Starting a new career can be terrifying, and from the feedback I received from some of my wonderful commenters, I now see how many of you have gone through similar situations as myself. When I first started college, I had a professor who stressed that most students change their majors at least one time throughout their college career. At the time that I first heard this, I didn’t believe it for one moment. I had assumed that most students, by the time they start their college careers, were dead set on what they wanted to do with their lives-that is, they already had a career path that was cemented, and divergence was not an option. However, I would soon see that I too, would change my career in the most drastic of ways.
Earlier this week, I came across an online article at Fastcompany.com, that centers around an individual who changed careers many times during her 20s.
Here is a link to Arianna O’Dell’s article:
I chose this particular article, because, like myself and many of my commenters, she has experienced a career change. What I enjoyed most about this article is her belief that a career change can occur at any time in your life-there’s no “correct age.”
As O’Dell states in her article,
“There is no correct age for you to pursue a career that makes you happier, you can always make more money, but you’ll never get wasted time back.”
This is my favorite quote of her post, because I too felt as though I was not at the “right age” to change career paths; I felt that after my undergraduate’s degree, it was too late for any drastic changes.
O’Dell references several individuals that changed career paths at what many would consider “late” in their careers. One such individual in her 40s boasts of her success in changing from a career in marketing to software development.
After reading her article, I got a sense of relief,-I felt as though I did make the right decision, and that time truly wasn’t set against me. I have always felt that the biggest factor in my career change was my age. That is not the case. What truly matters most is your drive-are you committed to this new path? Will it bring you the happiness and satisfaction that your present career is not fulfilling?
I would encourage all of you currently experiencing or thinking about a change in career, to take a few minutes to read this article, as I feel that many can relate to the themes presented as well as benefit from many of O’Dell’s suggestions.
Loved the article! As someone who has changed careers I know it can be a hard event to go through (My husband also just went through a major career change, he went from business to a football coach/ teacher). We are so happy with our career changes, know we made the right decisions and always say we can not wait to see what is "next."
ReplyDeleteI actually was in the same boat in college. I never actually changed my major but finding something I was truly wanting to do while I was at community college was quite the experience. I tried almost everything from sports, to music, to construction, to acting, to business, and more. Ultimately I decided to go with the business side of things particularly marketing because just the science behind advertising and promoting a product to generate a genuine need or want from people just amazed me. I am a firm believer in "Living your best life" so don't be afraid of change, embrace it.
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