Just Another Career Makeover
Hey peeps,
Let me start this post by welcoming myself to savedroid’s new publication — “Inside savedroid”. I have joined savedroid very recently and this is in fact my first post in this communication channel. Yay to that!
Now, despite my professional experience on the matter, I do not have any content strategy in place when it comes to my first-person contributions in the publication. I am just going with the flow, so to speak, thus you can expect a few posts every now and then about subjects that I feel like writing about — some containing my witty spirit (very particular, sarcastic and obscure sense of humor, actually), others in a dead serious tone.
For this first post, I have decided to address the topic of the exciting and somewhat frightening times of changing careers or simply switching industries.
Replying to the “Whys”
On mid April 2019 I have officially started a new challenge at savedroid, a fintech headquartered in Frankfurt am Main (Germany).
When noticing that I have left the games industry and jumped right into the fintech and blockchain/crypto scenes, a significant part of my network (family and friends, included, of course) reached out to me with the “not-so-simple” and shocked question “Why?” — being “Why have you decided to leave the games industry and start over in fintech and crypto?” the most common one.
Of course my family and close friends still remember the day I informed them I was enrolling in an MScBA in order to pursue a career in Community Management within the games industry, right after finishing my Bachelor in Chemical Engineering.
So, it’s not like a career makeover is a shocking news coming from me — and to be honest, I would only entitle the switch from chemical engineering to the games industry a true career makeover. As for the most recent industry switch, the experience and knowledge I have been amassing for 1.5 years sort of guided me here.
It all started when, back at ChallengeMe Esports GmbH, I was assigned the responsibility of overseeing the transition from a regular virtual currency to a cryptocurrency. Despite being an extremely legal-heavy task, it got me curious about blockchain and crypto, and I kept on educating myself on those topics. After that, I worked for a company which developed a games platform where users earned a crypto-token by simply playing mobile games.
However, why leaving the games industry and choosing to work at savedroid?
- savedroid is developing a product which make us pioneers in the industry.
- The team at savedroid is extremely experienced — you only need to take a brief look at the C-suite to prove me right ;) — and possesses the vision to build further a project that has all the elements to be successful. Moreover, consistently delivering a product against the roadmap is not exactly “easy-peasy” for a startup, and in less than four years savedroid has developed two mobile apps with an ICO in the middle.
- I truly believe that crypto and blockchain are the future. When individuals such as Christine Lagarde make a speech around digital currencies, innovation and need for regulation, renown organizations like Unicef immerse themselves in crypto-based campaigns and Paypal invests in a blockchain startup you better pay attention.
- The games industry did disappoint me over the last few years. For instances, mass layoffs in major publishers having record-breaking profits… every year we hear about these cases in the exact same companies. Are we for real?!
- After a few years moving within Europe, I have to say there is nothing like the German way.
This time around, my reasons to once again move countries and change companies consisted of the aforementioned points. Generically speaking, when considering a career makeover — from the smallest to the overarching -, there are always some factors and pointers that come to my mind.
Industry and Project
Are you unsatisfied or disappointed about the industry you are currently working in? Consider a new industry you would like to be part of and start looking for job openings in your area.
Perhaps you simply do not agree with the direction your company is taking and spent the last year doubting the entire strategy? I say it is probably time for you to apply for a new job in a different company or industry altogether.
When looking for a new job in this scenario, think about which industries you feel are right for you and do take more effort on projects you believe have great potential.
Working Conditions and Environment
You feel people are not treated right in your company or the working conditions do not match your “dream”? Do not take me wrong, no company is perfect and there will always be some aspects you won’t be completely satisfied with. Nonetheless, what if flexibility is of extreme importance and turned to be almost non-negotiable for you, and your company forces you to have very strict schedules?
What if whenever you even think about going to the office, your good mood changes instantly and you get close to depression?
Until when are you forcing yourself to work in a “far-from-ideal” environment? What is the point you decide to start looking for a new job? Whenever that is the case, don’t forget to undergo a due diligence focusing on your non-negotiable points. It won’t be 100% reliable, but it is something.
Starting Over and Growth Opportunities
If you are just like me, starting over is exciting and brings you a whole new energy to move things forward in a fast pace. New projects and going out of your comfort zone, whether in a new company or not, means your job will not get boring.
I use to make the exercise of envisioning myself in 5 years. Do I see myself stagnating in terms of knowledge and not getting any growth opportunities from that moment onward? Well, let me check what new opportunities are flying around in the market because it is time to start over.
Travelling
Landing a new job in a different country or city means moving… packing all your belongings, exploring and getting acquainted with a new place, meeting new people and cultures.
What’s not to love? Yup, you guessed right, all the bureaucracies. And moving around all the time can also be somewhat tiresome. All in all, I still believe it’s worth it, simply don’t do it every year. ;)
Bottom line, a career makeover is always a risk, but my advice is “take it”. Can you go from a “not-so-bad” place to a terrible one? Yes, life throws some curve-balls at you. It’s up to you to decide what to do with those. Personally, I pick myself up, become even more fierce on the fight ahead and move forward. And if you want to always keep positive, repeat to yourself
“I learn as much or even more from the bad experiences”.
Embrace the exciting of switching industries, changing companies and moving countries, and fight your frightening thoughts. The “job-for-live” is pretty much dead, so jump into the unknown and enjoy the ride whilst you have the energy, you are healthy and have no major responsibilities or attachments.
What are the factors that make you consider a career makeover?
