What I’ve learned from making two career changes
Often when we’re feeling stuck in our careers, it’s not about money worries or the need to reskill (even though we think it is!). In many cases, there’s a missing piece we need to uncover. By Jacqui Ooi.
The first time I made a career change, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I’d spent my 20s working in the heady world of women’s magazines – considered by many to be a ‘dream career’ – but I was ready to pursue a different dream of working in international aid.
It wasn’t an obvious career shift to everyone around me, but to me, it made sense. I wanted to help people, I’d always had an interest in social and global issues, and I could use my decade of experience as a journalist to sidestep into a media or communications role.
That’s what I ended up doing in my 30s when I landed a role at a global children’s charity. Making the transition wasn’t all smooth sailing, but knowing what I wanted to do and having a clear end-goal in mind was the motivation I needed to continue forward.
My second (messier!) career change
The second time I made a career change couldn’t have been more different. After a decade in the charity sector, which had been both challenging and rewarding, I started to feel that niggle of needing a change and it eventually grew to a roar. I realise now I was in a role that wasn’t a good fit for me – and the longer I stayed, the worse I started to feel.
By the time I quit, I was in full-blown burnout but I didn’t know what else I could do. Although I was quite firm on what I didn’t want in my career anymore, this time I didn’t have a long-held dream propelling me forward. I just knew I wanted better balance in my life and I wanted to try some new things. But I had no clear vision or goal about what my next chapter could be.
It turns out this is a common experience among aspiring career changers and why many people get stuck – often it’s not because of financial reasons or the need to reskill, but because they don’t know what it is they want to do.
Getting unstuck
In my case, I did what people typically do and tried to figure it out on my own. I spent hours thinking and researching and way too much time in my own head, not knowing how to find the answers.
It wasn’t until I began volunteering with a women-focused organisation and had a go at starting a podcast (something that had been niggling at me to try) that the clarity started to come. I didn’t know it at the time but following those interests was the first step to uncovering a whole new career.
I never imagined that helping women navigate their own career change journeys would be the creative and purposeful path I was looking for – but that’s what happens when you stop thinking and start doing, and see what you learn from different experiences. With each small step, possibilities unfold and what you want for yourself becomes clearer.
“I didn’t know it at the time but following those interests was the first step to uncovering a whole new career.”
A clear vision and purpose
Since I found that new direction, there has been a lot of hard work to build this into a new career – from understanding how best to support women, to running career change workshops and mentoring sessions, to going back to university to retrain in career development (after swearing I’d never study again!), then pouring all of that learning and experience into developing our career change course.
It's been a journey but I LOVE what I do for work now and even on the hard days, my sense of purpose and a clear vision of what I’m aiming for continues to propel me forward.
So if you’re feeling stuck in your career right now, which I know is a horrible place to be, I can assure you there is a way out. It requires a process of really getting to know yourself and taking small steps to uncover your next chapter. And the process is far less stressful with the right support.
My best tip? Don’t get stuck as I did, trying to figure it out on your own and believing you can think your way to a new career. I can tell you from experience, and from what the research shows, you gain clarity and confidence by doing.
Jacqui Ooi is the founder of What She Did Next and creator of the Career Change Kickstarter course, teaching proven strategies to help women navigate change and build careers they love.
