A few years ago, I made one of the biggest decisions of my entire life. I left the job I had trained and studied for for years, a good job at a decent level within the company, and moved across the country to completely start over in a new career. A lot of people didn’t understand- still don’t understand. The number one question I always get when people find out is “why?” Why would you throw that away? The answer isn’t simple, as anyone who is thinking about a career switch will understand. When I was starting to consider it, I turned to the internet for any help I could find, and to be honest, there wasn’t a lot. Sure, there were a few listicles here and there on career advice websites, but I wanted more. So that’s what I’m hoping to provide in this post. I’m going to talk about my decision to switch careers and the steps I took to get there, provide some tips, and answer the question- was it all worth it?
It all started with a come-to-Jesus moment with myself. There wasn’t a big event or fight that made me snap- it was just a check-in with myself. I enjoyed what I did, but I found myself having a hard time accepting that that was were I would be in five years. I liked what I was doing, but I realized I didn’t want it to be my career.
I started thinking about what I did want to be my career. I did a lot of research, and even more soul searching, to confirm that I wanted to make the switch. Once I settled on digital marketing, I had a momentary sense of excitement before I realized one sinking fact: I didn’t have any experience or credentials. I hadn’t even taken an intro to marketing class in college. How would I ever be able to break into the field?
The first thing I did was reach out to my friends. I knew a few people who had friends that worked in marketing, so I asked if I could buy them coffee. I picked their brains and asked about a million questions during these coffee chats, and everyone was super nice. On one of these coffee dates, they suggested I audit an intro to marketing class at the local college, so that’s what I did. After a semester of taking notes, cramming on homework, and stressing over tests, I felt a little better. At least I had a foundation now!
The next thing great thing that came from my coffee dates was that one of my contacts connected me with a nonprofit looking for a freelancer. They couldn’t pay much, but they also weren’t asking for much. It was the perfect opportunity for me to get some experience and add a line to my resume. After that, I took on a few more freelance gigs. In just a few months, I was working full time and had three freelance jobs on top of that. I was rolling in experience!
Then, my sister suggested I apply for an internship. I was hesitant at first- the people who would be applying with me would all have multiple classes of experience under their belt. They would know the industry jargon, and had maybe even had other internships before. The first time she suggested it, I shrugged it off. But the next year, I applied.
And I got the position. I couldn’t believe it. I think I waited a whole day before I told anyone, just in case it was a fluke. But it was real! I was going to move from Alabama up to Washington, D.C. to be a summer intern at a prestigious global marketing and PR firm. It was real. It was happening. I had done it.
I learned so much during my three month internship, and after it was over, the company officially hired me full-time. I’ve been a permanent employee for about a year and a half now, and things are going great! I’m getting more and more confident in my capabilities, and I’m learning and growing every day. Of course there are days where I miss my old career- after all, I chose it out of passion. I still love the field very much, but overall, I’m happy I made the switch.
I want to acknowledge that my path seems kind of… easy when you look at what I wrote above. I got some freelance gigs, I got the internship, and then I was hired. It sounds like things just fell together. But I want to be clear that this was HARD. I scheduled my first coffee date in the spring of 2014, and I didn’t apply for my internship until TWO YEARS later. Switching careers requires a major course correction, which touches almost every part of your life.
And I won’t lie, it has been really, really hard. I knew that there would be doubt, and I was prepared to face the fact that I was starting over, but there are some things that came out of nowhere for me. I don’t want you to suffer the same fate, so here’s a big heads up:
- There may be an age gap between you and your coworkers. I switched careers in my late 20s, which meant that some of my intern colleagues were almost 10 years younger than I was. I went to a fellow intern’s birthday party one night and realized, to my horror, that it was her 21st. I felt SO old.
- Your savings will take a huge loss. Even if you don’t move across the country for your new career, you’ll likely take a pay loss. It’s not like I was rolling in cash before I switched jobs, but not having enough money in my bank account to pay my rent wasn’t something I worried about. Now, that’s not the case. Also, my retirement savings line graph is super depressing now. My financial advisor was like wtf when we met after I switched. It looks like my age at retirement is predicted at 85 now, so get excited for that.
- The biggest one is that this WILL wear on your mental health. I won’t sit here and pretend that I’m feeling stable all the time. I have moments of absolute, sheer panic. I compare myself to my peers all the time, and it’s hard. Coworkers my age are several levels above me, which makes for a weird work dynamic. Even my friends in different careers are buying houses, and I currently have three roommates. Often I feel like I don’t really fit in anywhere. The people my level at work are still going out to actual dance clubs but the people my age are having couples parties in their mortgaged homes. I don’t feel completely comfortable with either group, so I find myself spending a lot of time alone (with my dog).
With all of that said, I want to give you some of my top tips. Every situation is different, but I think that these things will help guide you.
- Be absolutely, 100% sure. We’ve all wanted to quit our job after a hard week. I totally get it. But this is bigger than that. When I first talked to my parents about potentially switching careers, they asked if I thought I’d be happier at a different company, or in a different city, or doing something slightly different but still in the same vein. They were great questions that I hadn’t thought about at the time. Think about those questions. Why are you unhappy? Is it your boss, or the work itself? In my case, it was something bigger than that, but it took a lot of soul-searching to get there.
- Write out a Pros and Cons list. I love a good Pros and Cons list. I made one when I was choosing a college (Go ‘Dores!) and I made lots of them during this switching process. A lot of times, when you’re exited about something new, it’s easy to gloss over the negatives. But you need to give them equal say. Otherwise, it’s like staying with a boyfriend that has a gorgeous face but zero personality. Gotta weigh the pros and cons.
- Reach out to your friends. I never would have gotten to where I am now if I hadn’t asked my friends for help. If you know anyone in or adjacent to the career you want, reach out to them. I honestly can’t stress that enough. By doing that, I not only got great tips and advice, but respectable contacts and a literal job.
- Believe in yourself. It’s possible that your original career has nothing in common with your new one. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have transferrable skills, and those transferrable skills don’t necessarily have to be on the new job description. You are more capable than you realize, especially with the passion of someone willing to completely switch career paths. This is an incredibly brave thing to do, and people will recognize that.
So the million dollar question is- am I happy I made the switch? The answer is indubitably YES. I still struggle every day, and it’s still hard to adjust to this new life, even though I’ve been living it for almost two years. But I’m happy I took this step. More than anything else, I’m proud of myself. I worked really hard, am still working hard, and I’m proud of that.
I hope this has been helpful, and if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to answer them. Best of luck!
P.S. Outfit details: 1. Topshop Jeans 2. Shein sweater 3. Shein belt 4. Aldo heels 5. Dagne Dover bag
