It’s said a person in today’s day and age will go through about 5 career changes in a lifetime. I first heard this statement when I was at uni and my immediate reaction was ‘well, I can tell you now, I won’t be included in that statistic! After slogging my guts out studying for 7 years, I’ll be quite content being a lawyer or working in international politics and I never want to waste those qualifications!’. Well, in my then ‘ideal world’, by now I would have been continuing to work hard in a law firm or in foreign affairs and climbing the corporate ladder. Instead I am on my way to being included in that statistic, as I’ve done a complete 180-degree turn in my current career path. I now run my own small business as a blogger – a job that I never even thought possible when I was at university. Whist different to the original plan, I absolutely LOVE it, so I thought I would share a bit about how these changes came to be!
The decision to put law on hold
The decision to put my career as a lawyer on hold was really difficult. I had just moved from Brisbane to Canberra (December 2015) and was pregnant with my first child, Finn. This made it tough to get a job in the private sector. You can read more about these difficulties during pregnancy here. I struggled with the changes my body was experiencing and unsure how work would fit into life with a baby. My Mum had stayed home with us kids so I felt the desire to give my child this same blessing, but it just didn’t feel like ‘me’. I was a driven person that loved keeping my mind active. Part of the way I identified myself was being challenged and it was really hard to know what to do!
The further into my pregnancy I was, the less likely it seemed I would get a job in Canberra as a lawyer because I was a was like a ticking time bomb that soon would not be able to work! So I gave up the search and decided to use the time to build friendships in Canberra and settle in. I grew some beautiful friendships during this time and I treasure them immensely. Whilst doing this, I continued writing my blog which had been a hobby for about 3 and a half years at this point. I really loved (and still love!) writing about health and wellbeing. This passion continues to drive me to blog.
The decision to blog full time and create my own business
It wasn’t until a few months after Finn was born that I really decided to give full time blogging a crack. The blog had seen some decent growth and the offers were flowing in. It was a job that I could do from home and it allowed my entrepreneurial mind to be challenged and working.
Blogging full time, it’s the dream job, right?
Like any job it has its pros and cons. Some of you might look at my blog and think that is the best job ever and looks like so much fun! Yes, there is no denying that I get some very cool experiences from this job and I’m pretty blessed to be able to make my hobby my job! However, the way the blog is designed (and any blogger will agree) is to look very easy and fun but there’s a lot of hard work that goes on behind the scenes to make it what it is. To quote a friend ‘Until watching you work, I had no idea how long it takes and how much effort goes into putting together just one post!’.
Working from home as a Mum
I have a lot of people say to me ‘it must be great to work from home!’ and that is what I thought when I began too, however now (especially as Finn gets older) it is becoming harder. I think it is more difficult than putting him in day care and going to an office somewhere. In fact, sometimes this sounds dreamy (can I get an amen from any tired Mumma’s?!). Working from home means constantly being interrupted and battling two jobs (the photo below sums it up nicely – Finn trying to pull my camera whilst I’m trying to shoot). It means that there are no 9-5 hours because during 9-5 I find I rarely get much done. This makes it hard to switch off, especially in a job where social media is relentless.
One of the things I really enjoyed about it though, is the way I have been able to learn new skills and develop my knowledge in areas that were previously just hobby interests. My depth of knowledge has grown a lot in the fields of nutrition, wellbeing and physical activity, which I find so interesting! I am also able to justify spending more time gaining a deeper understanding of marketing and business. To back up this knowledge, I would like to do some further study so that I can offer more services to my lovely tribe of Eat Pray Workout readers (that’s YOU!).
Despite my vow to myself never return to further study after finishing my degrees, I am now considering it to further my skill set and enhance my new found career. I’m not drawn to university again, but I would like to do a diploma or advanced diploma. I’ve been looking at some of the TAFE NSW online health and business courses. Studying online means just like with my business I can be in control and flexible with my hours and study load.
Is it time for you to look at a career change?
Perhaps you’re like me and you just need a career change for a time whilst you focus on family? Or maybe you have a passion that you’ve always wanted to explore further? Or, perhaps it’s just time to exercise your brain a little more to balance the monotony of your current job? Remember, your passions CAN become your careers especially in a world that is constantly creating new and surprising jobs. If I did it, you can too! Be ambitious! There are over 1200 courses varying from short courses to degrees you can choose from at TAFE NSW, so enroll now for semester 2. Perhaps this will be the inspiration and focus you need to make the things you enjoy your career!
This post was proudly sponsored by TAFE NSW, all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting those that make Eat Pray Workout possible.
Amy Darcy
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