‘We’ becomes ‘Me’
It’s a new year and you’re probably thinking of a new job or maybe a new career. Two years ago, I also had the same thought. Thankfully in 2023, I was finally able to transition my career into a new industry and I want to share about my journey to other aspiring career pivoters.
The very first step of my career pivot journey was to define the destination. Similar to envisioning a dream vacation, there are some must haves, nice to haves, and some absolute no’s. I think being young or early on in my career I felt this desire to be very flexible and open to anything that came my way. It’s inspiring thinking of all the many possibilities I could become, but it also led to my analysis paralysis. The most powerful tool that helped me find my destination as well as overcome my analysis paralysis was identifying my strengths and what made me happy. I reflected on all the previous jobs and roles I’ve had and tried to pinpoint exact details or experiences in roles I enjoyed and understand why. I considered my skill set and categorized them into:
Things I Am Good At & Things I Am Not-So-Good At
Things I Am Good At & ENJOY
Things I Am Good At & DON’T Enjoy
Having identified these qualities about myself, I was able to hone in and transform the list into boxes from which I would analyze job descriptions or ask about in interviews. It was very important to me the next job I took or wherever my next destination was, it had to be a place where it checked all the boxes underneath, “THINGS I AM GOOD AT AND ENJOY.” Everyone’s boxes are different and so it’s incredibly hard to pick any random job/role and hope it will be something you like. Identifying these qualities will enable you to highlight your strengths in your resume and in interviews. It may also bring light to areas you can further develop yourself in.
At this point in my journey, I thought the hard part (defining my destination) was over and all I had to do now was apply for jobs online- but I was wrong. One of the largest challenges on my journey was unlearning my people-pleasing tendencies. Being a child of immigrants, I felt an immense desire to please my parents. To make their sacrifices worth it. There was an understanding that my livelihood was the direct result of my parents and ancestors' sacrifice and hard work. Therefore, the only way to make my parents proud was to do exactly as they said and have a stable career that makes a lot of money. Growing up my parents never failed to tell me I needed to be a doctor, lawyer, or engineer. It’s stereotypical. It’s cliche. To do anything different from these prescribed professions, in my parents eyes, meant a lot of uncertainty and risk. Making my own life choices separate from what my family thinks just didn’t feel right or okay.
I won’t lie, it was terrifying telling my parents, who have sacrificed so much for so long, to let me take a gamble and let go of the stable career WE had built. It was even more terrifying telling them about my plan even though I didn't know whether or not it was going to be successful. Doing anything different from what WE had previously discussed felt crazy to my parents and in turn I began to feel crazy and doubt myself. It took time and a lot of growth from both parties but I can confidently say my parents and I really needed to go on that journey together. I needed to learn how to bet on myself and find my own confidence to make my own life choices while still having their unconditional love and support.
Something my parents always told me before a big test or competition was to believe in myself. I have to believe that all the experiences and skills I’ve learned up to this point will be enough. I am not someone who knows it all- I’m no genius. But I have to trust my gut and know that whatever challenges may come, I am equipped to solve them. And if it turns out I am not, I am completely capable of learning the skills to solve them.
When it finally came time to diligently apply for jobs, my biggest assets in the process were networking and getting experience. Opportunity will not come knocking at your door; You need to go out looking. During my 2 year career pivot I volunteered and became an unpaid/paid intern part-time and full-time. I wanted to expose myself to new and different opportunities and apply my skills in new environments. I wanted to continue building up my strengths and meet new people. There is always something to learn from each person and each new experience, you just need to make yourself available to it. If you feel weird or awkward reaching out to someone, my only advice is those feelings start to fade when you have a lot of practice so embrace the learning process.
It’s hard to know if everything will work out and if you will eventually be happy once you land that next job but it shouldn’t have to be all or nothing. You don’t have to put all your coins in one bucket. Little progress is something to be proud of because it’s one step closer than you were before. Be brave and enable yourself to go after what you want. Worst case scenario, if you really don’t like something you have every right and the power to change once again.
(Carina Tran, Associate Project Manager, Lululemon)
