Tips on How to Start Over – A Writer’s Perspective on How to Reboot Your Career
Do you want to start over with your career? Do you sometimes wish life was like a cassette tape where at any time you could press Stop, hit Rewind, go to any point you wished and press Record? The funny thing is I know a few people who made leaps and bounds by actually starting over as a means to go forwards. This is actually a topic I’d love to speak about with my readers whilst we pick at scrumptious grub and sip yummy drinks but for now, we’ll have to stick with discussing this topic on this platform.
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Recently, I read a blog article where the writer- Didier- explained his journey thus far and what led him to change career paths to find happiness. Essentially he went from a top position in the culinary field to a full-time freelancer/ blogger/ photographer. He ended his post by stating, ‘ Please do not become mere star gazers but turn into star chasers instead. Here’s to the ones who dream, crazy as they may seem.’
Didier’s article resonated with me because if you look at my track record, I fly that star chaser flag. In my early 20s I wanted to start over with my career, so I left the more financially secure and prestigious field of law and jumped headfirst into murky waters as I navigated my way through the fashion industry. At that time, it was my dream to become Editor-In-Chief of my own print magazine. After working full-time in the fashion industry for about 1o years as a stylist, writer and PR consultant, I have lots of advice for the younger generation who want to enter the fashion industry. In fact,when a fellow blogger reached out to me via Instagram because she had seen images from my magazine editorial work and wanted some tips on becoming a stylist, I was only too happy to give her some tips.
From my experience, to start over with a new career, research is fundamental.
When I hopped from law to fashion- fashion styling- to be more precise, I didn’t do major research on the fashion editorial industry before I made the move, I pretty much learnt about the industry via trial and error, whilst working in the industry. I believe a lot of that had to do at my age, I was in my early 20s, when you think you are invincible and your friends encourage you that you are. It is only as I got older, I understand why my parents had been so cautious. They don’t call hindsight a bitch for nothing.
What kind of career research can one do before starting over?
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Find out if there is indeed a need for the career you want to pursue in the city you plan to live.
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Be clear on what you are likely to earn from an entry level position, all the way to the top position.
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Contact professionals who successfully work in the roles you seek and try to find out what their experiences have been, get tips etc. Networking tools like LinkedIn will be incredibly useful in this area.
I do have more focused tips when it comes to entering a fashion career but as I plan on making YouTube vidoes about that later on this year, for now I’ll keep schtum in that area.
So if I had to do it all again, would I have started over by leaving law and embarking on a fashion career? Absolutely, I’m a creative at heart. However, what I would have done differently is done the necessary research (i.e. followed the tips above) which would have led me to realise that- instead of trying to get to my goals by doing lots of freelance work for independent magazines and emerging fashion companies that pretty much never had a budget, I shoulda woulda coulda focused on full-time employment with a fashion retail or e-commerce company.
In the mid 2000s lots of top fashion editors left their print magazines to work in e-commerce marketplaces like Amazon and Net-a-porter for a reason. It was/is where the industry is headed and it’s a great way to mix your creative and commercial skills aaand be part of the tech movement.
Now I would like to hear from the rest of you, how many of you have started over and how did it go for you? What did you learn? Do you have any start over tips?
I’d love to hear from people who have started over with new careers, locations, relationships…
Till Soon
Bisous
Credits
Sweater dress- Zara, Patent shoes- Vagabond
Photographer- Patricia Santos
