When people talk about career transitions, they often imagine a brave leap.
What they don’t see is the series of embarrassing (and humbling) road bumps that come after.
One of the hardest things for someone senior like me, who spent two decades in the same industry, is going back to being a noob in a completely new one.
In the workforce solutions industry, I had authority, experience, and credibility.
But when I entered the education and entertainment ecosystem, I realised I knew very little.
For example, I barely understood HRD Corp processes. My previous company wasn’t mandated to contribute until recent years, so I never had to deal with it.
And when I started creating content, the internet didn’t give two hoots that I used to be a Corporate Services Director in a multinational company. The kind of hate comments I received were quite overwhelming.
After 20 years in corporate, I realised I was two steps behind people who had already been in the business for years/decades.
But it’s okay to be a beginner again.
If we are willing to stay curious, ask questions, and learn from people who know more than us, the road bumps eventually become stepping stones, as cliche as it sounds. We gradually upgrade.
Starting over is uncomfortable indeed.
That is part and parcel of a career transition. Sometimes we take one step back so we can take two steps forward again.
xoxoxo, AuntyHR
