Is this the year you resolve to find your dream job? In today’s world, a job for life is rarely an option and the opportunities for reinvention are endless. We take a look at what it means to follow a path of multiple careers.
By Natalie Trevis
Choose a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. A beautiful sentiment, but perhaps easier said than done when you have to make rent. What if what you love is surfing, or acting, or exotic travel? It can take a lifetime to figure out how to turn your passion into a paying job or startup, much less a credible career. Perhaps, that’s why there are so many of us for whom that moment – when opportunity meets inspiration and something is sparked; a flicker of excitement that confirms that this is the one – comes a little later in life. Vera Wang set up her own label at age 40 after working as an editor at Vogue; J K Rowling was 32 when the first of the Harry Potter bestsellers was published; Lupita Nyong’o was a fresh-faced 30 at the time of her breakout role in Twelve Years a Slave. “I finally felt like I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone and could pursue what I loved,” says tech executive-turned-fine jewellery designer Reem Mobassaleh of RYM Jewelry. “Or, maybe I just stopped paying attention to what other people were thinking. I believe there has been a taboo in the past against women in the creative industries... that, perhaps, if they went into those fields, it was because they weren’t up to more ‘difficult’ careers.”
“I suppose I thought being a lawyer would be a good idea and it seemed like the sensible thing to do after leaving school,” sums up Alyce Tran, who left the legal world when her line of monogrammed accessories, The Daily Edited, took off. “I didn’t really see a path or how I could contribute when I left school to the creative industry.” Yet, no matter how much you Lean In, the sensible option isn’t always the right one. Punishing hours bring a dawning realisation that no matter how high you fly, how much you earn or how many glass ceilings are cracked, there isn’t always a way to find a meaningful balance. Which is why you have to love it to survive. I can relate. It took years, six of them dedicated to studying and training, to realise that my dream career as a media lawyer wasn’t my dream after all. Like many millennials born into the economic boom of the early Eighties – a time that was more Wolf of Wall Street than Into the Wild – the corporate ideal was held up as the gold standard of achievement. My tipping point came after an out-of-the-blue move from London to Manila for my husband’s career. The new country and sense of adventure was just the catalyst needed to re-train in fashion design and styling, and from there, hustle my way into freelance work as a fashion stylist, then in the Middle East; each editorial, commercial or movie set leading to another, exploring everything until I knew I had found my niche.
“I was drained and exhausted from working very long hours and travelling. I was burnt out,” recalls Shelina Jokhiya, founder of organising service DeCluttr Me, about her time as senior legal counsel. “I started looking into being a professional organiser, which I had dreamt about doing since 2003, and I realised that I could make a business out of being organised and be the first one in the region to do it.”
Those that make the switch or catch the break rarely look back. The experience and multiple skill sets gained along the way is the very advantage that will help you soar. “I’ve found now that because I didn’t have a traditional path to design, my work in the fine jewellery industry is quite distinct,” says Reem. “I drew a lot of inspiration for the modularity behind the jewellery line from the work I was doing in the tech space. “Problem-solving, communication skills and strategic reasoning are just a few of the transferable skills that are relevant to every industry, not to mention a diverse network of contacts and a different way of thinking that could prove inspirational in a new role. Repackaging your talents to emphasise core strengths such as these, can, in many circumstances, more than compensate for what may be lacking in solid experience,” she added.
Flexible working hours, freedom from micromanagement and inspiring work are just some of the intangible benefits that are gradually taking priority in our career choices. With today’s youngest workers predicted to hold up to 15 jobs in a lifetime, we’re no longer even looking for a career for life that will simply pay the bills, but something more meaningful – a job with purpose. “If you have never been an entrepreneur, it can be daunting to start a new career,” says Shelina. “However, there are moments when your new path is straight and it is all worth it. My only regret is the paycheck (I do cry when I pass Chanel), but the returns in freedom and my health are worth the sacrifice.” Set your own goals, advises Alyce, “there’s no definite career path in the entrepreneurial world; your personal development is in your own hands!”
Like any significant life change, none of this happens in a vacuum. A job isn’t something separated from our everyday lives anymore, but a lifestyle choice, as crucial to our vision of ourselves as our family, friends and passions. Malcolm Gladwell once described the late bloomer narrative as the ultimate love story. Behind every career change, crisis of confidence or creative drought is a loyal partner, friend, parent or mentor, offering words of wisdom or a financial stability that offers the other the space to dream. “I love what I’m doing professionally and even though I find myself working longer hours than I used to, I’m really happy,” says Reem. “That has carried over a lot into my personal relationships.” If I’ve learnt anything from my own path of career detours and carving out a new, more authentic version of myself in the fashion industry, it’s that there’s no single way to succeed. No one other than you can decide whether you are where you ‘should’ be. We’re lucky to possess the freedom to make career choices, and to change them if they aren’t working for us. So, like the trailblazing women featured in MOJEH Issue 33, use your freedom, share your dreams, find a cheerleader, make a plan and just keep going. It might not work out how or when you expect, but taking the leap is all that matters.
