Exploring Your Next Career Adventure!

Adventure is one of my top three values I seek to live by every day. As I personally define it, adventure means choosing a mindset of exploration and seeking new possibilities. It's about embracing the unknown and trying new things. You never know where it will take you!

According to the Travelers' Century Club, fortunately, I have been to 63 countries and territories. Ever since I got my first COVID vaccine, I have basically been on a plane at least every two weeks for the last 3.5 years. Fortunately, my favorite client had me flying all over the world. In 2022, I facilitated learning programs on four different continents. I also traveled a lot for fun. Last year for my 40th birthday, I went all out with bucket list adventures to Summit at Sea, the Olympics, and swimming with humpback whales in Tonga. I am beyond grateful for this wild lifestyle, but my body and my savings have told me it's time to slow down and stay at home!

Similarly, my career has taken me on many adventures across different industries. While in a full-time M.A. in Applied Women's Studies program, I worked full-time for my sorority, launching a new chapter at a nearby college. I then did an internship at the UN in New York and worked on women's career advancement within the entire UN system. I then moved to Washington, D.C. to do a WCPI Congressional Fellowship. I spent seven years in Washington, D.C. with careers highlights of serving as a nonprofit executive director and teaching at American University and Trinity Washington University. The thread throughout my journey was seeking to advance women's leadership.

I then moved back to my beloved Bay Area. After working again for women's nonprofits, I was able to finally break into the private sector when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) gained momentum in the tech sector. Unfortunately, the tech company I worked for went through layoffs, but I was able to land a DEI contractor role with another tech company. Eventually, I landed a coveted role at a top management consulting firm. I briefly left to work at a startup but boomeranged back as a contractor. I explored building my own business, but have decided to pause my entrepreneur journey. I am currently exploring my next career adventure!

The number one reason I was able to make such significant career transitions was because I had a super supportive network opening doors for me.

I am extremely grateful and proud that I have been able to work in multiple industries. I have learned so much from each experience. It was often hard transitioning into a new industry, but it was always a welcome challenge. We each have our own career preferences, but below are my reflections about my favorite parts of an industry, and my least favorite parts. If you have worked in these industries, I am curious what have been your likes and dislikes!

As you explore your next career adventure, I invite you to think about what would you be open to? How can you reinvent yourself? You are fully capable of creating new possibilities. I have done it over and over again and am currently trying to do so again right now!

How have you broken into new industries? How do you approach your next career adventure? I'd love to hear what has worked for you! Please also check out this Custom GPT I created to help you explore career transitions.

Bon voyage to your next career adventure!