A Career Story Worth Reading.

Louise was 28 when she decided her current career path wasn’t working. She had studied fashion in a university, which at the time she was passionate about and went to work at Bloomingdales in NYC. After a while, she realized it wasn′t for her and how much she hated it.

Forced to change directions, she bravely and confidently went back to school realizing that her true calling was in education. She was determined to make an impact on the lives of young people. And, indeed, she has done just that.

I have had the pleasure of working with her several times during her career as a private school elementary teacher, a director of curriculum design, a Head of Lower School, and now as a Head of School.  

We spoke recently about how she made her challenging transition and what advice she has for others seeking a major change, and why networking is an essential component of every professional’s career path.

To get the job at her first school, Louise put her experience into a story. Because people had a hard time believing she wanted to start from scratch, she leveraged her retail background as a fresh perspective she’d offer the new gig. Then, not wanting to be only a teacher and wanting to be involved in curriculum design, after several years she got promoted twice in five years, constantly reminding herself of past successes whenever she began to doubt herself.

I asked her specifically about starting over and the challenges involved, and she stressed the importance of learning. Along the way, she knew she had to stay stimulated and not allow any doubts to enter into the picture. Boredom can be inevitable, and you can either allow it to creep in, take over, and drive you crazy, or you can manage it. Every time she found herself not being challenged enough, she made people aware. In doing so, she asked for more responsibility which advanced her career.

It was this open communication that Louise found worthwhile. This was something she had learned from her parents at an early age. “If you don’t ask, you don’t get,” her mom would say, encouraging her daughter to always put herself in touch with others who may be of assistance in some way. Simply because, the more people who know what you're looking for and of course the right people, can help you strategize.

This kind of advice is a game-changer and a perfect example of how important networking is. There is always somebody who will help you on your journey. You have to put yourself in places with other people where they have a chance to get to know you and what you stand for. Remember, you have no idea who you are sitting next to at a given moment.

This is how Louise changed her career and ended up being the Head of a School. She had the ambition and dedication and worked her way up always looking for ways to advance herself and never allowing herself to get stuck.

Deciding to change careers, heck anything, regardless of how old you are, is never easy, especially on top of your job. But it can be done. If your mind is set on it and you have developed your mental fitness, you can and will make it happen. Ultimately it comes down to knowing that you need to make a change.