Real-life lessons I learned from changing my career
If you’re a regular reader of my blog, then you’ll know I’ve banged on quite a bit about the fact that I changed career from HR Manager to freelance writer. I did this after a great deal of soul searching, procrastinating and deliberating, before signing up with Careershifters’ Launch Pad course early last year.
As I signed up, I knew that something huge was going to happen that year with my career. I just had absolutely no idea whatsoever what that was going to be.
If anybody had told me that just over one year later, I’d be featured as one of the ‘Success Stories’ I’d read and chewed over on the Careershifters site before finally making the decision to do something, I’d never, ever have believed it.
So here’s my story, as told to and by Careershifters:
http://www.careershifters.org/success-stories/from-hr-to-writing
If you’ve read it thinking that you really need to do something but you don’t know what, then the first piece of advice I’d give you is simply, don’t be scared to be scared!
It’s so easy to read my own story back and think it was all quite easy (and it certainly reads like that in places), but it definitely wasn’t. Changing my career has been an often exhaustingly long, hair-raisingly expensive, devilishly difficult and core-shakingly terrifying process, and in fact it still is on certain days.
But if you’re ready, like I was then, even if you don’t know what you’re ready for, you’ll find a way through the lot of it. You’ll do that almost automatically, because there quite simply will be no other alternative. Your old career is already dead, and if you don’t do something, part of you will be, too.
(While all that might seem a tad dramatic, darling! …that was really how I felt, and by the way, if you don’t know whether or not you’re ready yet, then in my humble opinion: you’re not).
So if you’re feeling the way I was – take a deep breath, steel yourself…and then dive right into all the possibilities out there waiting for you. You’ve got nothing to lose but your old career – and who wants that, anyway?
Related Articles
The Magic of Kismet Marketing
Has your marketing strategy got room for some unexpected magic?
Read moreTop profile clichés – are you guilty?
Are you an easy-going enabler of success who thrives in a fast-paced environment?
Read more
Kick-start your writing in 2019 (with a little help from me!)
I’ve gathered together some of my most-read blog posts, tips and tools to help you get writing.
Read moreStuck in a career rut? Get someone else to write your CV – and thrive!
"The right person will help you come across as yourself, but in a prouder, more polished, 'look what I’ve achieved' kind of way"
Read moreHow to give good interview (whatever side of the desk you’re on!)
Simple tips to help you breeze through any interview scenario.
Read moreWhy giving up on social media is a mistake...
Easy tips to help you fit social media nicely into your life - no mindfulness seminars required.
Read moreFinding your freelancing tribe: be uncompromising (and don’t be too nice!)
My advice to freelancers: never lose sight of what freelancing is all about!
Read more
Appreciate your freelancers, and be rewarded with their best work
How to become every freelancer's favourite client!
Read moreWhy spelling and grammar don't matter
Don't let bad spelling put you off writing the next bestseller!
Read moreFive New Year's Resolutions for Freelancers
Lone wolf or team worker - which is best?
What are your customers really saying about you?
Why storytelling is your secret weapon in business (and how to do it properly)
Learn how to live happily ever after through the power of storytelling
Read moreDecoding the mystery of SEO
"SEO" is an often confusing term for those not well-versed in website maintenance. In reality, it's not quite as confusing as you might think!
Read moreTake control of your career this summer
Take advantage of summer downtime to learn and grow in your career - or discover a new one!
Read moreWhy being old is great for business
Age aint nothing but a number, right? Wrong - here's how getting older can be great for business.
Read moreHow to brief your copywriter
Trusting someone else with your words can be one of the best things you do for your business - but it has to be done properly!
Read moreWhat do successful entrepreneurs and guests on the Jeremy Kyle Show have in common?
There's a lot of vague career advice out there, so if you're looking for insight that goes beyond "be yourself and follow your passion" you may have to leap before you look!
Read moreHow to beat those pre-presentation jitters
Standing up and presenting to a group of people is something that strikes fear into the hearts of even the most confident people - so if you're an introvert like me, it can really be the stuff of nightmares! Here's how I tackle my nerves head-on, with some careful preparation and relatable content.
Read moreOn creating a writer's life
This week I'm responding to the questions people have asked since my Careershifters' Success Story was published recently - all about creating a writer's life.
Read moreHome truths for aspiring remote workers
Remote working is on the increase - so here's some advice on how to work it well!
Read moreDiscovering your unique writer's voice is easier than you think
You don't have to be a professional writer to discover a unique writing voice that speaks to its readers. Finding your own voice is often easier than you might think, and it all starts when you write from the heart.
Read moreReal-life lessons I learned from changing my career
I'm a 'Success Story'! My career change journey was featured on Careershifters' website this week, and I'm incredibly proud of it. But I wouldn't want anybody to think changing my career has been easy. And so this is a reflection of sorts, on where I was when I began, and how I've ended up where I am now.
Read moreThe truth about blogging for business
Are you reading this over coffee, or maybe as you wait for a late train? Blogging for business is a handy way to keep in regular contact with your followers and show them the human side of your company, but it can be difficult to keep it going once you've started. It's worth it, though - so here are a few tips to keep your blog posts consistent and entertaining.
Read more“Telling it like it is” – giving effective feedback in writing
There's a new trend sweeping Silicon Valley - giving honest and direct feedback to your colleagues. Before you go rushing in, focus your message by writing it down first...your colleagues and your career will thank you for it!
Read moreShare your expertise - write a business book!
All those celebrated business gurus had to start somewhere...and the most successful ones know how to tell their stories in a relatable way that inspires others to act on their dreams and ideas. By writing a business book, you can do just that yourself!
Read moreRead this before you write your next recruitment ad!
Writing a recruitment ad is often a rushed activity, with the words used ones you've read many times before ("dynamic" anyone?) Here's how the Banks children managed to recruit their ideal candidate - Mary Poppins! - by using clear and creative words that stood out.
Read moreThe bracing benefits of a car-free business life
What better way to kick off a new year by getting out into the fresh air? Here's how I manage a busy working life as a non-driver - and it's not as hard as you might think!
Read more‘CV Greatest Hits’ Countdown – 10 ultimate CV tips to prepare you for the Great 2017 Job Hunt!
'Greatest Hits' countdowns are rife at this time of year - so now, here's one featuring the best CV advice. This list will give you the ultimate steer if you're looking to get your CV on track for the new year job hunt. Wishing you a very happy 2017!
Read moreGive yourself a special Christmas gift...a happy working life in 2017!
If you're stuck in a job you don't particularly like, mindlessly searching job boards for something else, it can be hard to dredge up any enthusiasm to make a change. But that little bit of rest time between Christmas and a brand new year beginning is perfect for considering exactly what you want, and how to take the very first step towards making 2017 your happy work year!
Read moreWriting to get what you want at work!
Have you ever thought that making a few tweaks to your working life would help make living it much easier? Harness the power of well-chosen words to state your case and win better work-life balance in the process.
Read moreFitting in ‘me’ projects – five panic-free time management tips for the professionally overwhelmed
Is time getting the better of you? With a growing business, several passion projects on the go, books to read and friends I'd quite like to see, I was starting to feel overwhelmed...until I decided to take a closer look at planning my time more effectively. Here's how you can do the same.
Read moreUse your sense of style to build trust and win business!
Looking for ways to sound consistent and authentic in your written communications? Here are a few tried, tested and original ways to do just that.
Read more"I'm a Quiet Revolutionary..." she whispered
I'm very proud indeed to be featured as this week's 'Quiet Revolutionary' - a celebration of all things introverted.
Read moreThe (Not-So) Secret Life of an HR Manager
Ever wonder what your HR Manager is really thinking, or what they do all day? I worked in this oft-misunderstood profession for a number of years and now I'm safely out of it, I'm free to vent!
Read moreGoing it alone - surviving self-employment
Going it alone, releasing yourself from the shackles of a traditional nine-to-five, is exhilarating. It's also incredibly scary! To celebrate my first quarter-year in business, here are some of the most important lessons I've learned from the front line.
Read more
