Career change is a process of trial and error and experimenting. It definitely was for me.
I never knew where I wanted to go from one job to the next, but looking back at my career it all makes sense now. I was just trying different careers to find one that fit me. And with every new job I also tried out another interest of mine. I studied theatre because I really wanted to be a dancer or choreographer, but wasn’t confident enough to go for it.
I got my first job in a theatre organisation working with students and schools which also covered my interest in education. From there I changed to being a project manager in a translation agency because I wanted to work with languages. I liked working in an international team and wanted to try working in a big company, so that’s what I did next. Then I wanted to be more creative and started from scratch in make-up and retail. After that I realised that I really am an entrepreneurial spirit and started my own businesses in vintage make-up, publishing and design and coaching.
Career change is a journey of getting to know yourself. Along the way, I learnt more and more of what I like doing or not, what I am good at and what kind of conditions and environment I need to be the best I can.
I learned that I worked best by being able to manage my workload independently without having a boss looking over my shoulder all the time. I love working with people from different countries. I learned that I need structure and order to be my best. I like being thorough and making work processes more effective and streamlined. I love brainstorming and generating ideas for businesses, products and solutions. People perceive me as calm and positive. These are just a few things I have learned over the years about myself.
But enough about me – play detective and start collecting clues about yourself. This is especially important for those of you who don’t know where you want to go. Just start with what you know and fill in the blanks as you go along. As you can see sometimes I only had very vague notions e.g. “languages” to find my next job, but it still worked for me. Just keep adding to your clues and the picture of what you want will be getting sharper and more detailed. So start finding out who you are!