10 things I’ve learned in the 10 months since changing careers
These will resonate with anyone considering a career change, either mild or dramatic
**THANK YOU**
First, before you read, accept my sincere thanks. I have over 50 new unpaid subscribers (and a couple of new paid ones!) after the post the other day, all because YOU shared it and recommended me. Chuffed! Thanks. Onwards to the post.
1
Your transferable skills are abundant, you might just not realise it
If, like me, you’ve worked in one particular industry for a long time, you might feel – like I did – that you are ONLY well-versed or at expert level in that field. I was so frightened when I realised that The Thing I Knew How To Do was edit magazines. Magazines are disappearing faster than P Diddy’s chances of staying out of jail, as we know, and so I found myself teetering on the edge of a career precipice with nowhere else to go. Or so I thought. It turns out, ‘editing a magazine’ also means:
Working to tight budgets and even tighter deadlines
Managing a team, hiring a team
Managing the logistics of shoots
Creativity on demand, 24/7
Planning a calendar of events and marketing ideas
Managing people (as individuals – managing a team is totally different imo)
Brainstorming until your brain ceases to function
Showing up, day in day out, for your passion
Staying late in the office
Taking responsibility in full for f*ck ups
Reporting back to management about progress
Etc, etc, etc
So yeah, I worried I could only do one thing. But it turns out, I spent 15 years in the world of work learning things from some of the most disciplined, talented, creative and dedicated colleagues and managers there are, and have brought all of those skills to my new role and applied them.
2
Being challenged is where the growth is
It wasn’t until I was a couple of months into my new job (can I still call it that by the way? Ten months later?) when I was being pushed out of my comfort zone and asked to do things I’d never really done before, I realised how stagnant I’d been previously. I wasn’t growing as a freelancer – I was just going through the motions. Enjoying it, sure, but not being challenged and ergo, not growing as a person or as a professional.
Now, I have more responsibility than ever at work. I see tangible and definable results nearly every day and I have had to be braver and more direct and more ballsy than ever before. I’m frequently scared and intimidated and finding I need to brace myself but that, my friends, is where the growth is.
3
Being part of something bigger is so rewarding
I had forgotten how wonderful it feels when you’re part of something you genuinely love and are passionate about. Having worked for myself for seven years, I hadn’t been *in* something in that way for a long time, and really it’s something to behold. Particularly in a start-up environment, the team spirit really carries you through the days, good and bad, and working with a close network of colleagues to achieve a common goal is such a buzz.
If you’re unhappy in your role, and don’t feel that sense of support and community from your team, maybe it’s time to consider going somewhere else?
4
Reputation travels with you
All the goodwill and kindness that you’ve always shown will float along in the ether beside you and travel with you to your next posting. I don’t know how else to explain it, but it will. Over the course of my career, I’ve tried really, really hard to be kind and welcoming and warm and honest to everyone I’ve met, and that good juju came with me when I changed career, because that’s who I’ve become.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not some beacon of eternal patience who never sits down over a cup of tea to gossip, but I generally operate a kindness-first approach. I don’t judge, I don’t listen to others’ summaries of people and will wait until I’ve met a person to make my own decision, and I’ll always try my best to treat people with respect if what they’ve shown me is respect.
That last phrase is key. Winky face emoji.
5
There’s a whole new world of Imposter Syndrome
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING AND THEY’RE GONNA FIND OUT AND SACK ME
That sentence plays in my head at least once a day at work. At the job I’ve been (I think, I hope!) succeeding for almost a year. It is a huge, huge challenge for me to catch these thoughts and reframe them, to remind myself that I KNOW STUFF and even though the people around me are talented and capable, they can’t possibly have the exact same skillset as me.
I’m afraid to say though, Imposter Syndrome (if you’re one of the unfortunates who struggles with it, like moi) follows you to every job like a shadow.
On my first day in my job, this one I’m in now (Head of Comms & Brand at Poco Beauty for those who are new!), I wore my most power-vibey outfit – a crisp white shirt, my long grey wool coat, leather trousers and a pristine face of makeup. I was trying, I now realise, to outrun the sinking feeling of Imposter Syndrome.