icon
Home icon

Home

Jobs icon

Jobs

Reviews icon

Reviews

Network icon

Network

Resources icon

Resources

|For Employers icon

For Employers

logo
about
careers
FAQs
privacy policyterms & conditionsfor employers
112k
20k
icon
© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
My ProfileMy MessagesMy NetworkMy SettingsGroupsEventsMy PostsLog Out
Mystery Woman
Tell us more for better jobs, advice
and connections
YOUR GROUPS
Discover and join groups with like-minded women who share your interests, profession, and lifestyle.
COMPANIES YOU FOLLOW
Get alerted when there are new employee reviews.
YOUR JOB ALERTS
Get notified when new jobs are posted.
Your post is published!
Anonymous
08/17/20 at 9:47AM UTC
in
Career

Career Changer

Hello, I am a 29-year-old ( I turn 30 next Monday) career changer who has been searching for a new career path. My journey began when I started college right after high school in Fall 2009 as an undecided major. I went on to major in Hospitality with a concentration in Event Management. I did a hotel internship and worked as a weekend banquet server. Both experiences showed me that Event Management was not glamorous. Plus, I did not have any knowledge of my hometown area; however, I finished my Associate's Degree at 23 years old. I moved on to major in Healthcare for Radiology Tech, but my science level was not to the highest point of standard. (I was failing the labs). I moved on, continued to work my part-time job and I finished my Bachelor's Degree at 28 in Business Management. A week after graduation I received my first job offer as a Sales Representative. A month later, I quit the position because my sales performance was not meeting with the company expectations. All In all, I did not make the best decisions in choosing a major. I did not job shadow nor talked to a family member or friend who worked in the field. I eventually talked to my late uncle about the Hospitality field in which he advised me to change my major. I regretted not doing summer internships in college or after graduation. Since then I have attended a career fair, my university networking events, and an informative interview. With the current pandemic going on; I helped my parents out at home and decided to take online courses and learn about excel, coding possibly digital marketing. My question is As a career changer, Can I find a remote job during the pandemic to fill my career gap? Is it better for me to find an internship and get remote job or volunteer and get a remote job? Thank You

Share

Join the conversation...
KimmieFH
star-svg
795
Reach your goals through positive connections
08/17/20 at 7:27PM UTC
The above advice from Frances is spectacular. I think most of us (especially in the U.S.) were taught to look at our careers all wrong and never learned to personalize our decisions properly (at least not for todays work world). As someone who was once in a similar place I think I understand your fears and frustrations and am here to ease them. I decided on a hospitality major as well and focused on events because I loved entertaining and wanted to make people happy. Eventually I found it overwhelmingly stressful and I rarely felt fulfilled that I was making anyone happy (at least in a way that was meaningful to me). I let curiosity take over and asked around a bunch, strategically moved into a visible position at a great company and volunteered to assist others in areas I was interested in. By the time I knew what direction I wanted to go in and something opened up, not only did I have a little experience, I also knew half the team already. There were a few times I worried and wondered about "wasted time" and "wrong decisions" that set me down the wrong path but it turned out that all of those experiences have really helped me to stand out in my roles. A lot of the soft-skills I honed along the way have been transferable and I spent a few years in an entry-level role that supported a high-level leader, allowing me to be in all the big meetings and gain the business acumen that I would not have gotten in a classroom. I would take this time while applying to learn about anything you can. Apply to anything that seems like something you would enjoy, even if you don't feel qualified. If you get an interview that's a chance to learn more. Reach out to others who's jobs or industry sound interesting. Take some time to sit with yourself and think "what do I really want out of my career?". Is it based around your passion or does it just support your passion (give you the $ and freedom). Take baby steps, be open-minded and curious and allow yourself to test and keep checking in with yourself. Trust that you have skills to catch yourself should you want to pivot again. You are not "starting over", you are simply changing direction. You've got this!
Brionna
star-svg
60
08/17/20 at 10:10PM UTC
Thank You. I am taking online courses to learn about coding, and digital marketing. I wrote down key words based on my personality trait, formal college classes and it came down to IT and Digital Marketing.
Frances Garvey
star-svg
63
D&I Strategies | Career Re-Start Consulting
08/17/20 at 1:08PM UTC
First, I applaud you for completing you Bachelors degree! Often people who don't go straight through get discouraged and just never get it done. Having the degree opens many doors. I would say, that I find you may be a Career Finder vs. Career Changer. Perhaps you just haven't found that sweet spot of purpose and passion - the foundation of motivation when finding an industry or job function. Take the time to reflect on you: how do you describe yourself (great team player, like to work alone, detailed, big picture, task oriented, leader, etc) Ask others close to you - not only family - to describe you - do they match up? What did you lear?. Think of a time when you were happy with the job/task at hand - could be a summer job as a kid, or a team project in school. What was it that makes you happy, excited, PROUD of your performance...can that be married up with a job function: project management, data analytics, etc. Take time to visualize how you want to work - corporate office/suits, flex gig work. When you have identified business functions/types of companies that motivate you - fit - start researching similar companies online via sites like FGB and LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc. See what jobs they have & do your skills meet openings? What skills might you need to add - such as a data analytics certification. Filling your gap with relevant volunteer or PT work is a good idea, but be sure to keep your career goals as first priority. Lay out a plan, work it and go find your career. Good luck!
Brionna
star-svg
60
08/17/20 at 4:18PM UTC
Thank You, I have Linkedin and used Glassdoor. I am a great team player, organized, but is an introvert who mainly socialize with people who make me feel comfortable. I also did a researched based formal college classes, fields that my family view me in, and personality trait etc. It came out to IT or Digital Marketing, but I did write down the skills I need to learn for the field.
Terry Whitaker
star-svg
32
Leadership and Career Coach
08/17/20 at 12:52PM UTC
Kudos for doing more research this time around. All career mis-steps are growth experiences. All help us get closer to what we DO want. Think about the intersection of your strengths, what you enjoy and what you can get paid to do. Either an internship or volunteering could work as long as it gets you more practice and experience in what you currently think you might excel at and enjoy.
Brionna
star-svg
60
08/17/20 at 4:07PM UTC
Thank You. I know companies are geared towards current students, but I hope companies give college graduates and career changers a chance to do one. I am preparing a virtual career fair for next month. In my case, What questions should I ask the recruiters about internships?
Terry Whitaker
star-svg
32
Leadership and Career Coach
08/17/20 at 4:32PM UTC
Questions like: 1. What kinds of entry level positions are most common in this organization and what are they key attributes you seek for those positions? 2. Have you ever, or would you consider offering an internship to a career-changer? 3. Could you share an example of someone who came into the organization as an intern or entry level and then successfully moved on within the organization? What made them successful? If you have a couple of questions prepared, but then REALLY LISTEN when they respond, other appropriate questions will come to mind.
Brionna
star-svg
60
08/17/20 at 4:58PM UTC
Thank You Very Much! I appreciate it. When I attended my university’s career fair last October, I was not prepare with questions for recruiters to answer about my situation. I just gave a brief summary about myself. This time however; I will prepare myself to ask questions and will right down the answers.
Tara
star-svg
81
Higher Ed Communications in the Tampa Bay area
08/17/20 at 12:51PM UTC
I echo Melissa's statement above. There's a lot out there for remote work, find something that is interesting and give it a try. Then look into volunteer or internship opportunities that match with some of those interests you have. Although it can be stressful, it is just as valuable to find the the things you do not enjoy as it is to find the things that you do.
Leslie A Strazzullo
star-svg
478
Data-Driven Global B2B Marketing Professional
08/17/20 at 12:49PM UTC
Hello Career Changer. Getting remote, part-time or volunteer work sounds like a good idea while you try to figure things out. If you are interested in Digital Marketing, continue to do what you are doing -- learning more about the field and conducting informational interviews. See where it takes you. Also, a book that helped me out when I was transitioning was, "What Color Is Your Parachute?" by Richard Bolles. I know it seems daunting but you are taking the right steps by researching areas that interest you.
Brionna
star-svg
60
08/17/20 at 4:03PM UTC
Thank You. I have never done Digital Marketing, but i’ll research it. One of the reasons why the sales industry did not work for me was because as an introvert, I could not get consumers to buy the product. Plus, it was in the summer, so people were not home.
Melissa Nobile
star-svg
1.05k
Handbell Choir Director
08/17/20 at 12:36PM UTC (Edited)
Take whatever you can find that interests you. Give it a year and if you hate it, move on. There are lots of at home jobs being promoted here at FGB. Check them out!
Brionna
star-svg
60
08/17/20 at 4:01PM UTC
I will look into doing that. Do I search ”Remote Jobs or Home Jobs?” Thank You.
Anonymous
08/17/20 at 11:43AM UTC
When I lost my job after 21 years in Michigan, I trusted my gut feeling when I moved to Texas. Step back, turn off the noise and listen to your inner voice that will give you the best guidance.

You're invited.

See what women are sharing on Fairygodboss.
What's new today
wand-button
Personalize your jobs
Get recommendations for recent and relevant jobs.
Employer Reviews
Weir ESCO
5.0
Weir ESCO is supportive, collaborative, and flexible work...
Twitter
3.7
The people at Twitter are great, super supportive and...
Recent Content
What is Re-Onboarding and is It Necessary in the Return to Work?
Here’s Your Daily Dose of Career Inspiration! 2 Women Share How They Grew Into Global Leaders
4 Phrases Confident Women Tell Themselves When They Don’t Get The Job They Dreamed Of
icon
© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
  • about
  • careers
  • FAQs
  • privacy policy
  • terms & conditions
112k
20k