How I Became A Career Changer At 32

And Finding Your Passion

After graduating University at 22 years old, all I wanted was to be independent and living away from home. I did that by working at one of the country’s biggest BPO. I got the job in less than a year after graduation.

My decision to work for a BPO was due to the idea that it pays well and they are always hiring. For someone who’s not that assertive, I feel BPO was the safest because I can apply as many times as I can. It was also the fastest way to reaching my goal. Key term here is “fastest”.

I didn’t want to go the hard way because the need to be independent and paying for my own things and bills were too strong.

In the last year of working with the BPO, I kept complaining how I hated working in the office, a 9 to 5 job. I wanted to see and experience the world. I got really bored. I stayed with the company as long as I did when the department I was in had to downsize. They made the decision easier for me.

What I did not regret by leaving, it was the experience dealing with difficult customers and the company benefits that I took fully advantaged of. I had that and it was time to move on.

While I was working in the BPO, I went back to school to learn about teaching. I thought I wanted to be a teacher. When I took the licensure exam, I was so sure I wouldn’t pass the exam. I decided to leave the country and looked for work as an overseas worker. The keyword here is “overseas”.

When I arrived in this foreign country, I thought I wouldn’t be so lucky. A friend referred me to the company she was working for. Unfortunately, the work was in an industry I swore I wouldn’t be part of, Insurance and I had to do sales. I accepted the work and willed myself to toughen up. Bad move. I have never felt more anxious than I did when I worked in the BPO as a night shifter. I became sick multiple times in a year. I never felt more miserable while going to work every day for more than a year. Yep, I lasted that long and I had to leave it behind.

I was asking myself, “What kind of work will I love doing for the rest of my life?” I returned home with no answer.

While at home, I decided to work on the things that I love doing. It was blogging, taking pictures, being with my family and learning new things. I made multiple changes to my blog, the design, work on the traffic and the reach I want it to have. I worked on increasing social media referral for my blog. I became busy and noisy in social media.

Then, I had an idea. Back in school, I always enjoyed studying Advertising and being creative. I didn’t know that Digital Marketing would be the kind of industry I could be in. Blogging, SEO, design and management and social media were already my hobby. Why not get paid for it? Keyword here is “hobby”.

My hobby was the only thing that was constant to me. Everyday I wake up going through my social media accounts. It’s the last thing I always do before I go to sleep. I wasn’t the best writer and blogger. I’m not the awarded blogger like a chosen few. But, it’s something that I always love improving on.

I read this book “Pretty Little Mistakes” by Heather Mcelhatton. The book ends quite differently for each reader. The first time I read the book it exactly mirrored how I started my career and how it ended, back home.

In previous paragraphs, I mentioned three keywords. Fast, overseas and hobby.

I took the fast lane, fast forward my life and refused to go through the hard way. I thought I had a clear plan but the plan went out of my head so fast after the idea of working in a different city and high paying job in the BPO industry became too enticing.

I escaped possible failure and becoming unemployed by going overseas. By the way, it turned out I passed the Licensure Exam for Teachers the same day I signed my contract in the Insurance Company. I stayed in the Insurance industry knowing I’m going to be so bad in it. What I got was poor health. I felt it was a waste of time.

I came across a video on Youtube where the talent talked about finding your own passion. What am I passionate about? I created an equation and found the few things that were constant to me. Family, love for learning and blogging.

I am now spending all my energy learning about digital marketing. A few months back, I enrolled in an online course studying about E-Commerce. By end of May, I will be studying about Mobile Marketing. I think it’s very exciting working in the digital marketing field. I won’t make any more shortcuts. I will learn as much as I can and take on projects that will support my knowledge in the field.

At 32, is it too late to be a career changer? I don’t think so. I was going through LinkedIn and found profiles that are actively seeking for employment and they seem to be older than me.

I am not losing hope. There’s a future for me in digital marketing. Are you a career changer, too? Let’s keep in touch!