It’s a working Monday. I have no news to share and no announcements to make. I have a cup of tea and a file opened in front of me. Some people find the blank page intimidating, but to me it is always exciting. It’s full of possibilities. You can go anywhere. Do anything. And then the first word goes onto the page, and suddenly you have a course and a direction.
Many years ago KOEI made a game called New Horizons. You started out as a character with a single tiny ship and a map shrouded in fog, and you set out into the unknown to discover the world and grow your mercantile empire or a massive military fleet one load of cargo at a time. Writing books feels a little like that.
There is that old saying, practice makes better. The more we do something, the more efficient and practiced we become. I’m not sure that holds true for books. Someone once came up with a different adage for writers: the more you work on a book, the more you learn how to write that particular book better. Just when you feel you’ve gotten the hang of it, a new book comes along, with a different world and different characters, and everything you’ve learned goes out the window.
Since in this business you are only as good as your last book, every new novel is a career change. Every new book is a business decision, which in turn results in a myriad of smaller business decisions. When we started out as writers, somehow the idea that writing is a business never entered into my plans for the future.
In my head back then, the business model was very simple: write books -> collect money -> write more books. That still holds true, technically. There are just a few steps missing: spend a long time figuring out which project is the best one to work on – write book -> do a whole lot of admin things -> try not to lose the whole bag of marbles -> collect money.
I’ve read about Vera Wang’s career path this weekend. She started out as a figure skater, and then, when she failed to make the Olympic team, pivoted to a degree in art history. After she graduated, she was hired as an editor for Vogue and she stayed in that position for 17 years. Then she was passed over for promotion. She left, worked for Ralph Lauren for a couple of years and then, at 40 started her own fashion brand.
Of all the industries, fashion prizes youth the most. I’ve been watching the new season of Project Runway and the highest compliment every designer chases is “It’s feels fresh and young.” Can you imagine the guts it took to start over in fashion at 40? I wonder how many people told her she was too old.
Given that I’m crap at everything else, I’m not planning on designing wedding dresses any time soon. All of my career pivoting will be done on the written page. It’s waiting for me right now.
Meanwhile, I’m curious if you had to pivot in your professional life. How did it go?
First?!?
Certified 🙂
First?
Sry, I know it’s not for the ordinary Posts but I couldn’t stop myself…
so many pivots but I kinda thrive in chaos. my degree is in physiology. I have done security, pharmacy, break for kids, after school program, business consulting, and now real estate photography and medical records. kind of whatever fit my family schedule and made enough $$ to cover my part of the bills.
I would not recommend to everyone but my life is kind of a sitcom and if it was easy it wouldn’t ever be any fun. ibe learned to get behind whatever life rolls for me and put in 97 percent on everything I do. great times, great stories, spectacularly mediocre life. love it.
also love your stories!
When I was 30 I left my job in Human Resources to go to law school. Part of my thought process was “I’m not married and don’t have kids so why not?” Well, I graduated on May 13, got married on May 27, and was pregnant by June 3. I had a law career but a very different one than I had envisioned. 30 years later my kids are all grown and I still occasionally practice law in the field I ended up in because it suited my family life.
Oh my goodness, I’ve had to pivot so many times in my professional career. Started as a USAF pilot trainee, then an Airfield Ops officer (ATC, airfield management, wrangler of roughly 100 young Airmen), then milutary to civilian, back to school, then accountant, now systems accountant (problem solving). My entire professional life can be summed up by “Jack of all trades, master of none.” But learning new things is how we keep things interesting. No regrets 😊
My husband is 13M as well! It’s so fun to hear of another one out in the wild. I hope your civilian career is less harried than your military one likely was. 😆😅
I had a few pivotal points in my life. The first was getting a history degree when I was seriously considering going to medical school. The second was getting my Master of Public Health in Health Administration and Policy. One huge thing that came out that was I do not like Health Administration. I admire people who go into Health Administration. Me? I went the Health Policy route. The third, and huge pivot, was getting my Doctor of Public Health in Biostatistics. Of all the areas I could have chosen, Biostatistics was the area that had the most jobs at the time I got it. It also was what got me to Fort Worth. It also helped me get the job I have now by combining my master and doctoral degrees.
For those who don’t know what biostatistics is, it is an area of math that focuses on the health sciences. Yep, math. The most ironic area for me to get into. 😁
I love your books and I am writing myself so I love the blank page description.
I had to pivot somewhat. I was a wildland firefighter as was my husband. I had to change to other positions in the US Forest Service to raise our children as I couldn’t be gone over 120 days a year on fires.
I was lucky, I still supervised local fire crews on the Forest and became a member of regional Incident Management Teams so was able to get my fire fix while working in a wide variety of other jobs that let me bring kids to work and events. I had a great career but not the one I wanted in fire.
I feel you on 2 marrieds can’t have the same long hours/shift work career. It’s just a bit sad that it seems to be the wife (if you are the wife, I am) that ends up taking the other track.
I pivoted from professional interpreting to professional dog training. I am very happy. sometimes a pivot is what is needed.
Lots of pivots in my professional life! Did a bachelors in archaeology, decided I didn’t want to become an archaeologist, then did a masters in forensic archaeology and crime scene investigation. Worked for the police in different back office roles (after briefly working in a high school as a science lab tech) (never became a scene of crime officer…) then left the police and started working at a university. I’ve now been there for 11 years and worked my way up in different roles, currently a quality and policy manager. I’m only in my 40s, same as Vera Wang, who knows what might come next! 😆
Pivoted from environmental consultancy to teaching mainstream high school science then again to special needs. All very good and much needed changes at the time.
I’d now like to pivot to winning the lottery……😂
lol
“When we started out as writers, somehow the idea that writing is a business never entered into my plans for the future.” I bet this rings true for many new writers and the really successful ones learn the truth very quickly.
I never made what could be called a pivot in my career, but after getting my college degree I took a temp admin support job and am still with the same company 34 years later. Promotions along the way but I am still working in administration. It still surprises me when I think about it.
My life pivot came at 32 and again at 45. I was supposed to be in the educational field as a teacher, but because of real life, I ended up working as a call center instructor then a supervisor. Then, another pivot at 45 taking on a role I had no idea even existed. I had the chance to build the role, responsibilities and grow it into a new department within my company and I am still there. It’s amazing to me that this all happened after I “grew up” and had some life experiences and most importantly, the confidence to “Just try it, what’s the worse that could happen? They say yes?”. I often give this advice to my much younger colleagues. Go for it and don’t let your age stop you. Ever.
I’ve had to pivot many times. I never really had a “career”, just a number of jobs that paid the bills and offered a little bit of savings while I did performance projects that made me no money. I gave that up to be a full-time mom for an awesome special needs kiddo. Then I gave up other things to homeschool both kids because the school system let them down. Now they’ve graduated and I don’t know what to do with myself. 😅
Hubby was a working actor for a long time and ended up having a very successful career as a writer. Gotta be open for new possibilities, right?
lots of pivots and now I’m a flower farmer.
Go you! Wishing you great success and lots of beauty!
To pivot is to _______
I think we have this idea that when we grow up we will be (a) and do (x) but in reality we will do (a +b – cdf) for (x,y,z) We have to pivot to survive and grow. And that’s coming from someone who really doesn’t like change – lol
My most recent pivot doesn’t involve a career, and involves driving to and fro. A few years ago, I had a stroke. I have mostly recovered and I drove comfortably around the town that I lived in, but did not drive on interstates or for long distances. We recently moved. I have found that my comfort in driving was very much associated with familiarity to the area. So I’ve pivoted to the role of Miss Daisy.
Happy Monday!
So, wedding dress???? Maud’s???? 🤞🤞🤞❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hehehe I knew someone would made that connection 🤣
Oooooh. Or could it be for Dina and Sean? Or both?
Oh, yes. I did pre-vet in college with a degree in Biology, then was too burned out to face another 4 years of college so put vet school on hold to do bookkeeping in 1999 (my dad had a public accounting firm so I’d been doing data entry and bookkeeping for extra money off and on from the time I was a teen).
I always swore I would never be a CPA but my short break before vet school turned into 11 years – I eventually took some tax prep classes and started doing that to make more money in 2010. Fast forward to this year and I’m on track to get my CPA license early next year… (and yes, I CAN hear the universe laughing at me).
That’s hilarious. I worked as a vet tech for 15 years, burnt out during the pandemic and now work in admin for an accounting office. Now I’m starting to get curious about actual bookkeeping. we’ll see where it goes.
Managed convenience stores, went back to college and earned a degree in history, and now I am super happy as an accountant…life is strange.
Our dad did.
He left his job working with computers at IBM to go back to college at age 40 to fulfill a dream of becoming an optometrist. Our mom worked with him to make it happen. They were a great team. ♥️
I was lucky enough to work for the Postal Service for almost 35 years. On average I did a career change about every five years. I started out as a clerk unloading trucks and sorting mail in the back of the office, then I became a window clerk dealing with the public. I had an air conditioning background and was able to move into building maintenance at a large facility. I then became a building maintenance supervisor at a different facility. An opportunity came to relocate to Metro DC as a plant maintenance engineer. I met my wife and she encouraged me to finish my bachelors degree. I then became an analyst figuring out the value of various mail processing improvements. Next I became a program manager and nationally deployed new sorting equipment. My last position was as the manager of administrative services. So many different jobs yet all with the Postal Service.
Thank you for your service!
I thought social worker would be the ticket but I hated the restrictions and rules that came with it. I became an English teacher and though I enjoyed it, I didn’t enjoy having to fight off parents (without support from the school) of children who were only problems because their parents didn’t hold them accountable. I studied “applied psychology” to become a coach only to end up as a stay at home mom because of, among other things, the pandemic and choices that came with that.
I always wanted to be a writer.
My plan was to be a writer and have five dogs. Instead I have a husband, two amazing but intense children and am a stay at home parent. So I guess you could say I did a pivot on my original dreams?
They’re still really young and I’m not sure what I’m gonna do when they’re older. Maybe I’ll write a book. More likely I’ll finally start my own business as a mental health coach. Maybe I’ll go back to school to become a proper psychologist. I guess time will tell. For now, I’m trying to survive the chaos of my oldest going school for the first time XD
I have gone back to school twice and pivoted careers a number of times. Public relations, parent, massage therapist, librarian. I think I get bored and like to learn new things. As I have tried new things, I seem to move toward jobs that make me happier. It’s a process of discovery. Now I am learning to knit and waiting to retire!
Intetesting!
My life is a constant repivoting to adapt. My degree is in fine arts and I graduated into a recession, filled with 5-year plans, the MBA as a Holy Grail, and people wanting to know of I’d had my colours done.
I ended up temping in the major metro area where I lived, traveling on breaks to Europe, Asia, and the US. I got to see a huge variety of businesses and, when computera came in, I picked them up quickly … because being a receptionist gets pretty boring and most computers and printers were decorative statements that just sat there, lookimg shiny. When Windows came in, I pivoted to desktop publishing and reports (oh, those art history writing skills came in handy for spinning quarterly reports) for things like education, basic office budgets, medical teams, plane engines, construction, e-beam and laser lithography, and HMOs. I took editing classes to poliah my wroting skills and added Jr Editor to my resume. Everyone hates reports and office org, so I was in demand and very busy.
Then a new thing called the internet came out. I’d heard about it from experience with the Minitel in France, and was excited to see it grow. Then computer games took off and I started taking multimedia classes. Learned to find a use for my letterpress printing and graphic arts classes. Then websites became a Thing and I was hooked: production, coder, webmistress. consultant, client support, grant writing, Stakeholder prep and presentations, SEO, and online marketing.
Then, my family took major health hits on all fronts and I became Last Person Standing. I switched to caregiving, therapist, and advocate. And seat-of-my-pants legal / financial liaison.
Like Linus, I do so hate to be bored. So far, so good!
Hahaha! My life has been a series of pivots. Because a SAHM directly out 9f college, so I never established a career. When the ex walked, I juggled four kids and several job fields: court reporter, swim instructor, medical records, admin assistant. I ended up not being able to work at all when two of my kids being disabled. Then six years ago, I was offered a virtual admin job that allowed me to grow and learn to the point that I know run operations for several e-comms. I absolutely love it, and the massive multitasking needed to he a single parent to four translates beautifully to what I do. Life works in mysterious ways!
I’ve had many pivots in my professional life. In college, I asked my Electrical Engineering professor for a job in his lab. Instead, he offered me a position working for one of the precursors to OpenStax and Coursera. I mostly took coursework for professors and encoded it in XML. After I bombed job interviews in a dismal job market, I stuck with this place post-graduation. I was a young, female electrical engineer that all but failed to launch. Then they had to lay me off, because grants fell through. This was in my early twenties.
I ended up getting a job as an Instrumentation and Controls Engineer, largely with the help of my father. I finally felt that I was rocking and rolling and impressed my older colleagues with how quickly I could complete projects.
Three months in, I got a cold call from a NASA contractor, and I felt like I’d be stupid not to say yes to NASA. Looking back, I don’t know if it was the right decision. There, I became a Systems Engineer – someone responsible for making sure that design engineers meet requirements, with the documentation and tests to prove it. I was the only female on the team and dealt with subtle sexism and confidence issues again. When contracts shifted, I moved more into Project Management, which was a relief against the sexism part at least. However, my job became to teach researchers how to create project schedules. It was like herding cats. “YOU CAN’T SCHEDULE SCIENCE!!” Yes, come on, you know how long the tests are going to take. But it was fine, right up until government shutdowns affected my paycheck. I was in my late twenties at this point.
At that point, I was tired, run down and discovered that I could work for another industry just playing with spreadsheets all day. Sexism was still a thing, especially when I took maternity leave. I was surprised when I came back, though, because after the legally mandated time back, I was offered a role in IT. Early/mid-thirties. I went from being a technical analyst to a lead for a particular discipline. From there, I was fortunate. I had a manager that supported me, and I gained confidence. Now, just kicking off my forties, I’m in a different role in IT, but largely respected for my work and a mentor across the organization. And I use things from pretty much all of those different careers along the way.
Huge pivots, yeah.
Microbiology, left the lab after three degrees and 12 years. Became CPS worker – was successful but miserable, left and started doing project management, which I loved – the skills are so portable and I got to work in a lot of different industries.
Pivoting. I noticed nothing happened in my career unless I made it happen. All my managers were garbage, none knew how to manage or run that particular group, they were too busy looking out for themselves. If you waited for something to happen nothing would happen. I did notice that if you wanted another position and asked for it you normally would not get it, but if you took it upon yourself to take a class or get a certification and noted it in your yearly performance review and let upper management know what you had done the next time a position was open or you asked or applied for something you would get it. I always got the new position after the second time I asked or applied for it.
I didn’t have money to go to college out of high school so I got a job at a place making computers for banks – this was in 1980. I started taking night classes and in 1995 I graduated college, left that company and became an elementary school librarian when I was 33. I loved it and just retired after 28 years. It was two very distinct parts of my life, from the job and even where I lived.
I had a very dramatic pivot that confuses people to this day. I went to culinary school and was in kitchens for 13 years, eventually running quite a few as an executive chef. Burned out hard and went back to school for a criminal justice degree. Now I am an accounting Manager at a large company. I get to come home to my kiddo every night and he has one heck of a palate when it comes to food. Best choice ever!
I went from NC textile mills to military avionic technician (17 yrs) to software developer. Retired six years ago and pivoted to Indie author. My family’s first reaction was bug-eyes. (:p)
I’m a big believer that life gives you what you need when you need it, good or bad, and this post genuinely made me laugh when I read it because I’m currently in the process of my next pivot.
I have gone from animal care to insurance to customer service to administration, and most recently accounting.
Now doing a total 360′ to woodworking. It’s going to be a very interesting year to come, but here goes!
No pivots here clear focus, make enough money to take care of the family, family is always first, what I do to make that happen is whatever it takes for it to happen , never had a career and maybe that would have changed it or maybe I was meant to do what I did so the family can happen
spent 11 years working to be a pharmacist then 2020 happened during my last didactic semester. I quit at I’m almost a Dr. now I’m between two jobs struggling to make ends meet. I think about finishing my PharmD but I get through part of the planning and start having panic attacks again and think naw. So yea I’m still working on my pivot. I will say man did yo guys help me get as far as I did. my 15-30 minute breaks doing 17 hr days were magical thanks to you and other authors.
also I can spell and grammar….I just can’t type for shit and am typing in my voice, it takes a lot ono ile to go back and edit. so eh. good luck reading whatever I comment.
Ich habe über 40 Jahre in meinem Verwalungsberuf gearbeitet und alle technischen Veränderungen als Userin mitgemacht. Mit über 60 Jahren wurde ich gebeten, IT Beraterin für Programme zu werden, die für Online-Funktionen für das ganze Land entwickelt wurden.
Das ganze Land?? Sehr gut gemacht!
so MANY pivots… from the thing i studied (international relations/econ) to the first career in video game distribution – in which i learned everything from inventory planning & sales analysis to category mgmt & product life cycle to procurement & pkg design to finance (ar/ap/budgeting) to product acquisition & contract negotiation to managing a mega P&L ($100Mil+). the 2nd career was medical software but also related to data mgmt. the 3rd is in the supplier diversity space, still in software, and i went from implementation projects to data services to now the product team.
there’s a through line … in my undergrad and grad school i learned to think in systems – how to see the forests and the trees and how they impact one another. i learned how to be curious, and use data to find answers. and i learned a LONGLONG TIME AGO that my brain is happiest what i am creatively bridging quantitative and qualitative analysis to solve problems.
My professional pivot moment was at age 38. I was working at the local major clinic and at my last performance eval was told I had reached the maximum pay rate. No opportunities to transfer “up” as I was already at the highest point for my position – no nothing. I would forever be in the same position at the same rate until I retired. In my personal life – single parent with two boys; one with an diagnosed at the time – 2 rare genetic disorders and the other with neurodivergent conditions.
While I had job security, I couldn’t keep providing for my family and I was “over” my current job responsibilities. I was bored out of my mind and the stress levels with the job not worth it.
Taking the leap (and prayed I landed feet first) I left my secure job at the clinic and started at the local university (I-N-I! iykyk) in the secretarial line (now referred to Office Professionals). Those first 6 months were spent doing my best and hope for a good eval to stay!
Hindsight is 20/20 – I wished I had not been loyal and stayed as long as I did, instead of 4 years and counting to retirement, I could already be retired, with great benefits and pay. But 4 years is a blink of the eye, love my job and my colleagues. Now only if Kid 2 would hurry up get that Master’s finished. 🙂
Didn’t have a true pivot, but left academic research groups for a mostly boring job in science lab support. Still in academia but at community college level instead of university. Interestingly, it was not only much better paid, but better benefits and far more flexibility. Best of all though, it was a stable position. All of which were becoming far more important to me at that particular juncture. So it was both very good and not so good. Which can probably be said for most life decisions.
An interesting post, thanks!
Oh god, I’ve pivoted a few times..all in business world, but 2 years ago I decided to do a software start up (so totally not my background but ended up in it due to burnout). My god does it have ups and downs! And it’s ongoing. Reason for pivots- the wish to fix things and make them work, therefore proving myself. Not sure if I would do same stuff again if I would go back in time.
I was an artist and worked in sales to make money and felt unfulfilled. Retrained at 40 to work in construction. I now manage heritage conservation projects. It took me time to figure out who I was and time for society to allow me to work in construction. In high school I was told to be a nurse or a teacher. I prefer building things.
Ilona, I feel you could pivot to yarn art fashion easily. your yarn projects are awesome!
I’ve had to pivot a lot due to companies being bought out, resulting layoffs, etc….but honestly I started pivoting long before I started working, so changes (planned or unplanned) never got me down.
I started out in high school absolutely sure that I wanted to be a journalist. I even won a very competitive scholarship (only one was awarded per state) for journalism….and then, in college realized that I love to write but I absolutely did not want to be a journalist (or even write for a living.) I don’t think this was because of the profession at all…more likely due to the stress of trying to live up to winning the scholarship.
So, instead, I dropped out of school and got a job in an insurance company, which led to going back to school and getting a job as a computer programmer (there were few women in the field at the time,) which led to getting a job designing computer systems as a Business Systems Analyst, which is where I stayed until retiring after 40 years of working. To be honest, I did not love it, but I was very good at it and it paid the bills nicely.
But now I am pursuing my TRUE dream ‘jobs’ as a retiree: taking classes and creating art, raising money for charity via entry in 5k races, expanding and perfecting my lifetime love of cooking and baking, teaching children to love reading and books (via a reading program where I read to kindergarteners), etc.
Most of what I do now is done via volunteer work so no salary, but I can share my true loves with many others and I have never been more highly paid or happy in my life.
And can I just add: when things change, it may seem like the change was unplanned (and maybe unwanted) but you never know….that may just be the pivot that is needed and may be the best change you’ve ever experienced! 😁
Watching project Runway too. Maybe it’s because the “Young and Fresh” buy the most clothes. My Mother was a clothes hound when she was older; I was one when I was younger.
after 40 years in the construction field I went to Real Estate school at 70 to help my dsughter
I can’t imagine anyone NOT pivoting at least once. I first pivoted from insurance claims review to nursing. 10 years later I decided to go to graduate school to become a nurse practitioner. Retired now, and earned every bit of it.
Concert pianist. Bookkeeper. Analytical chemist. College professor. Harpist. Full-time stay-at-home mom. High school Chemistry teacher.
I’m just started student teaching last week. It’s a little rough. Post-Covid school is not what I’m used to; I’ve seen better behavior in a 1st-grade classroom. The worst part though is the computers. I used to be a computer expert. But that was in a previous century. Now I’m a computer idiot and my ego is rather bruised.
Teacher here. Loved my school, but did not like the long commute. so I thought I should work closer to home. But it turnes out not every school is like my old school. Told myself to give it a full year. That did not work out. So I went back to my old school and am very happy ever since. Something about the neighbours grass? 😉
I got laid off / early retirement from 26 years in Telecom as a wireline project implementation specialist. I then moved to another state, and I got a job as a project planner for Dell services, but it wasn’t computer work! It was as a third party insurance program/client support. Covid happened, I got laid off after being assigned to answer calls, for the state of KY for unemployment and stimulus checks. Worst experience ever…l now work as a Federal Aid admin for DHHS in Nebraska. It’s still dicey with all the recent changes, but I’ve made it 4 years now. Reinvention is painful.
Today I learned that in the U.S. apparently Uncharted Waters II: New Horizons was marketed simply as New Horizons.
…Alright game. Go sit over in the corner with Final Fantasy Legends and Legend of Mana.
It’s not so much how it was marketed. It’s the name we use for it in our house. 🙂
Hahaha. Yes. Got a degree, couldn’t get work in that degree. Worked in healthcare and thought I’d like to be a nurse. Got into nursing school and HATED it. I probably should have finished but just the thought of working in nursing brought anxiety. I decided to quit and immediate relief.
Got a job in a call center to make money while I figured out what to do with my life but ended up doing some projects on the side which grew into more projects and promotions.
Now I’m in a career that has a lot of parallel toward my original degree (which I find interesting and kinda funny) but in a different field and I absolutely love it. I never would have that my customer service role would lead me to where I’m at now.
I left health care after 30 years and went into hazardous waste disposal in my mid-50s. It was a great choice for me, with better pay, better benefits, better hours, and much less physical stress.
Boy did I pivot. I went from a part-time worker/stay at home mom to becoming a consultant for part-time money to a divorced, single mom with unengaged ex (being kind). 5 ears later, next partner died, suicide. I took over his business and had to manage several hundred independent people, none of whom respected my ability to do anything. I handled it, grew into a much more rounded person. Today, at 68, grateful to be able to live off of very little income because of my loving children who let me build an ADU on their extensive property. Life is full of twists.
I was a psychiatric nurse in Canada. I loved it. I felt like I was really helping people. I moved to NC in the US and the care was terrible. I felt like I was just spinning my wheels. No one was paying any attention to my observations or the type of care I felt these people needed. However I met some Nurse Anesthetists who came up to do ECT and they were happy. confident and respected. I pivoted to that career and never regretted it.
I went from working for 10 years in a library, a job I loved, to working as a pharmacy technician for a LTC (long term care) pharmacy. I made the switch because I was in a position that was wasn’t full time but was more than part time and I needed full time. I moved to pharmacy with zero training and was thrown into a situation where the pharmacy in question was in a rough spot (which pharmacy isn’t?) but they were behind and opening a new location at the same time. It was overwhelming and I almost quit so many times. But I stuck it out and I’m now 7 years into my pharmacy career and I’m not regretting making the change. Though, I would have stayed at the library if I could have.
I’ve pivoted so many times due to economic reasons that I’ve got whiplash! A big one was to leave internal auditing in a healthcare company to open a licensed home daycare business- and do it for 20 years. Decided my patience with other people’s children was shot, shut up shop and moved 9 hours away to start over. No one wanted to hire me. Apparently everything I did as a small business owner didn’t “translate.” It took about 18 months for a library to take a chance on me and hire me for a part time floating position. I was in heaven as a librarian. I had found my peeps. All of my old friends said they always knew I’d end up as a writer or librarian. Covid hit, libraries closed, job cut. This time I pivoted to working for the SC Bar Lawyer Referral Service, able to assist callers with much of the same information I assisted library patrons with (phone numbers for all kinds of emergency assistance) and help callers clarify their issues and direct them to the correct type of attorney if needed. I then pivoted to retirement because life is short and sitting at a computer all day on the phone wasn’t good for my health. Now I take the dog for half hour walks in the morning, attend aquatic classes at the local gym, volunteer at the State Library reading magazine articles aloud to be recorded for the visually impaired, drive friends to doctor appointments, and read. I occasionally vacuum because the dern dog sheds quite a bit. My 3 year old granddaughter spends most Sundays hanging out with me. Every pivot I’ve had I’ve learned from and has enriched my life in some way. Yay for scary changes! Yay for pivots!
I went from answering calls at a call centre and studying for a uni degree in Media Communications to driving trains. I finished my degree (first person in my family to graduate from university) but I don’t use it as I’ve kinda stuck with the train driving. It wasn’t the pivot I had planned or was expecting (goodness knows it certainly has it’s challenges) but I do enjoy driving trains.
I’ve pivoted a few times in my careers thus far. I worked a lot of different retail through college and university. Then a car service department, then a book store. I wanted to do something with my hands and I was handy so then I certified as an appliance repair technician. I enjoyed most of that but I got hurt and was concerned for my safety in that environment so I left. I got a job answering phones for tech repair, Then a secretary, then office manager for a crane manufacturer. A merger caused a staffing redundancy and I was laid off so pivot time again. I went back to school for medical office assistant and I’ve been working in a hospital for the last 15 years now. I love working where I am now and the crew we work with are amazing. I think it’s less important what you choose to do but enjoying what you do and feeling supported and needed are so important to personal fulfilment.
Went into the U.S. Army (single, no kids) SPECIFICALLY to be in satellite communications. Came out with the training, husband with the same training, and 1 2yo child.
Since satellite comm is a 24/7 365 days/yr business, I chose to be the one to pivot to working in a full service video broadcasting studio (editing, live in the field shooting, etc), where I could be 9-6, Mon-Fri.
When the company when bankrupt, I pivoted to audio/visual services at an university (vacation/days off once we had 2 elementary school age kids). After 8 years of that, I moved into more general administration at the university.
16 years later, the top brass dismantled (sorta) our department and I pivoted (i.e. created my next job since they didn’t have a plan for me) to support administration for academic assessment and accreditation.
Deliberately retired 8 years later for my next pivot which is primary care overseer for my late 80s mother, and back up support for my single mom daughter and grandson.
Some of these pivots have been chosen, and others have been shoves from the Universe… but the important thing is to know that you can and will be successful at the next thing.
i begun as accountant, and then went to work in a starbucks and now am a medical secretary, don t know where i am going but i m going^^ i ve got 20 years to last.
Well, not even 30 but did all kinds of various jobs that were all different. got a law degree. got traumatized by a vile boss. opened my own consignment store to be surrounded by pretty clothes and my own boss. Maybe I’ll try a different job later, an admin job with good money and benefits, for now I enjoy being poor but fabulous
I pivoted a number of times. Initially a registered nurse, then I worked at two radio stations, an accounting firm, became a travel agent, a commercial copywriter, and then an overseas operations manager.
I finally found my niche as an author. All of those pivots, crazy as they were, played into what I do now, taught me needed skills.
Changing directions can lead to strengths you never knew you had. And the chance to do new stuff in case you have a low boredom threshold like some of us. 😉
My professional life ended up in two parts with having kids in the middle. My degree was in housing and design and became a custom kitchen and bath designer. Worked through my first pregnancy then went part-time. When younger one came along childcare wasn’t worth it so I became a SAHM until the youngest started school. I took one more design job before realizing I needed something else. I had worked at the college library and loved it and was lucky enough to get a job at my local library. Went full time and ended up being a manager. I loved that job and most of the people I worked with were the absolute best colleagues and friends I ever had. Having two careers gave my life more balance.
My degree is in marketing and then became a veterinarian after 10 years.
I went from being a professional secretary to a vineyard manager. That was a pivot!! But I loved it for 13 years until my knees gave out from arthritis.
My pivots are what I call left turns. Got a Bachelors in Nuclear Engineering — worked for law firm on nuclear litigation — pivoted to another firm and worked in general litigation — went to law school — passed Bar — moved to CA to work as project manager for semiconductor company — worked in semiconductor for several years — left turn to medical device company regulatory affairs — radiation and particle therapy devices — considering next left turn to head up dental office. Cheers!
I have been quietly famous in three different variations on the theme of support staff. Yes, I was that good. I could prove it.
My count of grant proposals done correctly was around 50 BEFORE word processing was a thing.
During the 13 years I did data entry for a research lab at UCLA, my mistake rate (not the ones I made – the ones that got past me) went from about one a quarter to one a month, AFTER the workload doubled and then tripled and then doubled again.
And I was the secretary who could make my last boss do the paperwork right the first time.
You are the wind beneath many wings!!
When the people at UCLA wanted to give me a promotion, it ended up a whole new job category. I was the very first Data Management Assistant the UC system ever had.
I loved that job, actually – it was the first I had where I didn’t find out what I was worth from hearing what the person who replaced me got paid.
I never pivoted in my career but my sister did. She first got a bachelor’s degree in English Lit. and she taught English for a while but eventually decided she couldn’t make enough money this way so she started over and studied unbelievably hard and got an MDD degree in dentistry. Hard pivot and took her years of hard work but she says it was worth it. It of course would not have been possible without financial support from my parents for her new path.
After 25+ years in the same business field working for big companies, I was pretty sure my company was going to let me go. So while I waited for the ax to fall, I did a career change workshop which helped me see I didn’t want to re-train or pivot to a new field — I just needed a new environment. So after collecting my severance package, I moved from a company of 30,000 employees to one with 3 (including me!). Doing the same type of work, but more under my control. When I reflect, the real pivots were 3 life changes that came the same year. At age 52, my first marriage, first dog, and first time working from home full-time — eating lunch with new husband and walking new dog every day. There are many ways we change — a career change can be the least of them.
You are so inspiring! I’m 52 now too and never married-am open to it but the right partner is ??? I feel less alone with this now, so THANK YOU! CONGRATULATIONS!! And also, am walking my first dog this year. May our pups live long and get many cuddles. Cheers!!!
I started out young, my family raised and trained Quarterhorses. Then my folks divorced. That was a pivot for my Mom and I. She learned to be a Cosmotologist, and I downgraded to plain student. We were able to keep our personal horses (2), and Mom remarried. Life was interesting from then; the folks took a job managing a very small lake resort, and I became a trailboss for the horses.Then there was another pivot; a shortish period of moving to another state, subsisting rather than living, and back to our home state.We found a good home to live in, I began life as a college student ( drama and film making) and did work on actual films. Several more pivots,( a nanny, a bodyguard, met the love of my life) and I worked in a twist drill factory, which made me physically ill, changed some things, but stayed essentially “me”.I had joined the Society for Creative Anachronisms back in 1982, aspiring to be a knight. Fought in real armor for several years, but tore my rotator in my right arm. End of Knight dream, but kept teaching and learning, and here, 43 years later, I am now a Peer of the Society ( called a Pelican) for service to my Kingdom. I have been blessed to have been able to travel a good deal of the Western Europe, and Egypt which I had/have studied my near-entire Life. My marriage has now crossed the 36 year mark, Life is now a lot slower and I need to have my knees replaced! 🤣🤣 What’s next? I’m only 66, so I don’t know, exactly, but I’m anxious to see!
“Only 66”…..Amen to the “only”!!!! (Me too!)
As I keep telling my 24-year-old daughter, 66 is just my chronological age. It has NOTHING to do with how old (young) I actually am! 😁
So so many pivots! Except they brought me full circle. When I was a kid I dreamed of being a horse trainer like my riding instructor and of riding in this magical style called Dressage (There was a book…the White Stallions of Vienna 😉 ) But, I couldn’t afford my own horse & had only ridden Western. So I decided to get into Hospitality and learn how to run a High Service resort-like an upscale dude ranch. Got my hospitality degree, went to work at 5 star dude ranch & a few others at that level doing housekeeping & waitressing. Became year round admin staff, got promoted, got promoted a couple more times. New manager talked her way into a job she couldn’t do & then made it her mission to get of anyone who ‘made her look bad’….. Went home to lick my wounds & worked in basic hospitality. Got bored. Still found ways to ride & improve my skills. Went back to guest ranching but as a horse guide. Improved my skills & had a blast. Worked on a cattle ranch for the winter. Had a blast since I worked with two really cool guys. They showed me how to do all the stupid fun stuff I had never tried as a city kid as well as old school ranch maintenance tricks & cattle work. Went back to the guest ranch for the summer & decided I didn’t like moving every 6 months. Went back to high level hospitality (Hint: Kitty cat & blue). Moved around taking different jobs within the same hotel over an 11 year span. Rode & improved my skills on the side, including Dressage. Got to ride upper level movements on a friend’s Lippizan (same type as in the childhood book). Moved to riding (still part time) at a high level Dressage farm. Got recruited! Quit the hotel on April 1 because why not? Was funny!!!! Have been working at the Dressage farm for 11 years full time now teaching humans & training horses (& mucking stalls, fixing fences (yeah cattle ranch!), raking leaves…so so many leaves!, building pastures, wrangling goats & whatever else comes up. So I guess you could say my pivots eventually added up to 360 degrees
Armani started his fashion brand at 40 also!
Ilona, I love your creativity with fiber arts.
My big pivot is going from engineering to teaching math to middle schoolers. It is a passion project that consumes much too much of my energy.
this thread is so interesting, because I’m approaching a time when I could pivot… I’m relocating due to family reasons, so I am looking at a definite change of roles – not sure yet whether I’ll continue to do similar things or change to something completely different!
you love Project Runway too? I am as addicted to that show as I am to your books. and that says a lot!
when I was 49, I was laid off. I found I could paper an entire room with my job denials. so after a year, I took advantage of ObamaCare and went back to school at the Golden age of Fifty. Walking into class that first night was the hardest thing Iv ever done
Sitting in a classroom with a bunch of teenyboppers who couldn’t care less was the second hardest! Those kids were just there because their parents told them that’s where they needed to be… I was there cause I HAD to earn a living.
In the end, I graduated with straight A’s and walked right into a job. Most of those kids couldn’t pass their clinicals and never got a job .
I’m not bragging, just stating a fact. I’v come to believe that holding off a few years before going to college can be a good thing
I was a stay at home homeschool mom for 11 years, and before that ran an inhome daycare. Husband’s job change meant I had to work outside the home for the first time since I was 22. Now I work as a paraprofessional at a behavior school. I never imaged I would love this job or be really good at, but I do and I am. I still miss being a SAHM but loving my job makes the change easier to deal with.
My career change occurred when, as an Air Force wife, working at the base golf course, I decided to try for a civil service job. I did this at the encouragement of my co-worker, a lovely lady named Joan. Joan told me, “Kid, if I had to do this again, I would go Civil Service…the pay is better and I would have a retirement”. Joan had over 25 years working at the golf course, and was beloved by all. Her words lite a fire under me and I started applying for every job I could at the Civilian Personnel office on base. (This was back when each base hired the federal civilians locally and there was no internet or USAjobs website.).
It took 2 years but I eventually was hired into a federal job, working for the Air Force. When my husband was reassigned to another base, I was exceptionally lucky and was able to be hired at his new assignment.
As a civilian in the Air Force, I have worked for as a clerk, worked in finance, worked for civilian engineering (CE), and ended up working for Supply. I worked myself up from a clerk to being Supply Specialist managing orders across the AF.
I have retired after 36 years working for the AF, and am extremely happy I took Joan’s advice.
However, the most enjoyable job I ever had was still working at that Golf course in the Pro shop. It was wonderful talking to people who wanted to have fun and helping them. My co-workers and customers were wonderful and I have stayed in touch with them.
It just did not have any career possibilities.
I made a slight adjustment in my career path. I started as a production stage manager for theatre and now I’m pursuing directing and playwriting. It feels more like an evolution of my craft than a true pivot. Sorta like I have given myself permission to view myself as truly creative. I still have some moments of doubt but my community keeps me up.
From restaurant manager to nurse and now an NP. I don’t regret a single change.
When I left school (year 12 in Australia), I went to work as a seamstress. It was a pretty dead end job and did a year of night school to learn about computers (yes I’m that old), this led me to a receptionist job and then doing finance at a charity (one of my night school courses was bookkeeping). I gave a try at an accounting degree but I found it very boring. Now I work for government making data readable and doing procurement (my finance background at work). Not sure if I’ll pivot again, kinda cruising towards retirement where maybe I’ll get to cruise a lot …. pun intended 🙂
I pivoted out of banking and finance about 11 years ago through need. We had moved to a mining town and there were very few jobs in finance in the area I was experienced in. I ended up returning to uni and studying libraries records and archives with a practicum in conservation. It was a good pivot. Humans seem to be very good at making more and more records and paper and books! (bdh is very chalant!) so I think I’ll be doing something in this field til I retire. Now to go figure out SharePoint.
Fourth career here. Army for four years, elementary substitute teacher for 7, worked in a grocery store for about as long, now working in an ER as a patient caregiver. Two degrees ( BS education and Medial Assisting) and now I am using them both. I not only do the hands on work in the ED but am teaching others to do it. I teach a bi-monthly class on Crisis Management that is mandatory for all in patient care (How to Descalate a Situation and Not Get Hurt is my private nickname for it). I also am retraining CNAs and NAs to our new Network’s scope ( they have to learn to draw blood and do EKGs, which they haven’t done before). I LOVE my job in the ED. It is the perfect garden for my AuDHD to grow in.
Lots of pivots to different places and different positions within the medical field.. one of the great things about being a nurse is how many specialties there are. If you get tired or burned out in one area, there are so many other things you can do, without having to go back to school. That being said, hubby and I have made a lot of pivots.. 4 different states and 8 different communities.. the biggest pivot is that we own and operate a bison ranch. We offer tours by appointment and so far have had visitors from 6 continents, more than 50 countries, and 46 states.
As a kid all I wanted to do was hang out with animals – ideally on horseback. All my babysitting and petsitting money went to horses. The closest barn was too far for me to get to more than once a week, so no one was going to pay me to ride their horse. And for my family, the only acceptable career in the horse industry was veterinarian. So I headed to college hoping to go pre-vet (Pivot 1).
Student advisor told me vet schools don’t even look at your college transcripts – only your high school ones. He wasn’t being evil; just an idiot. As an aside, please don’t counsel kids about something you know nothing about. Anyway, I hedged my bets by majoring in animal science. Paid my way through school working animal care for the vet science department and vet assistant for the local emergency animal hospital (my mother only believed in paying for my brothers’ college; my sister and I were on our own).
Unfortunately this required working about 60 hours a week, which didn’t do much for my grades. I dropped out and got a job with benefits in the state animal health lab. After a year there, I went back to school and got a part time job as a vet tech for USDA (Pivot 2). This shifted over time to a full-time job, and part-time classes. Eventually I realized I was making as much as the average newly graduated veterinarian, and I wasn’t in the hole for tuition. Plus I was engaged, and my fiancé was unenthusiastic about me going to vet school. So I gave up on the vet school idea, and got married. Pivot 3, and a mistake that would take me decades to fully recognize (the marriage, I mean).
Had two great kids, went part time for a year after my second was born, and then quit to be a SAHM (Pivot 4). All through the years I had continued to ride as much as possible. Local barn started recruiting me immediately when they heard I had quit. I told them I was going to stay home with the kids. After six months of that I was ready to get out of the house. I started teaching in their program a couple nights a week, and eventually some during the day.
Found I really love teaching and training. I love to see progress, and I love to solve challenges. The barn was my safe place as a neurodivergent kid. People are drawn to horses, in many cases, because horses fill some need or another for them. Animal assisted therapy works for lots of needs, for lots of reasons. I loved providing those benefits to my students of all ages. Built a barn, built a reputation for building solid basics and partnerships for students and their horses. Pivot 5, and full circle to something like I would have chosen for myself as a kid.
After 20+ years of running my own program, a huge trauma bomb dropped on my family. Divorced, stayed where I was for 18 months to get my bearings, then moved a hundred miles from the community that had sustained me for half a century, to be closer to my family of origin. I’ve been here two years now, and am still trying to find a new way to be who I am. Pivot 6 and counting.
I wandered around for awhile after high school. Did secretarial work while going to college part time. First job was working in a museum centered around whales, great job in the beginning of my work life. Ended up doing secretarial again after moving to the city, but keeping my love of animals and wildlife. Worked for a magazine, which was also fun, again secretarial position. Ended back in the community where I’d worked at the whale museum and ended helping out with an oil spill response. Ended up at a non-profit working in oil spill response, cleaning up oil, rescuing birds, training people to do all those things, managing equipment, and doing secretarial and accounting. Did that for 30 years, then due to situation out of my control had to pivot. Ended up doing secretarial for a local government park district protecting local woods. In between all that I studied and performed as a physical clown, which was a lot of challenge and fun. At one point I went back to school and got my degree. Had hoped to move into counseling, but didn’t have the money or support to get my advanced degree. Now I am retired and spending time getting rid of the detritus of a lifetime, writing, playing with my dogs, and creating through art, poetry, journaling, baking, crocheting, gardening, and maybe after I get my ankle fixed I’ll do some physical comedy again! Oh and hoping I’ll have a grand baby to watch over one of these days.
No, no, no… you didn’t just ask that… I could write a “Shogun” length story about the pivots in my professional career.
Now, that being said, this post made me laugh out loud.
When you described, “…the more you work on a book, the more you learn how to write that particular book better. Just when you feel you’ve gotten the hang of it, a new book comes along, with a different world and different characters, and everything you’ve learned goes out the window.” — That pretty much sums up my professional (non-writer’s) life.
I haven’t given up yet, so wish me luck on my next adventure, because there is going to be an adventure, I can tell you that! (I’ll figure it out eventually…)
Take care. Good luck on the next “chapter” of your writing life.
Toodles!
I did some pivoting but within substantially the same career. I learned a lot of different parts of the basic career and then specialized in one single area later on. It did kind of involve reinventing myself but it was more low risk than an entirely different career would have been. Worked out very well for me, though. I managed to use some essential nerdiness to have myself a successful career. Grateful for that!
Reading this thread has been fascinating! BDH sure thrives in novelty in careers. I pivoted from a career in shipping brokerage to customer service to doing tech product development before it was a thing to MBA now after several years in corporate quit to focus on self and family health now thinking of next pivot.
At the age of 42 i left a 20+ year career in the NHS as a healthcare professional to go work in a corporate role at a pharma company.
It’s still healthcare but so far removed from my previous role (although my knowledge is a huge benefit) it’s been a big career change.
I did something similar. After 10 years in practice as a neurologist, I went to work as a medical officer in the US FDA. I’ve moved around a bit over the past 18 years here and am now a clinical team lead. I wouldn’t have ever predicted this when I was a kid or a med student. All I ever dreamed of was taking care of patients but it wasn’t a good fit for me long-term.
I am still young at 26 but I fell like I’m sitting at the edge of a Pivot that I dont know if I’m brave enough to take. I have always been artistic, with higher than normal aptitude in both writing and art. but attempts to explore this as a child was met with disdain from my parents because we live in a third world country and there’s no market for either of things.
So I abandoned my passion for years and focused on school. they kinda forced me into architecture but I fell in love with it. I started writing again and worked as a ghost writer for years (family became more receptive when I started to make money from it) I learned about publishing and recently made the decision to write for my self and self publish. I am also having a gap year of sorts as I decide what tk study for masters.
I want to go into cinematic/video Game architectural design. this will be a semi-hard pivot from pure architectural design for real world to projects. This is the one direction I saw that would let me combine my writing, art, and architectural skills. I am so scared of going into this because again, third world country, resources are almost non existent.
Everything is all over the place but everyday that goes by the more I know I would regret not going in this direction. But I am so scared. about everything from how to fund my masters abroad to how this project will be received by my country. I dont know if my writing will be able to support while I spend years getting off the ground but Im scared and excited. I just thought I should share this.
You can do it! Look at it this way: there is no rule that says any changes you make have to be permanent. You can always pivot in any direction you want to.
Just look at all these wonderful stories from the BDH for inspiration…good luck! 😁
I’ve recently had to pivot in my professional life. The outcome is currently undetermined. There are so many possibilities with each job application submitted. It’s like a child deciding they could be a fireman or astronaut when they grow up. (Only with slightly less dramatic choices.)
I went from Royal Air Force typist to secretary/typist to trademark paralegal to local council employee (no legal work in sight) and finally back to being a trademark paralegal. I’m currently counting down to retirement at the end of October and flirting with a possible move to taking up a position as councilor with the local town council with a bit of creative writing thrown in for good measure….
Just “pivoted” about two months ago. Finally got out of higher education (teaching/tutoring), after a few years of trying. Started a new position as a legal proofreader (at 47), and it’s working out well (aside from the early mornings, part of which is having a new high schooler, and the “100% in office” set up). But, the pay’s significantly better and the benefits . . . exist.
Wow. I get bored with focusing on one thing and pivot off to something else. I started college thinking I wanted to be a (pure) math professor, the got fascinated with the mathematics of biology. My first job out of college was supporting a project trying to figure out the equations for how plants exchange gases with the atmosphere. Picked up a masters degree in that, but, since microcomputers had just come on the market ended up using them in the research and built home brew computers on my own. Took a job writing operating systems for a nascent personal computer company. Then switched to communications, writing software for what became mobile phones. Switched to digital communications systems (developed routers, a network management system, then an international network). Got into computer security, then consulted on computer and communications systems for the government. Invented a bunch of things including a 2005 version of a large language module (predecessor to AI). Retired a few years ago and am having fun sailing, drinking wine (and tea!), and reading.
At 57 I’ve pivoted from being an Administrative Assistant to getting my Masters in Counseling and PPSC. I’m going to start working on my 3000 MFT hours so I can get fully licensed.
Worked in auditing at a bank in S. Florida after Steve & I got married (44 years ago,) had a child and knew we didn’t want her in schools there and couldn’t afford private school so we moved home to western NC. I went back to school and finished my education degree at age 30, taught middle grades math for 7 years before moving into ed administration, 2 more degrees (at WCU, HA’s alma mater – Go Catamounts!) and now, though officially retired, I am doing the most important job I’ve ever had: caring for my husband through a rare, stage IV cancer. Never wanted to be a nurse, but I’ve had a wonderful and rewarding life so far, and am grateful for all the pivots.
I went from Ceramic Engineer to Chemistry and Physics teacher. I was the best thing I ever did regardless of all the naysayers. You have to follow your heart.
I made the jump from boarding school history teacher to now working at a financial advising firm. I definitely miss the history and the kids. But not the 2:00 AM ER visits and 11:00 bedtimes I needed to check. Leaving at 5:00 and having none of my own homework has been amazing for my mental health and work life balance. I can read and pursue hobbies with the free time and double salary. Definitely not a pivot I saw coming. But one I appreciate and has made my life better.
I pivoted, too, in my professional career. After 33 years in healthcare, I took a much needed emotional and physical “time out” to rethink my career choices. I realized how much I loved skincare so I attended esthetics school for a career in skincare. Pivoted after graduation to working in the esthetics school helping students and grads find employment in the industry and to seek ever higher in their chosen career.
Haha! I started over at 50! I now import french wine!
Yes, I have pivoted. I was a Reading Specialist in an elementary school for the first half of adulthood. Then we moved to a foreign country where I did volunteer work at the Humane Society, When we came back to the US, it was take care of both mothers for many years. Out of the blue, when I was 66, a friend called and asked if I’d work in her yarn/craft /fabric store. Three years later, I’m back full circle, teaching knitting. This is the best job of all!
I spent 25 years in education, teaching, subbing, teaching, and subbing again. I spent all of that time trying to find where I fit in. New states, different schools, subjects, and grades. When my last contract wasn’t renewed it was time for a bigger change. A year ago in May I started to learn a new field, and this summer I got hired. Education is still involved, but now I work from home creating learning that others will teach. It’s a better fit, and the commute is awesome!
I turned 57 today and have to haul my keister out of bed to get to class. Nearly all of my classmates are younger than my kids. Working on a degree in a completely different field than I’ve been in for 35 years. Also, considering a theatre arts (tech focused) degree might be what I really want.
I worked as a respected graphic designer from my mid-twenties, supporting my husband (university student) and myself.
When I was 29, we moved for my newly-graduated husband’s career to a province where my second language is the main language, and no one would hire a “foreign-educated” graphic designer.
Back to school (in 2nd language) to become a GIS (essentially Mapping) technician, distinguishing myself as a go-getter, for the next 15 years.
Four kids and a (wonderful) 2nd husband later, I had the cosmic good fortune to be promoted to the position of GIS Analyst, at 50.
Now, I get to put puzzle pieces of data together in a way that’s useful and relevant, integrating the result in a visual interface that is useful and relatable to the clients who requested the analysis.
I was working as a manager in a legal firm when I met him.
We were in a First Aid course for recertification. It was interesting, but my biggest challenge was going to be preventing myself from bandaging paper cuts and leaving it to the big babies to apply their own plasters (UK Health and Safety).
He told me he was a photographer so I asked him what his biggest challenge would be. He said avoiding being eaten by bears. 🐻 🤯
Turns out he was a wildlife photographer getting his paperwork in order so he could travel to Kodiak Island. I realised that I had found my dream job 5 decades too late.
I’m looking at photography courses now but the bears will have to manage by themselves.
Depends what pivot means.
I got told my job wasn’t important. The husband’s was. Then he had/has time for his per diems, which they said there wasn’t time for him to miss working the farm, I had to quit.
So I pivoted and for 20+yrs I taught children who weren’t supposed to learn to be much more than their dxs. Then came covid and the passing for normal one is in a supervised apartment and I blocked her indefinitely a month ago on my phone. The moderate/severe one is way too smart for his disability and the most awesome 23 yr old around.
No, I didn’t have a choice….. lack of parental support, money and autism makes choices and you live with them.
Now I wouldn’t know what to pivot too even if I had the opportunity.
As a single mother with full custody and no child support or alimony, I have had to pivot many times. I went from stay at home mom to retail cashier and college, to law enforcement, to security, and banking, to my own businesses which is where my strength lay. Then my grown son had a daughter and needed extensive help. I sacrificed tons, lived with them, and went back to college. I could never afford to rent or buy, only hotels or living in my car. Now I found a rent to own place. Make no mistake, it needed everything down to flooring, toilet, appliances, water lines, overgrowth removed, but I could afford it while in college. My business is pet sitting and dog walking, and ny other is a 501c3 charity helping veterans and animals in need. My passion. Worth every sacrifice.
I went to school and got a degree in graphic design. Then I contracted Ménière’s disease and couldn’t work for several years. While I was on disability, I learned to throw on the wheel. I was almost immediately offered a studio space in a historic reinactment town. I’ve been doing that ever since.
I hope you’re feeling better, and I’m so glad you found a terrific alternative!
I was a reporter, though I’d always wanted to be a novelist. Unfortunately, the newspaper business was already dying in 2000. Even worse, though I’d wanted to be a novelist since I was 9, I’d never finished a book. I just started them — I have no idea how many — only to give up on each one without finishing. Finally, at age 40, I decided if I didn’t finish a damn book, I’d always be a failure. So I wrote my first novel and finished it. And it was published. Left reporting and became a full-time writer for Berkley Sensation. Hit the NYTimes — never as high or as often as you guys. Still writing at 64. You’ll know I quit when you read my obituary. And brava/bravo House Andrews. I’m cheering for your continued success, and I can’t wait to read THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME.
Absolutely. I worked in, and eventually ran, professional nonprofit theaters for 20 years. And then the theater I was running was forced to close as a result of the recession and that career was over for me. I was 48. It took two or three years of low-paying jobs and four years of waiting tables on the side, but now, 13 years after my first career ended, I work for a financial service company as their bookkeeper, and I’m doing better than I was before. It was really a tough transition, but I’ve come out the other side.So grateful.
I pivoted from teacher (<1 year) to IT (2 years) to chef (20 year business anniversary last month!) I was 35 when I started 55 now and still <3ing it 🙂
I quit my high-tech job at 35 to become a writer. Yeah, that was one hella pivot. I was nothing but nerves and fear because as we all know, writers often don’t make much money and I love to eat and I’m fond of having a roof. I’d been saving for a long time to give myself a shot. I bet Vera Wang did too. Not just money but saving all those ideas that someone else poo-pooed. I’m a lot older now, and I still believe that if you can, you should follow your dreams even if it’s in a small manner, even if you fail, whether you start at 8 or 80. Because believe me, those of us who do follow our dreams, do fail. We just don’t give up. And we keep the successes close to our hearts. Because a dream isn’t just one book, one wedding dress, or a single day, week or year.
I’m 37 with two kids and started an online master’s program in data science last month. I’ve been a research scientist in some capacity since I was 20, so this is my first attempt at true career pivot. Hopefully it works out.
I got sick at the tail end of 2019 and, while the scary stuff is mostly over, I still can’t manage a normal 9-to-5. After exploring calligraphy and font design, I finally did what I’ve been trying to do since I was a kid. I wrote a book! It’s too soon to see how this pivot will go, but I’m so proud I might break my face beaming!
This post asks the right question just as I am starting a major pivot—I’ve worked in the film and TV business for over 20 years and that business has all but collapsed in the past two years. I’m 51 and a single mother. Now I have to pivot into something else. But what? Something to do with AI? Executive Assistant? Cashier at Trader Joe’s? I published a rom-com last year called, Love, Camera, Action but I’m too new in that world to make any real money. I’m hopeful I’ll find something, but won’t deny I’m worried. Any advice from the BDH is welcome.
Advice? Ok, I’ll give it a shot! 😁
This is just my own personal experience, but you don’t have to do just one thing at a time. Maybe there are multiple roles you should play right now?
I have not tried being a writer while at the same time doing something else to pay the bills, but I have worked jobs to pay the bills while fulfilling my creative side taking classes, volunteering to do artwork for non-profit projects, etc. Maybe you could find a way to do something similar?
I think the most important thing is to recognize your fears (you’ve already done that) but don’t give them more importance than they’re worth or let them stop you from pursuing something you really want.
Again, just my opinion, but I think that the most important questions about any pursuit are can you do it (don’t sell yourself short), do you want to do it (don’t let your fears answer for you), and will it help make you happy or meet some need or needs you have? (Be sure to tell yourself the truth!)
I have finally figured this out at 66, but wish someone had told me earlier. I’m telling my 24 year old daughter now.
In any case, no matter what you decide, best of luck! 😁
Thanks Kat in NJ! That is good advice.
I didn’t “have to” pivot, but after I retired from the USAF, I read a lot of books. I was reading a “military romance” but it was clear the writer had never even spoken to a military member. I thought, “I can do better than this!”
Spoiler Alert: No, I couldn’t. I wrote 8 books before I got the idea for my first space opera, the first book I published. I’ve published 19 novels now in space opera, military romantic suspense, and now, urban fantasy.
It’s never too late to try something new!
worked in banking, moved across country, worked in insurance, moved back across country. Got a Computer science degree, worked in telecommunications. At 50 quit, got an MLS and became a library selector for my county. Best job ever. everything I learned before applied.
I was a secretary for most of my working life. I had no goals, and it paid the rent. Got married, had kids, worked part time or full time. At my last office job, I HATED it. The field was very male oriented, the geographical region was about 20 years behind the larger metro region we had moved from, and I was not a good fit there. Too snarky and disrespectful. Got fired. Sulked for about a week, then told my husband that he had changed careers when we first got married and now it was MY turn. Went to junior college, got a Vet Tech degree and license. Worked in that field for 16 years, then retired. Became a widow along the way. Became poor, too.
Now I’m retired, a little bit bored, a lot poor (Social Security), but… I (and the bank) own my home, I am able to live alone and not need a roommate. I live a days drive from my children, which I don’t love, but it is what it is. I’m OK. It could be a damned sight worse, and I am grateful it isn’t…
I was in traditional publishing (sales rep), now I’m a National Park Ranger. I got paid to talk about books for 40 years between bookstores and publishing. Now I talk about the outdoors. Life is good (and unexpected)
Had to pivot. Stalled for a decade or so. Had to reassess and started applying in a different field, just looking for anything. Was applying at a place at the recommendation of a friend for one job, saw another listing that would actually touch on the degree I’d given up on, applied, got the job, still at the same company decade and change later.
Financially, could have pivoted better earlier but I’m working on it.
Re: fashion and older women, how about Betsey Johnson? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betsey_Johnson She started out in fashion, but is still going strong, with a very unique take on it IMO.
I’ve actually had two. When I was twelve years old, I watched free willy for the first time. From then on, I decided I wanted to be a killer whale trainer. Now, I have the best parents ever, and they supported my dream 100%. The did ask that I get a university degree, which I did in Marine Biology. I did it. I worked as a Marine Mammal trainer for almost 10 years. When I was in my 30’s I decided I needed a change. I became a Rescue Specialist with the Canadian Coast Guard. I’ve hit the 10 year mark, and 4 years ago, I published my first novel. Now I do both, and it works great. But, life on deck is hard and I figure in another 5 years I will be established enough to get off the boats and write full time. I will be in my mid 40’s. It’s never too late to make a change.
I started out my career by earning a BS degree and obtaining an RN license. I worked in multiple areas of several hospitals in several states and always saw the same pattern. I’d learn a challenging but exciting specialty (adult ICU, locked psych unit, etc), and then management would force us to take on higher patient loads until I knew it was inevitable that I would make a mistake which could harm a patient and possibly impact my license, so I would move to a different area. During this unending cycle, I took training and became a neurofeedback clinician to solve some issues with my own kids. The results were so amazing that I started my own business (not typical for someone with an RN license) and now, twenty years later, I own a thriving neurofeedback clinic and call my own shots to ensure my clients get top-quality care with plenty of personalized time.
I did have to pivot in my professional life. My background is biochemistry, cancer biology, and data science. Then I had a major health collapse that left me in the hospital and bed ridden. I couldn’t work anymore and my immune system became reactive to electric magnetic fields, too much heat, and strong smells. Plus, fatigue at mostly random times made it impossible to hold a job.
I pivoted to learning everything I could about what was happening inside of me and work full time as a regenerative health coach now. It is a completely different track in life and I love it. It combines my natural empathy, curiosity, problem solving, and understanding of the human body. Eventually, I plan to bring in the data science aspect of it and make statistically rigorous questionnaires for health coaches to use. It is the wild Wild West in alternative health and it doesn’t need to be! Patients should be able to see your track records of success. And the opposite. Do people come to you for gut imbalances, feel better for 6 months, and then relapse? Or do you provide enough knowledge sharing that they understand the why of their own symptoms and how to have an ongoing relationship and not have relapses? There are so many stories out there of ppl with incurable things that then get better. That is amazing. But if that data isn’t collected, how can it ever be presented to drs and then help to enrich the time of knowledge that is the medical field?
So I feel very rewarded with career pivot even though I was very happy before getting so ill and wasn’t looking for a shift 🙂
But if that data isn’t collected, how can it ever be presented to drs
OMG yes!!! If you need data, they started generating it on me in 2002… but nobody wants to look at the long term stuff.
My father and husband did oncology research, so I have spent my entire life surrounded by collection and analysis.
so re pivoting on careers: I started out as a medical technologist, with a bachelor’s degree followed by a master’s degree in that field. worked in the field for 9 years, but was unsatisfied for various reasons. Applied for and was accepted into a PhD program in microbiology, but had to withdraw before starting when my husband’s orders were changed. We’d been married for 5 months – didn’t want to be in separate states for years – seemed to defeat the point of being married. After looking into a number of thins, took a computer class, liked it, took another and still liked it. Applied for a Master’s in computer science, which Icompleted. Worked in the computer industry for 42 years, retiring in 2024. Loved the work – had to learn about so many different fields in order to write the necessary programs: oil well drilling, speak recognition, telecom stuff, DoD stuff…Was promoted to management and acquired an MBA as part of that – never a dull moment!
please forgive all the typos – I am bad at typing on my phone!
My career path went like:
Get Fine Art degree.
Have 2 babies.
Paint on weekends and nap times.
Do Arts & Craft Fairs for 9 years.
Quit Art and go to work full time in an office.
Have another baby.
Start painting again.
Join a Gallery.
Teach Private lessons.
Decide to share lessons on YouTube (age 42).
Go viral.
Quit everything but YouTube.
Enjoy the Ride! 🙂
Like so many others here I’ve had many pivots. The largest one is going back to school at 58 to get my Master’s in Social Work. It’s never too late people! The desire to do this had been cooking for years and occasionally I do wish I had started my degree 10 years ago or so but since I can’t change that I keep plodding along, glitchy memory and all.
Many considered pivots, none taken. Mostly for the sake of keeping an income coming in, as I live in an expensive city. Maybe someday I’ll take that leap.
I did a bit of a pivot. When I was in the Air Force I was an electrician. When I left I went to college to become a Nurse. Looks like a big pivot but it’s not. Most functions of the body, especially the heart, work as an electromechanical machine. I was very fortunate because I loved both careers.
I’ve tried to pivot from engineering to UI/UX design and Data Science. I’m currently in Finance lol. And I crochet
Although I’m still in the IT space, I made a pivot about 13 years ago.
For about 20 years, I was a developer that took on the entire project, get specs, design (including DB), code, document, deliver and support. Mostly small-ish projects (internal stuff for large corporations – I worked directly not contract) as well as some large ones (part of a team, I did the really complex things the rest of the devs couldn’t do because I understood lower level systems – DB\OS and what you can\can’t do in particular languages at the time so it wasn’t uncommon for me to write subsystems doing things more directly than the presentation layer language could do – anyway LOL).
13 years ago I switched to delivering Services for a Software Company (that company is\was small to medium but developed software for large enterprise orgs) which was very consultative (but required nearly non-stop travel) and I’ve since moved to their Sales Org as an Architect – a lot more meetings\more customers on a week to week basis but almost no travel. I now very rarely code, but I do on occasion, I’m mostly in the hot seat during the sales cycle being interrogated (as one account manager puts it) about everything our software does\doesn’t do.
It is quite a switch but let’s me do more\different things so I enjoy it – and I’m problem solving less which apparently I really needed to do because I realized I couldn’t switch my brain OFF. Part of my exhaustion all of those years was I couldn’t sleep with a problem unsolved. Much less of an issue now.
Anyway – one thing I DO miss is starting from literal scratch and a blank page full of possibilities. I’ll hate the rest when I’m lacking sleep, but that’s the best part 🙂
Absolutely linear career. My father told me I should be a mathematician when I was 4 or 5, so I got a degree in math. When I was 15 or 16, he said computers would be good to know about, so I doubled majored math/computer science. I spent 10 years programming, the another 15 years on engineering process (organizing other programmers). I retired almost 20 years ago to doing occasional contracting jobs. It worked out for me…
My pivot was very hard. I floundered and it took a huge toll.
I would ask how Gordon leaving the military took a toll on you and the family? That’s a big pivot too.
Yes… I have had to do a sudden change in career. From teaching high school English and Spanish 6 classes a day, to suddenly be an invalid who could do very little. It is not easy. You can wallow. BUT you don’t HAVE to. Pull up your little girl panties and adapt. Find something you CAN still do and smile. Now my life is so very rewarding (I sew for the local Maternity outlets and sew simple gifts for totally unsuspecting people I hardly know). I am so happy ! Yes, I do miss 11th grade American literature, but that’s OK. So – you asked can it be done? Yes. But don’t whine as you change – just do it !!
Well, I’m on my fourth and last career. First I was an ecologist and land use planner. Then, for a whole lot of complicated reasons, I went back to school to become a graphic designer and worked in-house for our local library system. Eventually that evolved into having my own design company for many years. After that I was a hazardous waste technician for a while. And now I am the administrative assistant in the Capital Asset Management department of a regional government agency.
All of these different jobs satisfied different aspects of my personality, my commitment to the environment, my artistic and organizational side, my love of science, and now back to my organizational skills and joy in preventing or solving problems.
The BDH is incredible, amazing, and inspiring!
I was a biology and history double major. Spent some years in medicine. Short stint as a healthcare consultant at one of The Big accounting/consulting firms. Several years freelancing as a proofreader or editor at commercial and pharmaceutical advertising companies; legal, financial, and brokerage firms; e-book romance companies; and medical journal publishers. Landed 20 years ago in my current incarnation as an online medical editor.
I had a major pivot at 36. I started my working life in the bank until I got married and we had a family. I was getting ready to enter the workforce again and applied at a bank. It did not go well. I gave myself a severe talking to and asked the question what do you really want to do? So I took my CV and marched around to the health shop and said I want a job that gives me training in the health industry.That decision has coloured my life ever since (64)
In my mid-thieties, when I was looking down the barrel of layoffs from a second dying private sector industry, I said to myself, “Where would you go even if they didn’t pay you?” And the answer was my city’s majestic main library. I also wanted a job where women were valued, that offered good benefits, a union, and a pension, and where I would become more valuable as I aged, not less. I applied to library school, got my degree, and now I get paid to go to that majestic main library every day and talk to people about books. I really like the job. I enjoy helping my community. Sometimes, working with the public is awful or maddening, or heartbreaking, but overall, the good days far outnumber the bad. After marrying my husband, I’d say librarianing is the best decision I made.
When I went to college the first thme jt was for Astronomy and Astrophysics. But I hit my head… hard and had a lot of problems with my short term memory. So I took awhile and am now a photographer, sewist, and graphic designer.
I worked in pharmaceutical research for 7 years after college. I submitted and managed grants. I administered trials and audited records. After several years, well, let’s just say the paycheck wasn’t there. So I went to graduate school and got a degree in history that helped in unexpected ways. Not that a history degree itself helps any but the top of the field.
I ended up in marketing in Silicon Valley. First as a content creator, meaning that I wrote. A lot. Then I moved over to partner marketing and stayed there the rest of my career. The history degree helped in that a “graduate degree” ticked a box and I got a big increase in salary.
Side note: when I was in high school, I interned as a zoo keeper at the LA Zoo. I loved everything about it. Yes, even cleaning enclosures. Looking back now, I wish that I had followed that route. A job I loved even when shoveling elephant waste, for free, sounds precious.
I didn’t so much pivot as just meander through life. I never finished high school, went to TAFE (for those outside Australia TAFE is a tertiary education institution that does everything from trade apprenticeships to management courses or accounting or arts) I studied horticultural, ceramics and glass, tourism and a few other subjects while working part time in different retail jobs to have money to live on. I tried Uni twice but never finished the first year in the two different degrees I attended, fine arts jewellery and history, focusing of medieval history.
I really wanted to travel around Europe but couldn’t afford it so decided to backpack around Australia instead. My first job was a roadhouse with a total of 5 people, located 400km from the closest town. I did everything from short order cooking, housekeeping, yard work including cleaning the pool and fixing pumps, washing the pet camel and donkey, and of course working the bar. For 20 years I moved around, working in remote areas of Australia. I have seen absolutely amazing places, met absolutely amazing people and have worked almost every job you can think of that doesn’t need a qualification under Aussie law. I decided I wanted to stop travelling and finally bought a house and now have a boring day job as an Aviation Compliance Specialist. Still have idea what I want to do when I grow up.
I’ve had a couple of pivots in my career, from collections to compliance to data analysis. The biggest pivot was a job change, I had been with (a now defunct) brokerage firm for more than 16 years when I decided they were never going to pay me what I was worth (they thought my 16 years of experience were worth the same a newly graduated and hired college student i.e. entry level pay). I took the plunge, got a new job as a software engineer in healthcare/insurance and got a 40% pay raise for my trouble. I was also 40 when I made the change. Something about that birthday made me more willing to take a chance, and I haven’t regretted it. Even having to learn an entirely new industry, business, co-workers, etc. it was one of the BEST decisions I have ever made. Scary as all h3ll to start over with a new company after all that time at the same place, but worth it.
This is an absolutely lovely post and what I needed to read. Thank you.
+1!
I went from pharmacist to editor, over many years, of course. But I’m the happiest in my current career. I now tell young people that it’s perfectly fine to start in one field and pivot to another. You learn more about who you are as you grow and acquire new skills along the way. Each life stage is just another chapter in the story of your life.
Stay at home mom, then art school, now teach GIS & drones to high schoolers. I love what I do abs can pinpoint how all the different threads got me to where I am now.
Maybe not a strong pivot per se with radically changing fields as the fields are linked, but certainly a very big difference in expectations: the plan was initially academic and attempt professorship or go into R&D in industry – got to post doc by 26 (analytical chemistry). But looking over then-opportunities and lifestyle, decided to transition into self-employed, and focus on education and constuling: ended up helping startups/SMEs with biz/scientific consulting and tutoring – the classic chem/phys/math, and the much less expected history and english lit anylsis :D, which is great fun, and also very fun explainig why all these subjects require similar skills.
So very many pivots. Cleaned hotel and motel rooms at 15. Then waited tables and tended bar and worked in fast food while I put myself through school. Then became a Librarian. Then worked in Aerospace. Then owned a small business with my husband. And now we’re retired. All that while surviving multiple cancers and the treatments. Losing both kidneys and doing dialysis, acquiring a kidney transplant and living the fairly rigid lifestyle and medication regimen to keep it whew!😅
I love this! I like the idea of a blank page being full of possibilities. That just fills me with such excitement.
I’m actually pivoting now, or trying to at least. I’m moving out of the public sector into freelance grant writing. It’s extremely slow going yet, but I believe it’ll all work out eventually (God, please!).
I wanted to write software, but the college offer I got was for electrical engineering. Good thing in retrospect because I would’ve been one of those programmers who reacted … poorly … to any interruption.
I specialized in electromagnetics for my degree, but ended up doing quality engineering and then hardware engineering at a couple different computer companies. A change from applying fundamental forces to learning how to tame the machines driving information technology seemed reasonable.
To get a new job after #YetAnotherLayoff, I had to pivot to technical sales and field engineering. That lasted for more than a decade at a large technology corporation, and while it taught me to be a nicer person (grumpy doesn’t last in sales) it slowly drove me round the twist.
Now I do hardware engineering and technical sales at a small company full of people I like working with, and I am content.
I seem to recall a book I rather enjoy had a scene where a mother reminds her daughter that one must “adapt or die”. I think I found fun things along the way too.
At 50 I decided to leave my career of major administrative positions in human services agencies and city government. I returned to school to get my PhD. It was what I had wanted to do years earlier, but I had a baby instead. He’s now 41 and my PhD is 20. One of the best decisions I ever made just for me.
After my Mom passed at at age 64, I got my CNA ( certified nursing assistant) certification and totally changed directions. That lead to my program director telling me “You need to become a nurse.” So at 49, I enrolled in a 10 month intensive program, turned 50 in nursing school and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
I currently run the craft department of a local store. My lightly used electrical engineering degree gathers dust. Becoming disabled at 28 forced a lot of changes. I’ve also raised and bred reptiles and arachnids. At one point in my life I had to pivot and change univiersities. Some how those childhood years of I’m going into biology never manifisted on a professional level.
Sometimes as people we look down on those who work retail. But if you asked me or some of my coworkers random questions about the departments we work in, you’d get detailed help. I could not tell you what the best makeup and special effects combinations you’d need to pull of “X” horror costume, but several of my coworkers can. I can go over some of the basics if you wanted to start working with resin, but some of my coworkers acutally work with it. And if it’s a knitting or random yarn question, I handle those.
Thank you for the insights. It’s funny, I was actually talking about career and changes just yesterday with my daughter, because she is 15 and stressed out over having to choose what she wants to do in life. I was telling her not to worry too much because life is change. And about all the times I have had to pivot – to tell her, that no matter what you start out as, and what dreams you have when you are young, it is never too late to choose something else. Sometimes circumstances chooses for you, sometimes you get bored and want to do something else. But now, after changing direction so many times in my life – started out as an engineer in physics, then worked as web designer, then software developer, teacher, childcare, bookstore, tech support, bank frontline support, and now business developer in a bank. In my free time I work towards my own retirement plan: somehow making a bit of money on my art, which was my dream when I was 15.
Never to old to pivot. Amazing if you can find your path early and stick to it, but it is perhaps few people who can do that.
I actually had to at 35 years old, when I moved from Brazil to the Netherlands.
I used to work as a translator in Brazil, translating films and books from English to Portuguese, bur I didn’t know Dutch enough to follow the same carreer, so I had to find a job doing something else. I found it at an indy bookstore especialized in English language books, and am still working there, 25 years later.
In between I tried my hand at becoming a school teacher, but becoming a mother was more important, and a bit longer than a decade ago I learned how to sew and now I make my own clothes and also sell book sleeves on the side. And I’m a lot happier doing that than when I was working 16 hours a day.
So yes, a change in direction is sometimes necessary and even welcome.
I got laid off from my computer programming job when I was pregnant with my second child. Since the only jobs open to me at the time, as an assembly language programmer, were jobs that required traveling extensively, I was a stay at home Mom for 10 years. Made the halloween costumes, was boy scout den mother, started teaching Sunday School, etc.
Fast forward to 20 years later, the 3 boys are off at college or starting their own carreers. I’m not going to be able to go back to assembly language programing. It;s a really niche field and not used so much. So I went to work at a preschool.
I had a blast with the kids and I think I was fairly successful. I did have a fair amount of learning to do. Texas requires 48 hours of childhood education classes to start teaching preschool and 24 hours every year you teach. I enjoyed the classes I had to take as much as working with the kids.
Its never too late to start over.
I retired from the Air Force after a 20-year career as an aircraft electrician and later a UH-1N Huey helicopter flight engineer. Then I was the lead baker in a bakeshop before starting to work in publishing.
I went from an administrative assistant to a safety professional. Besides the stress and constant overtime I think it went well; we had no sustained government citations, no work related deaths, and most injuries were minor. I’m involuntarily retired (thanks cough plague!), so am looking for another job. yay
I’ve worked in medicine for 16 years, but I’ve moved across mountains, transitioned from level 1 trauma centers to small family clinics and back again, even dabbled in research. There is good and bad in each transition, but as long as I continue learning and growing, I’m happy. When I stop learning, it’s time to move again.
I pivoted my whole life. Got divorced. Quit my job. Moved to Guatemala, taught English for 6 months. Came back to the states, went back to school, and finally have a career and life I can be proud of.
Divorce at 26, finished college at 31
I had a college degree planned, only to find out that the much touted college account only had $2500 in it. So regardless of sats I chose to get married to get “away” and go to community college as I could afford it. 2 vicious divorces later I chose to open a used book store with $700, 7 bookcases and a pile of boards and blocks. The Human Resources degree is all but 15 credits but I have been doing this for 34 years and would never go back, even though I make less than minimum wage.
I was an executive secretary to some high-flying people before marriage and kids. Divorced at about 40 and went to work in a clothing company as a shipping clerk (no wardrobe for former profession) and became their traffic manager as they grew. Sixteen years later, they “down-sized” me out and a dear friend and I began a dog-food company that helped lead the way back to real food for out dogs and cats. Now I’m retired, taking health classes: yoga, tai chi chih, qi gong, weight training 6 days a week.
Yes, I’m in the middle of it: switching from a 25 yr career in project management to a brand new blank page career in Safety. Exciting, and nerve wracking stuff and a bit of sadness in there as when any good chapter is done.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
I became an RN at 45, 10 years ago, after working as a massage therapist for almost a decade. I received a surprising amount of pushback when I started taking prerequisite classes for nursing school, the most hurtful coming from my own father, who suggested that I should just “stay in my lane” and stop “tilting at windmills”, since it hadn’t been that many years since I worked my butt off in massage school. I was a single mom, working full-time, with part-time gigs on the side. I felt briefly crushed, but then used those negative reactions to fuel me, sort of an “I’ll show them!” situation, lol. I love being an oncology nurse, and never regret making the decision to go back to school. Somewhat ironically, my Dad is the one who brags about me the most now. *rolls eyes*
Pivots happened to me but it was so worth letting them continue. I got a cleaning job that evolved into gaining positions across the business where I got to drive hagglunds, organize events, and be a penguin keeper (I live in New Zealand). I just needed a job for some $ to help my other half do his teaching qualification, but I got the chance to learn so much, do my MSc on the little penguin and be able to drive very large machines for the US Antarctic Program for two summer seasons because of my previous training with tracked vehicles. I am now pursuing a qualification in emergency management because that somehow feels like the right way to learn even more, especially after experiencing the earthquakes, and aftermath, in Christchurch in 2010-11. I may also be attempting to write my first fictional story. Let the pivots flow, you can end up with the most wonderful experiences.
Have made a couple of changes. The most noticeable one was after 14 years of selling fine jewelry I could not stand another day of retail garbage. I had previous jobs in offices and knew I didn’t like that. But at age 61 took some computer courses and went to work for a foreign airline. I had been on a plane once in my life and was about to work almost exclusively with Asians. It was a little odd, but once I got used to accents I truly enjoyed all the contacts across the world.
OMG! I love that you asked about a career pivot. I am so desperately in need of a career pivot, but alas, stuck in a very lucrative, yet toxic career because I’m a single mommy and made promises to my kiddo’s. How, I love your Ada in The Inheritance! Bad ass Mommy doing everything for her kiddo’s. That’s me. But hot damn, I’d love to do something completely different, but how do you manage that at almost 50?? When you write a book about that, I’ll be all over it.
Again, please for all that is holy, write an Arabella book! PLEASE! Love you forever!
Im back here after a long time and the reason is I’m learning new stuff so I can change my career. Im 47. Just got your new book, I didnt even know it came out. The book funnel is so easy to use. Im off to start reading. I bet all of you are jealous he he( I’m always jealous when someone just discovers Ilonas books)
I graduated during a recession so my goal has always been “have job”, and the longest I’ve ever been able to stay at one without the universe interfering is three years. I’ve been fortunate enough to mostly stay in the interior design industry, but sometimes that means houses, sometimes hotels, sometimes 1 million square foot government buildings, and sometimes designing templates and software workflows for different firms. I’m doing affordable housing now and right now the goal is “stay here, do the thing”
I didn’t know what I was going to do, and it ate at me. I’d been answering phones for a cab company, but craved more. Then on a lovely Saturday, I came upon a woman I sort of knew, Terry, and she was sitting in front of her dad’s tavern selling jewelry , ankle bracelets, she designed, on the spot, for $5. We talked, and she told me of a Wholesale bead,and jewelry supply store. You could get a catalog for free, and they had instructions for beginners. I got in touch, and they sent me a catalog. I found it changed my life. I’m still making jewelry. Happier times.
tbh. the Inheritance is too close to the bone for my life and so I’ve supported you all in purchasing and word of mouth advertising but have yet to read it. I love the BDH. the comments this time really got me to look closely at myself which I’m not good at. hence why looking back at my life’s happenings, it was me resisting and struggling with all the unexpected twists and turns. I’ve yet to be as positive and grateful as everyone has been with their responses. thank you everyone for your stories. it’s really helped me connect with parts of myself I have regrets of and to be gentle and less in a hurry in the present and look to the future more positively.
long time reader, first time commenter. I LOVE this thread. I am going to keep coming back to it for inspiration and sustenance. what an awesome community!!
Hello Mod R and Ilona Andrews! I loved reading Inheritance – but it mentioned lees. So I had to go read all the Innkeeper books again, but first I had to read all of the Edge books because the Innkeeper books have George, et all! Now I’m done with the Innkeeper books again (love them all!!) and I got back to what is still dangling from the Innkeeper books (parents, ad hal, etc). I haven’t seen any mention in the past year and a half about this series getting a scheduled finish. And then I got to thinking about all the other great stories that are still unfinished! What about Julie? What about Hugh and Elara? What about a Wilmington Years finish? What about Arabella? Once they come out (which I hope they will) I will continue to devour. Thanks so much for every single book, novella, snippet, etc that you share with us!!
yes I did pivot.
I have an Engineering degree and I did that for about 10yrs and then starting working as an actor and really developed my creative side. I wrote and produced my first short early this year and I’m now a production coordinator for a local studio now. Still acting and being creative (writing screen plays), just adding to the skill sets.
It helps that I love to learn.
I like your description of writing. each project is different even if you know the process to get to the end, the journey is not the same.
I left education, got an MBA and now do financial planning and analytics. It is SO MUCH more fun for me. I love it. It’s basically working with adults, asking questions, making spreadsheets and pictures and PowerPoints. Being nosey and having thick skin but emotional intelligence is key. Best career ever for me.
Oh, and I changed careers at 40! Don’t be afraid people!
Thanks for this post. I am going to save it. From the image to your writing. I started my doctorate this fall. I’m just about 4 weeks in, and boy is it a pivot.
All of your stories are ones I return to in stress, joy, and relaxing. Nevada, Kate, Alessandro, Julie, and beyond keep me company when I am stressing. So, while I don’t have your work memorized…it just might happen in my spare time while I do this doctorate thing. . . Thanks for talking about your story, it helps to hear about. And it’s wonderful.
So here’s to more books- – > more money for you! And here’s to finishing a degree for me!
My sister sent me this article of yours, and it resonated with me far more than I expected. And oh my goodness—the comments section was incredible too!
So here’s me, pouring it out:
I started off shaky. My dad died by suicide when I was just 4, and my mother has been my rock—my North Star—ever since. She’s the one who helped me turn things around when I failed English in 3rd grade. From 4th through 9th, I went on to win “Best in English” every single year—even though English is my second language.
Math, though, was a different story. I failed it in grades 10, 11, and 12. Somehow scraped through the 12th boards, enough to get selected for an Actuarial Science course, but it needed advanced math I just didn’t have. I joined IGNOU (open university), studying mostly alone since in-person classes weren’t accessible. YouTube became my lifeline—PatrickJMT (Texas), DonyLee (Singapore), MIT open courses, even Russian and German teachers. I finally earned my BA in Math (Hons) in 2013. By then, a job offer from a Toastmasters friend (in 2010) had already slipped away.
Toastmasters itself had become my anchor. I joined in December 2006, gave my first 10 speeches by 2009 (forgetting half of them, fumbling through). From 2009 onward I kept competing without wins—until 2023, when I finally placed 3rd in the District-level Table Topics (impromptu speaking) contest.
Meanwhile, NLP came into my life. I got certified in 2016, trained further, and in 2018 helped wake a coma patient. I’ve resolved hundreds of migraines, helped failing students triple their scores, and worked with thousands in groups and one-on-one. At one point, I even received a government appreciation letter for my work. Between 2020–2022, I trained under John Grinder, the co-creator of NLP himself.
And as if life wasn’t already full of pivots, in 2024 I went deep into Vedic astrology, numerology, and vastu (the Indian science of balancing home energy). I’ve consulted across India, Poland, NYC, and Australia, with clients seeing results that had eluded them for decades.
Still, despite working with over 200,000 people in groups and 1,500+ one-on-one, despite these recognitions, I feel invisible. The business side—websites, selling, negotiations—has never been my strength. But give me chaos, give me people stuck for decades, and I thrive. That much I know.
And yet I carry on, still having to prove my worth. Maybe that’s just life.
Maybe time to explore Psychology as well
It took me a little while but I found an art career I loved and went to school to get a degree in art therapy and worked in hospitals and thought I was going to do it forever. Sadly, burnout is high in mental health careers and our country is not family-friendly in the sense that when women have babies, companies do not go out of their way to make it easy for them to return to work or even get assistance/coverage for child care, much less offer enough maternity or paternity leave for parents. I think many women who decide to start a family have to pivot in their careers. A few lucky and/or determined ones manage to continue in their careers.
I got pregnant thinking I would return to work at the job I loved and went back to school for, despite all the women who left after having kids. Let me tell you, it’s so hard to leave an infant at 12 weeks- no way I could do it. I had an hour commute and I could never pump properly to leave the baby with enough milk for so long. Some moms I know continued to work- I was lucky enough my husband’s job allowed me to be a Stay At Home Mom. I did some phone supervision but I never returned to work. I was a SAHM until my kids entered school and I picked up little jobs doing private art therapy, teaching homeschool art classes, and teaching preschool art classes for a few years.
Like I said, our patriarchal society doesn’t make it easy for women to have children and return to work. Day care is astronomical and would have cost more than my paycheck- it was more economical for me to stay home and care for my children than pay for childcare and work. By the time my kids entered school, my art therapy degree also required a license and many states didn’t have licensure yet for art therapy so many of my friends went back to school for counseling degrees. I was done with school (couldn’t afford another loan) and didn’t even want to do private practice (licensure means you can accept and collect from insurance companies) so going back for a licensed degree was not an option for me.
I fell into running art classes for a nonprofit serving people with disabilities, using my art therapy background but without the treatment planning and formal therapy elements- just teaching at a community arts organization. The director (who also had an art therapy degree) had to move when her husband got a job transfer and she asked me to apply to be the director of the visual arts program while my kids were in school. I’ve been doing it part time and growing the program for 8 years and having a great time. I also started taking pottery classes for fun.
The last few years, I also started teaching pottery classes and workshops for the local clay studios. I’ve been teaching pottery in the evenings as my kids have gotten older and am starting to exhibit and sell. I feel another change is in the wind as my focus changes and my kids reach new stages. The community art organization changed board members and they want to change everything including the arts program I’ve run and it’s become a stressor instead of a joy. I am reassessing and my oldest kid started college and my youngest is going to start high school next year. There’s never enough time to work in the studio, so I think I need to do some rearranging and maybe pivot again towards my own business and an LLC as my priorities shift. We shall see!
I went from going to school to be an actor to working in retail, as a gas station clerk, a portrait photographer, several years as a bartender-owned a bar for a couple of years, worked as waitress for a couple of places, then back to school at 30 to become a wildlife biologist. All while raising two kids and navigating the disability process for my husband. It’s been a wild ride.