Rebecca Newenham of Get Ahead: 5 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Before I Switched Careers

An Interview with Phil La Duke

The grass isn’t always greener. There will always be negatives to a new career, particularly to begin with, when you’re finding your feet. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But it’s important to remember the overall picture — why made the career change in the first place. Things can feel quite scary in the short term, but it is all part of the journey towards your exciting new destination.

According to the US Department of Labor, “The average person will change careers 5–7 times during their working life. Approximately 30% of the total workforce will now change jobs every 12 months.” The statistic is disconcerting for many. After all, we tend to think of our careers as a linear progression of increased skills and (ideally) earning power. We reached out to business professionals who have successfully switched careers in hopes of gleaning bits of their wisdom. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca Newenham.