried to introduce Renee to Dr. Z, but she had her mind made up.

So we filled out the survey ourselves, then waited several weeks while scientists in Adel pored over the answers and applied complicated mathematical theorems. We're guessing.

In the meantime, we entertained the possibilities. Maybe Dr. Z would say we were ready for a new career. Workbytes Bar and Grill? Workbytes.com? Workbytes Drive-Thru Hairstyling?

"What if he says you should be a shoe salesman?" Renee warned.

We figured we could handle the extra responsibilities. Not to mention the pay hike.

The results came back with a colorful chart that placed Workbytes on a graph among what Dr. Z calls the "Big Six" career categories.

Turns out we're best suited for a job in ... communications. And we should stay away from careers in the "outdoor/mechanical" field.

(Well, there goes Workbytes Canyon Tours and Muffler Repair.)

So it looks like we'll be sticking around the ol' business section for a bit longer.

At least until Daisy decides to offer dental coverage.

Larry Ballard writes for the Des Moines (Iowa) Register.