The past couple of years have been full of excitement. I’ve moved across the country, taken courses, worked on my hobbies, and explored new topics of interest. All of these things sound great, but this is one area where I haven’t seen the improvement I’ve been looking for: my career. I’ve decided it’s time to make a change, because if I don’t do it now, when will I do it?
In my mind this is not a sudden move, rather it is something I’ve been thinking about for years. Before I moved across the country from Boston to San Diego I contemplated making a career change. It seemed like a risk at the time, a risk that would have been added on top of my move. I ultimately had an easier time finding employment in a field where I had direct and relevant experiences. Now, I feel a sense of regret not making a change in 2018.
Focusing on the positive, my need for change did motivate me to take courses. I am currently 85% of the way done with a certificate program in User Experience Design and have learned a considerable amount about digital design, the psychology of User Experience, digital marketing, human computer interaction, and front end development. All of these skills seem to align with the direction I would like to take my career, and I feel I have a stronger foundation than before to make a career transition.
Ultimately, I want to land a role in a digital marketing role. I love content creation, but I’ve also found a fondness for design. If I had all the time in the world, I feel I would choose to have my own website and craft content for it. I love the process of creating content and releasing it for the public to view. Then, I can analyze the performance of content, tweak it to have a stronger search engine presence and become adaptable on different social media platforms. Nobody has to tell me to do this. I’m naturally inclined to go through this process and I am legitimately intrigued by digital marketing and content creation. I have found myself watching digital marketing videos on YouTube and listening to content creation podcasts because I enjoy them. Perhaps that is the reason I have this website, and the reason I feel inclined to add information to is.
If I had to challenge myself in a field, I’ve come to find that User Experience Design is a field where I want challenge. This area of study incorporates my prior studies in psychology and applies it to my love for content creation. I am then challenged to develop prototypes, assess my work, and deliver an accessible product. Does this feel like work to me? Yes, but I feel a sense of pride in my accomplishments. This is something I no long feel in my current position. The challenge isn’t there, and now that I have experienced growth in another field, my priority is to continue with that growth.
To be honest, this is also a hard process. I am also letting go of a part of myself. I have spent years in higher education and feel I am taking a risk by abandoning the field. The truth is that I no longer feel motivated by the work. I have held out on making a change because I believed I would eventually find a new passion in higher ed. I am still waiting, but in the meantime I have been able to find interests in different fields. I believe I will be able to growth my professional abilities in a digital marketing role and I hope this will lead to a better sense of accomplishment.
