changing careers for dummies

A how-to guide that breaks down a complex topic into easily digestible parts. Or a thinly veiled insult implying that only dummies change careers. Or maybe a bit of both. I am by no means an expert in the subject, but as a recent case study, I will outline what I’ve learned from my limited experience for you below.

Step 1: Find your passion

As is the case for most of us, I am my own worst critic. I have always considered myself to be largely talentless (besides being damn good at Excel, thank you very much), and as such, found this first step to be quite daunting. If I wasn’t finding fulfillment in my chosen career path, where else would I?

First, I thought back to my education. In addition to accounting, I majored in psychology during college - but becoming a psychologist was out of the question. As a highly sensitive person (yes, that’s a thing), I internalize the energy and mood of those around me. I know myself too well by now to subject myself to the worst thoughts of others when I am all too often overwhelmed by my own.

So then I thought about my interests. I loved biology in school, but I am too queasy (not to mention neurotic) to be a doctor. I love animals, but couldn’t handle seeing them sick or abandoned on a daily basis. I love to crochet, but make too many mistakes to do it professionally (and probably couldn’t deal with the hand cramping on such a long-term basis, either).

Then I looked around my apartment, and saw evidence of my first love everywhere. Books. Overflowing from shelves, stacked on tables, crammed into every possible nook and cranny. And it hit me - of course the answer was books. Whether I wrote them, edited them, or sold them, books were going to be in my life, and I finally saw a path forward in a career that I could like, or maybe even love.

Step 2: Chart your path forward

Now that the hard part was done, it was time to figure out a plan to achieve my goal. I started by performing a LinkedIn search for editorial work, either on a freelance basis or with an established publishing company. I reviewed the requirements, and the common thread running through each posting was experience and an English-adjacent college degree, of which I had neither.

First, I faced the classic chicken/egg scenario of how to get experience when one does not yet have experience. Luckily, I had friends who volunteered their services and gave advice. One ran a literary magazine and asked me to help copyedit various submissions. Another was writing a book in her second language (which happened to be my native one) for which I could be a second set of eyes. And a third recommended I start a blog, which already spawned freelance work within the first two weeks of going live.

Then, I ran into the issue of my degree. So I did what anyone of my generation would do in such a situation - I googled. Specifically, I googled what options were available to convert a four-year degree to another major entirely. And I discovered the Higher Diploma (only available in certain countries) which could be used to either get a teaching degree or as a “conversion course” to help me accomplish my goal.

When I searched for specific programs, one in particular stuck out - a familiar name, University College Cork, attended by my dad and countless cousins - and situated close to my parents’ summer home in Passage West. So I filled out my application and waited to find out my fate. No less than two weeks later, I had my acceptance letter and a big decision to make.

Step 3: Make your decision

Changing careers is not something to take lightly. And I have been known to be quite impulsive and whim-driven on occasion. So I consulted friends, family, and even unbiased third parties to make sure my plan was realistic and sustainable. And to my surprise, they agreed it was.

Everything seemed to be falling into place. I could stay at my parent’s summer house at a time when they would be back in LA, and use their car to get around. In another stroke of luck, their insurance requires all drivers to have EU licenses, which I had just gotten on a whim in Sweden a few months prior.

I was also able to qualify for the EU pricing at UCC since I fulfilled two criteria:

1. EU citizenship (Irish, through my dad)

2. EU residency for three of the last five years (Sweden, självklart)

Finally, I could apply to the Swedish government to subsidize my tuition and provide a monthly contribution to help cover expenses. Sweden has strict rental laws, but allows homeowners to rent out their apartments at cost for up to two years while pursuing another degree. And I happened to have a friend in need of an apartment for the time I would be gone - it felt like fate.

But even with all those signs seemingly pointing me in the same direction, it was still one of the toughest decisions I have made in my life. I hemmed and hawed and changed my mind about twelve zillion times before finally making the decision it seemed everyone around me already knew I would. It was finally time to put my plan into action.

Step 4: Quit your job

If Step 1 was the hardest, then Step 4 was a damn close second. I hate disappointing people, and this step entailed doing just that. I won’t go into details here, but let’s just say I could‘ve filled up a couple of buckets with tears in the process. In the end, I did what I do best - I put down my thoughts on paper and gave them to my boss. A month later, I had my last day of work and spent the following week saying my goodbyes and preparing for the move.

Step 5: Pack your bags

This step was made easier for me by supportive parents and a flexible tenant. After I had finally made my decision (and maybe even slightly before), my parents sprang into action. My mom immediately offered to drive from Cork to Gothenburg and back (a 3,000 mile round trip journey) in order to move me, Louise, and my things to our new home in Ireland.

While she began the first 30 hour leg of the journey, I packed. I started with the hanging clothes in my closet, and was immediately overwhelmed with the volume. So I channeled my inner-Marie Kondo and thoroughly analyzed which pieces brought me joy. I split the clothes into four more manageable categories - for transport to Ireland, for storage in Sweden, for similarly-sized friends, and for goodwill. One day and what seemed like hundreds of piles later, I was done. With one wall. Of the smallest room.

Thankfully, my would-be tenant came to visit just as I was beginning to panic. He said that he had more than enough room in the space I had already cleared, and there was no need to stress about moving out the rest. Of course I continued to clear out a few drawers, the bathroom, and other personal effects and pictures (and any "girly things", per request), but was able to leave a vast majority of the rest. And to my surprise, the storage unit for my apartment had more than enough space for what I needed - I barely used half.

Overall, it was a much smoother process than when I moved out of my last apartment in Chicago during my six-month (read: year) stint in Sweden. My apartment at that time did not come with a personal storage unit, and therefore I rented one for the first year before finally selling the contents via Facebook Marketplace (which did not recoup the value nor storage costs, but did inspire some good stories!) or gifting them to family and friends. Alas, you live and learn!

Step 6: Make your move

Thanks to my prospective tenant's generosity, we only had about half a day's work ahead of us by the time my mom arrived. After we finished, we ate lunch at an Irish pub (naturally) and planned the rest of our day. We ended up doing some tours around Gothenburg (the Paddan, a classic boat tour around the city, and the Ocean Bus, a hilariously fun amphibious bus tour) followed by an Ed Sheeran concert that night.

We were on our way by noon the following day, driving through eight countries over the course of four days, and spending our nights in Hamburg, Bruges, and Somerset. We were in Hamburg less than twelve hours, most of which were spent sleeping and one of which was spent standing outside during a 1am fire alarm. In Bruges, we played a surprisingly tricky escape tour in an attempt to save the town from a serial killer (which we failed - sorry, Bruges! - but was fun nonetheless), and then made a pit stop in Poperinge to meet up with one of my old friends from USC. Somerset was the least eventful of them all, where we had dinner at a quaint pub before calling it an early night ahead of our ferry to Ireland the following day.

If you're wondering how the cat fared through all of this, then the answer is, surprisingly well! It helped that my mom had brought over a sedative, gabapentin, to ease her anxiety on the trip. We had also carved out some space for her in the back where she could curl up and sleep, or explore the various hiding spots and makeshift tunnels running between the bags. We even bought a travel litterbox and took regular food and water breaks to make sure she stayed hydrated.

Now, I find myself in the final stages of the process. I am slowly but surely unpacking my bags, and anxiously awaiting class registration and orientation. Next week, I will be leaving for a yoga and art retreat in Greece, followed by a short jaunt to the UK to visit an old friend and her family before school begins. It's not every day that I start a new career, so I plan to soak up every minute!