Newsletter #3: Why a nontraditional career path is actually awesome

I want to tell you a little story. 

Well, make that three. Why? Because I think this topic needs three examples to really get it through to the people who need to hear it. 

You see, sometimes one example is just the exception. Two? Perhaps a coincidence. But three? That's a pattern. 

So what pattern am I trying to establish exactly?

It's a pattern of famous stories that have been told of amazing career transitions. I rehash them here to remind you that just because you have been doing one thing (or always thought you would do one thing) doesn't mean that you can't do something new.

And yes. I know these stories are fictional, but we love them for a reason. We can see ourselves in the characters. They're just realistic enough to relate to. And the idea of someone changing their life to become something they never even imagined is really kind of amazing to watch. 

So for those that have been wanting to make a change -- maybe in your career, in your life, whatever situation that you're in: I present to you the following case studies that prove that change can be right around the corner.

Case #1. Walter White

Oh yes. I went there. 

Walter was a chemistry teacher who used his transferrable skills for....a different kind of chemistry. 

Walter had absolutely no background in drug making or dealing but by all accounts absolutely crushed it. Now I'm not saying he was a good person, but if we're just talking about successful career transitions then look no further.

Case #2. Sue Ellen Crandell 

Ok this one is going to age me, but Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead is one of my all-time favorite movies. 

If you've never seen it, go do yourself a favor and check out this early 90s classic. 

I won't give away too many spoilers but I will say that Sue Ellen (played by Christina Applegate) is a TEENAGER. And she realistically pulls off working a corporate job and pulling together the most legit fashion show that the company has ever seen. 

This story may be a little more "fake it 'til you make it" than I was shooting for, but the point is that she had zero experience in the fashion industry, yet she used her passion for it and her drive to succeed to keep her family afloat for an entire parent-less summer.

Case #3. Forrest Gump

Forrest is the absolute GOAT when it comes to career transitions. 

Over the course of the movie we watch him go from college football player to Vietnam War sergeant to professional ping-pong player to shrimp boat captain to investor -- the list goes on and on. 

Forrest isn't afraid to move to the next thing. He just takes what he knows, and applies it in whatever scenario he happens to find himself in next. 

We can all learn something from Forrest in that way. Successful career or life changes aren't always the result of careful planning and an airtight strategy.

Sometimes it's about continuing to apply what you know and adapting it to fit new situations over and over until you look up and realize that the things you can do today barely resemble the things that you used to do. 

I hope these 3 fictional characters (of varying levels of morality) give you hope that not only can you make a change, but you can THRIVE.

And when it comes to career changes, often it's that non-traditional path that you take to get there that allows you to do so. You bring new perspective, new ideas, and use your lived experience to inform your actions. Do that with a healthy dose of Forrest's doe-eyed enthusiasm and you've got yourself a pretty good recipe for success.