My First Career
Ten years ago, I went to a college orientation and decided what I wanted to do for the rest of my life blindly. I chose what looked fun, challenging, and also, a little glamorous. Nursing appealed to me because, on paper, it looked like a career that would position me to:
help my community
save lives
have a “recognizable” career title and path
While most of this was true, not all of that translated to my actual experience. After five years of being a nurse, what I found was I had a career that gave me an opportunity to:
form a countless amount of relationships with patients and colleagues
use critical thinking every minute of the day
build trust in my instincts and decision making
This was all great, but the real life experience fell short of what I was anticipating it to be. I didn’t feel fulfilled, and at six months, I knew nursing wasn’t the career for me, but I knew there was still a lot to learn in nursing and being an “adult” with a career. I worked my way from a “new grad” nurse to a preceptor for new nurses and up to charge nurse. The growth I gained was invaluable. I learned leadership skills, communication, and working environments that I do and don’t want to be in. I also got my Master’s Degree in Health Informatics which started to open up the universe of careers and made me think that it may be time to move on.
Looking for Change
I knew going into a career search that I would need to leverage many of my skills that I gained as a nurse. All of these skills were transferrable, but how was I supposed to tell that story?
For me, networking was the game-changer. I began by simply talking about my desire to change my career with friends and family. My answer to “How’s work?” changed from, “it’s great” to “I’m thinking I need a change”. These conversations were an open door to talk to others about my desires, concerns, wants, and needs. A simple, “I’m thinking about leaving my job,” or “I’m looking to make a career change,” sparked conversations that I never could have planned. One of these such conversations presented an opportunity in the technical consulting world, and I couldn’t turn it down.
I started slow and began as a contractor in a software consulting firm while maintaining my nursing job. I began forming a foundation, and trying out the career prior to working full time. I got my Scrum Master Certification, started learning how to code, and dipped my toes into the world of product development.
It almost felt surreal. The culture was better than anything I had ever experienced, the work had a huge learning curve, and the schedule was vastly different. Those first few months involved a lot of information overload and processing, but as time passed, I started feeling more confident in this new world. Small wins kept me motivated and on track. I started to understand the conversations happening around me and began to contribute more in meetings because I had important and relevant things to say. One day I woke up and knew I was ready to fully commit.
A New Chapter
After the brief contracting period, I started full-time. I jumped in head first, and immersed myself in my new career. My onboarding was a deep dive into every aspect of the firm. I worked on web app development, brushed up on the Agile philosophy and frameworks. I learned about UX, design, and the beginnings of creating a product. Every time I had an opportunity to learn something new, I partnered with a coworker for a foundation and then expanded my knowledge through videos, tutorials, and readings on my own. I became a sponge and soaked up all the information I could. The goal of any consultant is to be fully billable, and I pursued that goal with all my energy.
When I started my first contract with a client as part of an Agile transformation, I was ready. My education in agile and software development combined with my skills from nursing positioned me to excel in the world of client-facing work.
One Year Mark
Making this decision was life-changing and nerve-racking. I was unsure about many things: how this would affect my day to day, would the work be enjoyable, and how would I learn everything? Luckily, with help from my coworkers, it has been a transition that I would never take back. I feel supported and have found a safe environment for me to continue my growth. Now that I am a year in, I am full of reflection and want to share some things I have picked up along the way.
Be comfortable with the uncomfortable
When you are starting a new chapter, there is going to be a WHOLE lot of newness. Getting yourself ready to be comfortable in those unfamiliar spaces will really prep you for what’s to come. Here’s what that looks like:
Soak up all the information and context you possibly can
Show progress and never stop learning
Take on work that challenges you or makes you uncomfortable and learn from it
Trust my instincts
Remember that while this chapter may be new, you aren’t on the first page of your story. By this point, you have likely amassed many different experiences and solid instincts. Trust them as much as you can. Here are some ways you can do that:
Produce work that you are proud of and iterate on that work to reach the expected outcome
Don’t struggle in silence; ask for help when you are unsure
Contribute to meetings; you DO have previous experience to draw from
Gain independence, build confidence
Each day in this new space, you will learn things. As you learn them they become part of what will make you independent. Lean on that and allow those experiences to build your confidence level in the “new”. Here are some ways to go about that early on:
Know what resources are available to you and credible to use
With each task and piece of work produced independently, you will begin to notice your strengths and ways you can contribute to the team
Use the positive feedback to fuel you, and negative feedback to help guide you in the right direction
Reflection
Before changing careers, I did my research. I took time to consider all of my options. While taking the leap is the hardest part (it is uncertain and scary) it is also exciting. My leap is one of the proudest moments of my twenties. I knew I needed a change, and I had the courage and drive to make it happen.
Now: I couldn’t be happier. Going into this chapter was almost easier than starting my first career because I wasn’t starting from scratch. I am choosing my own direction. I learn about topics that interest me, and I push myself out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. I continue to learn about the software industry and Agile coaching while working with some of the best. A year ago, I never would have thought this is where I would be, but now that I am here, I can’t imagine it any other way.
