Figuring it out I was in a career in sales for tech start-up companies but after going through burnout I decided to go on a round the world trip and now i'm doing a masters in experimental psychology (completely different to my undergrad which was in business). Everyone else my age (late 20s) is established in their career and living with their partners etc.
but I am still feeling unclear and lost. I don't want to go back to sales, I don't think I want to be a psychologist and applying to marketing roles is difficult for me because i dont have digital marketing experience.
I guess i'm just sharing my story because I want to meet more people that are doing career changes, or just trying to figure it out.
What's your story?
Remi Gibbs
Make Yourself a Priority
346
04/27/21 at 2:32PM UTC
Pick up the book Designing Your Life. It's such an amazing tool for figuring these things out, but you have do the work it outlines. It's the framework I use in my coaching business.
User deleted comment on 04/27/21 at 2:48PM UTC
Remi GibbsMake Yourself a Priority
346
04/27/21 at 3:07PM UTC
My biggest piece of advice is to try things. Set up informational interviews with people in jobs and companies that you might like to work in. Volunteer with organizations that appeal to you. It's tough coming out of school with minimal life experience and expect to know what you want. I wish there was more to help guide us when we are young. I never used my undergrad degree in Criminal Justice. My career took me into the hospitality industry with a focus in sales, marketing, and catering. I had an event planning business in Las Vegas for a few years before getting divorced. I have worked as a self-employed marketing consultant and freelance event coordinator/manager for the past 8 years and am now pivoting into coaching where I find my purpose.
Remi GibbsMake Yourself a Priority
346
04/27/21 at 2:56PM UTC
This one is a bit different. There is homework to do with each chapter. But if you are truly stuck, seek the guidance of a career coach or counselor. They'll be able to help you break everything open and put it back together.
Jodi McCall
27
04/26/21 at 2:27PM UTC
I had been working in the medical field for 16 years. I was told by my family that the medical field is a great place bc there are always work opportunities. I spent many years traveling to different states working which was exactly what I wanted to do with my life! Even though the work didn’t light me up the traveling did. I had to return home for family reasons. Got my old job back, got into a horrible relationship, and helped start an ep program. I knew that this was going to help me pivot into medical device industry. I did like a lot of pieces of this work, but the constant travel was no longer fulfilling me bc i felt like a road warrior. I know I don’t want to live that life any more and I really don’t want to go back to the lab. I am over being on call, and its hard on your body. Wearing lead all day, not really eating or drinking all day, standing on your feet, moving patients.
I got a career coach, and we decided that UX design/research is a great fit for my personality and values. I started a program mid march and am hoping to graduate by October and hopefully land a job in 2021!
It’s so important to be happy in a career!
Christina LangdonBringing clarity and joy to women in the C-Suite
99
04/25/21 at 12:34PM UTC
I waited too long to change my career...so you are my hero. Know that you don't have to know what the perfect career or role is for you. I recommend -- as you did on your world trip -- keep exploring. Your next role will not be your last. Look at it as an adventure.
ChristinaElectrical Field Engineer
29
04/23/21 at 7:33PM UTC
I think you did the hardest part already, which is leaving when you know it's time. I'm also a late 20's career changer, but I haven't gotten to that part yet. I know I need to leave, but I'm still trying to figure out what I want. I think I've given up on a 'dream' job; without working it, I won't know for sure that I like the work, and even then, I know all work sucks sometimes. I do know that I want something that gives me more stable hours (I'm currently on call 24/7) and lets me travel more often. In terms of work satisfaction, I like solving technical problems, so I'm trying to take some LinkedIn courses to help brush up on my software and programming skills. I've also tried out a few other options before this one, so 50/50 if I actually go with it.
I do know exactly what you mean about looking around and seeing everyone settled in with long term careers, S/O, and a white picket fence; it's easy to feel like maybe I'm just not as good at this 'game' as everyone else is. I keep reminding myself to appreciate the difference in our paths; I've seen more 'cool' newer technologies and gotten to travel, whereas my undergrad friends haven't even left our college town.
The best advice I've gotten that really stuck with me is that you have to live life at your own pace. There's no set timeline, so you can take time to figure out what you want. Try on new things.
Helen HanisonHelen Hanison's Leadership Coaching
457
04/22/21 at 1:25PM UTC
So, my own story features 2 careers also. The first (global public relations for 20 years) and my own pivot will sound familiar - psychology as a 2nd degree leading to the coach training and narrative therapy I love doing.
Today I help seasoned professionals who are at a career crossroads and feeling stuck in a cycle of trying to solve their career problem on their own. Together we carefully co-create a new plan so they finally make aligned, confident transformation happen instead.
So your 'figuring it out' post resonates for me on a few levels.
I feel like you're asking permission not to go back to Sales. Give that to yourself and cross it off the list of possibilities. It's a clear success trap. Meaning: when we're competent at something we know we loathe doing it gets tempting and confusing because it feels like the easier or 'safer' route. It's not. It's just the familiar route. Actually we have certainty it's untenable if you literally left it once already.
So we've figured out that what feels magnetic is the confidence in your competency back there. Just know that's different from feeling fulfilled and move forward instead.
Know feeling fulfilled in your work is not a race either. You're taking courageous steps to curate a career where you will feel alive and aligned. That's an investment (as is doing a masters) and often not linear so please also give yourself permission to stop comparing your 'pathway' to others. I wish careerists would actually think of their career success with an agile career mindset - where the experiences we move through are thought more of a series of interest-based career projects.
Coming from that perspective, you will gift yourself enough space to be creative about your upcoming career chapter. You can build towards your career redesign even while it's vague for you.
What do I mean? For me, figuring it out reads clearly: you want to apply your knowledge base in psychology to (digital) marketing. Having done both, I can confidently tell you there's enormous transferable benefit in your blended skillset.
You say you're doing a masters - present tense. So there's time to accrue training and work experience in academic holidays in digital marketing and that will set you up for success down the line. Think of it as more learning and go start discovering your digital learning curve.
STEP 1: you know your way around a little research if you're in deep with experimental psych. Where's the right fit training you can easily do to unveil the mysteries of digital marketing? Look at LinkedIn and Coursera for starters and ask around. Much of the time these are free or low-cost but they'll get your confidence up and you'll start speaking the right language. Plenty of ideas and I expect the lovely FGB community right here might well have experience of on-point trainings they can share
2. Do something with it. You could actively seek a junior / intern position in digital marketing to get on-the-job training. If that's taking too long or clashes with academics, start a career blog (suggest on LinkedIn) perhaps around your own professional pivot (with a dash of psychology as often as it's interesting). The point here is using the skillset somehow - and for yourself counts because over time it proves your competency in the area. Later a career blog will become a tool that supports your job search because it's the first place prospect employers will look to make decisions about you. As you feel more comfortable, offer your services out - if you don't have availability around the masters for a FT gig, volunteer xx hours a week to solopreneurs who you feel aligned with and would like to help (in turn for a glowing testimonial on your LinkedIn for the skills traded) and/or offer your fresh skills on fiverr (or similar).
The BIGGEST point here is do something to move through this potential barrier NOW, don't wait for it to be a problem. Let your anxiety that it might become a barrier, get you into action so it can't.
I hope that helps. You'll find me over in Career Crossroads if you would like a little ongoing support.
Warmly, Helen
