Ask Women and Work

Question: I’m considering taking a huge leap into a totally different industry. I’m worried about taking such a big risk though. What steps should I take to do this in a smart way?

We asked Sarah Stockdale, founder and CEO, Growclass, to tackle this one:

First, you should validate whether this new industry is the right place for you. If you’re going to make a big career change, you want to make sure you’re really happy at the end of it because it can take a lot of work to get there.

Be incredibly curious. Have as many conversations as possible with people doing the kind of work that you want to be doing. That might mean pushing yourself to go to industry events and asking people to have a coffee or an informal interview.

Get an honest understanding of what their lives are like. Ask them: Do these companies require you to work after 5 p.m.? Do they e-mail you on weekends? We’re doing life design here, not just career design. If you’re working somewhere eight or more hours a day, you want to make sure that place aligns with how you want to design your life.

In your question, you say, ‘a huge leap.’ If you tell your brain you’re taking a big risk, your brain is going to resist that, because we are biologically wired for safety. So, think instead about small experiments that can get you closer to where you want to be. Are there small freelance projects you can take on? Can you start building a portfolio while you are still making money in your original career to mitigate that risk and get a sense of whether you like this work?

It’s also possible you will have to learn something new. It’s not about dropping $40,000 on a master’s degree, but look for micro-learning opportunities that are going to help you develop the skills you need.

This kind of transition is always scary. Your brain is going to try to place ‘yet’ at the end of every thought. I’m not ready yet. I don’t have enough experience yet. I don’t know the right people yet, and that will keep you exactly where you are. I’m a person who loves a deadline. It’s helpful to say, ‘This is the day that I’m going to take X, Y or Z steps, regardless of whether or not I feel ready.’

One last thing: Make sure you’re financially safe. It can take a long time to get into a new industry, and it can be messy. You want to make sure you’re not causing financial anxiety and stress when you’re trying to make a big life change.

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Through their consultancy, Revel Impact, Shalev draws on past experiences with “really bad bosses” to help build more inclusive workplaces, educating companies on the barriers their LGBTQ+ team members may be facing – on top of simply getting their jobs done.