I am officially starting my blog this year with something very personal and hope that people will find value and meaning in the thoughts I will be sharing today. During the pandemic, many of us found ourselves reassessing our careers and chosen paths.  Depending on the industry you are a part of, some have flourished while many have struggled.  I was in the latter.

At first it felt like things will go back to normal after a few weeks but as time passed and as restrictions were heightened, the uncertainty became clearer and clearer. Projects were not coming in, I honestly felt anxious and confused to the point of thinking is there something that I am not doing to make it work. Am I failing at this? My family’s safety was also my highest priority especially for my senior mother. With the reality of my work involving many face-to-face transactions, it became more apparent that I may have to make a major shift in my career. 

“…is there something that I am not doing to make it work. Am I failing at this?”

Being in lockdown, and as the digital world expanded, my brother and I found ourselves coming up with online content ideas and creating them as well. I learned to shoot using a simple camera and edit videos.  Being an interior designer, photography and graphic design have always been my interests especially as they can be a part of our work as well.  The social media platforms and apps made it fun and easy to create visuals. As for the copy, I always have enjoyed writing since my high school days with the school magazine. Then on a Saturday evening dinner with my family, a random idea was put on the table, my brother suggested that I go back to school again and learn all about digital marketing.  He works in the data space and can see the trends going in favour of all things digital.  I’m not going to lie, I was already thinking of studying again but wasn’t sure what course to take. The next thing he said was it would be best for me to study outside the country where innovations in the field were happening. That took me aback for a while. But as we discussed further, we ended up with Canada being the best choice for me.  

“I had to go through a process of “emptying” my career to make so much room for the new.“

People may say I have failed when I ended my interior design practice and closed our company. But looking back and with a message I learned this week, I had to go through a process of “emptying” my career to make so much room for the new. I also need to constantly remind myself that I am not starting from scratch, all the work and life experiences I gained has amounted to who I am as a person today.  These experiences now add to the unique offering I can provide as I step into the world of Digital Marketing, and make my mark with the goal of helping other people and the society in my own way. 

If you went through or is going through a major shift in your career, I hope this blog post gives you strength and hope to forge ahead. Feel free to share your experiences below and may we all inspire each other.