Summary

The author shares a personal journey of career transitions, from aspiring to be a doctor to finding fulfillment in graphic design through self-directed learning.

Abstract

The narrative begins with the author's childhood dream of becoming a doctor, influenced by social conditioning. This dream dissipated after a queasy reaction to a surgery documentary, leading to a period of uncertainty. The author eventually graduated with a degree in microbiology and an inclination towards writing, which led to a fulfilling role as a managing editor at a magazine. A move to the US for personal reasons disrupted the author's career trajectory, prompting a Master's program and a struggle to find work in writing and digital marketing. The author then took up freelance writing and social media management but found the work unfulfilling. A desire for a more creative outlet led to an interest in graphic design, inspired by self-taught designers' success stories. The author embarked on a rigorous self-taught curriculum, balancing a digital marketing job with nightly graphic design studies, eventually transitioning to a career in design after being laid off. The author reflects on the experience as a testament to the possibility of career pivots and the importance of finding work that brings joy.

Opinions

The author initially aspired to a medical career due to societal expectations rather than personal passion or experience.
Writing emerged as a constant interest and skill for the author, even while studying microbiology.
The author values autonomy and creative freedom in the workplace, as evidenced by the enjoyment derived from the managing editor role.
Relocating to the US presented significant career challenges, highlighting the difficulties international students face in the job market.
Freelance work in digital marketing and writing was financially sustaining but not personally fulfilling for the author.
The author believes in the power of self-directed learning, as demonstrated by their successful transition into graphic design without formal education.
The discovery of graphic design as a career path was a turning point, aligning with the author's desire for a more creatively satisfying profession.
The author emphasizes the importance of perseverance and dedication, having juggled a full-time job with intensive self-study to achieve a career pivot.
The author's ultimate career satisfaction came from a balance of doing work that is enjoyable, supporting clients, and maintaining a slower-paced lifestyle.

How To Pull Off The Ultimate Career Pivot

Just kidding. I stumbled my way through. Here’s my story.

As a child, I wanted to be a doctor.

Turns out this was pretty suspect because I don’t remember knowing any doctors personally or having any meaningful connection to the profession. So yeah, I suspect it was some sort of social conditioning (namely, my lovely mother.😅 )

I carried this dream with me for years until I saw a documentary about a bloody nose surgery on TV and promptly ran in the other direction. 🫣 Thanks, but no thanks!

And so began my hazy, fuzzy career journey.

I had no idea what to do next.

I ended up graduating from college with a degree in microbiology and an unofficial minor in writing about my angst and confusion about the world around me. What kind of job could this intellectual setup fetch me? 🤷🏽‍♀️

After a series of random jobs, I got started working for a magazine as the managing editor. It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a job. I had a lot of autonomy and enjoyed the responsibilities of figuring things out on my own.

I continued to write both for myself and the magazine. I even started freelancing for other magazines but I didn’t know that was what it was called at the time.

I was just so happy to be able to pay my bills and be independent. 💃🏽

Starting over.

A few years into that job I decided to uproot my life and follow a boy to the US. 😆 While I was happy with my new life, career-wise everything came crashing down. The little cocoon I had built and inhabited for the past few years was gone. I was thrown out into the wild to forage for new dreams, jobs, and aspirations.

During my Maser’s program, I was able to get an internship working in the communications department of a big cosmetic company as a writer. That was a blessing as it helped me pay my international student tuition for that year, which, if you didn’t know, is crazy expensive!💸

But then I graduated and was once again thrown out of my cozy cocoon. Getting a job as a copy or content writer was hard. I also applied for social media management and digital marketing jobs. But nothing.

Working on my terms: my love-hate relationship with hustle.

I decided to put my writing chops to work and did my version of hustling: writing web copy and doing social media management for clients and small businesses.

With time I realized I didn’t like hustling. I didn’t enjoy writing business copy and the most exciting thing I did on these gigs was designing graphics.

And so, another dream was birthed.

If only I could learn how to do proper graphic design. Wouldn’t that be a fun job?

I decided to put my curiosity to work and did the next best thing. I googled “How to become a graphic designer without going to school.”😆

I found two articles that absolutely changed my life. The authors detailed their experiences starting as self-taught designers who ended up getting great jobs as product designers and UX designers.

I decided to follow their advice and created a self-directed curriculum for myself.

I would work my digital marketing job (which I didn’t love) from 6 am to 6 pm, take a break till 9 pm, and then study graphic design till midnight. I did this for months. I found free resources online, thanks to Google and YouTube!

I was able to build a portfolio of work by taking on design projects at my job. Months later, I was laid off from that job and I couldn’t have been happier.

I have since figured out a way to do work that makes me happy, support businesses and clients, and also live a slower-paced life.

My biggest lesson through this journey?

A pivot is always possible. 🌟

Curious. Have you ever gone through a career pivot? What was your experience?

If you enjoy reading stories like this and would like to support me as a writer, consider becoming a Medium member. It’s $5 a month and gives you unlimited access to all stories on Medium. If you sign up using my link, I’ll earn a small commission. Thanks so much!

Join Medium with my referral link - Remi Roy

Read every story from Remi Roy (and thousands of other writers on Medium). Your membership fee directly supports Remi…

medium.com

Follow The Orange Journal so you don’t miss a post. Do you love to write about self-improvement and personal development? Learn how to be added as a writer here. 🍊