Do you relate to Alicia?

Alicia had always been known for her determination. From her teenage years to her late twenties, she set herself goals and doggedly pursued them. For years, she believed her future was in higher education—specifically in the realm of recreation and wellness. She earned a master’s degree in Student Affairs, landed a coveted position in a university’s Rec & Wellness department, and threw herself into student engagement programs. For a while, it was a dream come true: she created innovative wellness workshops, organized intramural leagues, and mentored student employees. But over time, a subtle discontent grew inside her. It started as a twinge of fatigue and a persistent feeling that her days were blending together. While she valued supporting students, she realized something was missing.

The First Twinges of Doubt

Initially, the signs that Alicia’s interests were shifting weren’t obvious to anyone but her. But she noticed she was drawn more and more to the behind-the-scenes management tasks—planning large-scale events, setting project timelines, coordinating resources, and measuring success metrics. She found herself volunteering to organize schedules and track participation data whenever the department launched a new wellness initiative. While she enjoyed seeing students thrive, the real spark of excitement came from organizing projects themselves—delivering them on time and seeing tangible results. Eventually, this enthusiasm began overshadowing her day-to-day involvement in typical recreation and wellness responsibilities.

Realizing Change Was Needed

Alicia felt conflicted. She had invested years developing a professional identity in higher education. She had built relationships with colleagues, professors, and students, and she felt an attachment to the campus community. But the more she explored her newfound passion, the more she yearned to pivot into project management. She resisted the idea at first—worried what others would think, or if she would be letting students down. Yet, every week, the feeling grew stronger.

One night, after leading another successful wellness workshop, she sat at her desk reviewing attendance numbers and feedback surveys. As she meticulously organized the data into spreadsheets and created a project report, a wave of satisfaction hit her. She realized that this was the work that made her feel alive. In that moment, she accepted that a career shift was no longer just a passing thought—it was a necessity.

Embarking on the Journey

Acknowledging the need to pivot was both terrifying and exhilarating. Alicia started by auditing her own skill set. She was well-versed in coordinating large-scale campus events, delegating tasks, managing program budgets, and tracking participant outcomes. She had strong communication skills from years of interacting with students and administrators. She recognized these strengths could be a solid foundation for a transition into project management.

Next, she began to familiarize herself with the language and best practices of formal project management. She studied frameworks like Agile and Waterfall and learned about tools such as Trello, Asana, and MS Project. She attended webinars and local meetups to meet professionals already in the field. To bolster her résumé, she started working on a project management certification online. All the while, she revised her résumé to emphasize her organizational achievements, cross-functional collaboration experience, and leadership capabilities.

The job search was not instantaneous. Alicia sent out countless applications, often to no response. Other times, she interviewed only to be told they needed someone with more direct project management experience. While discouraging, she leaned on supportive friends and mentors for encouragement. Each conversation reaffirmed her conviction: she needed to keep going.

The Transition

After several months of persistent effort, Alicia secured a project coordinator role at a mid-sized tech company. It wasn’t the exact “project manager” title she dreamed of, but it was the foot in the door she needed. The team recognized her strong background in organizing complex events, her knack for communication, and her ability to manage multiple stakeholders—qualities that perfectly aligned with their needs.

Switching from a university campus to a corporate environment felt like a culture shock at first. Gone were the buzzing hallways of undergraduates and the campus rec center. Instead, Alicia found herself in a bustling open-plan office, navigating tight product deadlines and daily stand-up meetings. She sometimes missed the direct student interactions, but she was energized by the new challenge of ensuring her projects stayed on track. Alicia discovered that while she was still serving a community—now coworkers and clients instead of students—the thrill of guiding a project from conception to completion was what truly lit her up.

The Payoff

Over time, Alicia saw the benefits of her career transition manifest in big and small ways:

1. Renewed Sense of Purpose: She thrived on breaking down complex project goals into achievable steps. Watching her newly formed team collaborate successfully gave her the same satisfaction she once felt when helping students succeed in their wellness goals—except now, she saw a direct, measurable impact in each project’s successful delivery.
2. Enhanced Skill Set: Adapting her student affairs background to a corporate structure expanded her professional toolkit. She learned new project management methodologies while leveraging her existing strengths in relationship-building and communication.
3. Stronger Support System: As she tapped into the project management community—attending meetups, participating in online forums, and connecting with mentors—she found new colleagues who shared her passion for organization and collaboration. She still kept in touch with old friends in higher education, but now her professional network broadened significantly.
4. Opportunities for Growth: The corporate environment offered clearer, more structured career advancement paths. Alicia learned that if she consistently delivered projects on time and within budget, she could move up the ladder in project management more quickly than she initially realized.
5. Personal Fulfillment: Despite her initial fears, Alicia found her new role aligned even more closely with her natural talents and interests. She looked forward to Mondays again—something that hadn’t happened in quite some time.

Looking Ahead

A year after starting as a project coordinator, Alicia earned a promotion to associate project manager. She continues to refine her skills, attends workshops to learn the newest methodologies, and even mentors a couple of younger colleagues who are just starting to explore project management. In retrospect, she’s proud of the courage it took to leave a familiar field she’d spent years mastering. The journey wasn’t linear or easy, but she’s realized that transition is rarely smooth when you’re charting an entirely new path.

Alicia’s story proves that it’s never too late to embrace a calling that stirs your passion. Even if you’re switching from the structured world of campus recreation to the fast-paced environment of corporate project management, the risks are worth the reward if it means waking up every day excited about your work—and confident you’ve found your true professional home.