Career change: destination unknown
This year I’m embarking on an adventure. It’s been 13+ years since I started working in content design, and I’ve decided it’s time for a change.
I’m writing this as a handy guide for future work partners, plus to document this preciously naïve moment in time.
Where I’m going
I don’t know! But what I do know is that I’ve signed up for a month of clown school at Ecole Gaulier, and a diploma with Barefoot Coaching.
Since leaving my permanent job at Meta in 2022, I’ve been on an amazing adventure:
- working for myself
- working with a huge breadth of organisations
- meeting amazing people
- doing my best to solve really hard, diverse problems
But I’ve had this overwhelming feeling that I want to bring more play into my working day, and work more closely with people outside of the structures and systems of companies and organisations.
So I’m trusting in myself that I’ll find my sweet spot somewhere between clowning and coaching by spring 2025.
What it means for the next year
- I’ll still be working with ZOE until the end of June
- I’ll be at clown school in July, and I’ll take August off to reflect
- I’ll be looking for 3 days/week of content design work from September until February — something to run alongside my diploma
- From there… who knows
What I’m scared of
- I’m taking a big gamble by leaping into the unknown without a plan, but I trust my intuition and know myself well enough to push through
- I’m nervous that Sep-Feb will involve a ton of context-switching, without enough time to reflect
Why I’m excited
- Life is so precious. I 100% made the right move in going freelance — I love working for myself, and the variety it brings.
- I don’t know what my identity looks like as a coach. But after undertaking an incredible 12-week career change coaching programme myself (shout out to Claire Brown), I feel stronger than ever in my identity and values. So it’s time to create a work life that fits around those, rather than the vice versa.
- I came to this ‘plan’ completely organically—based on how I feel, not the destination. So if I can’t trust in that, I don’t know what I can trust in!
- If it doesn’t go in the direction I vaguely intend, that’s OK! Content design is a fantastic fall-back. I’m not leaving because I’m done with it — I just really crave change.
- Clowning brings out something in me that feels so vulnerable and brave at the same time. It’s ego death. It’s about getting comfortable in ‘the flop’, and doing everything in service of an audience. Plus it’s stupidly funny. So I’m hoping for a learning curve in my month of 6-hour classes every day.
- I’m so sure I’m going to meet some interesting characters along the way.
- I’m already reading some amazing psychology books, and I’ve been fascinated by my last year in therapy (Jungian psychoanalysis). I can’t wait to learn new things.
- Coaching is broad! And while I’ve got a ton of upskilling to do, I believe my work in behavioural change design puts me in good stead.
- The main one: I love adventure.
