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Next up, we have Lauren Auchter. Lauren started her career in edtech as an educator at science museums and transitioned to the engineering side with the help of Thinkful's Engineering Flex program.
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She continues to have a positive impact on education as a Senior Engineering Manager and technical lead at Instructure, where she creates accessible applications. When she's not coding, you can find Lauren chasing her toddler or surrounded by her latest crafting endeavor. Take it away!
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Lauren: Thank you! I'm really excited to give this talk on navigating career change. It’s something that we all go through. There's a link to the slides that will go back up at the end. Thanks to Mo!
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Let's get started. The first thing is: what is this talk even about? It's going to include a lot of tips and tricks for navigating changes, with some examples from my career. I have had the privilege of mentoring and being mentored by many people, and this is a common topic that comes up. I've tried to distill all of those conversations down into a 30-minute talk to share a whole bunch of examples.
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Hopefully, we can leave here with some good ideas to try. As for me, I am recently an Engineering Manager at Instructure. Up until about a month ago, I was a Senior Engineer and a technical lead. It’s been really exciting to move into a leadership position.
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But I have kind of been all over the place in my career. My degree is in music education. I worked in science museums and was briefly a middle school science teacher before I transitioned to being a software engineer. We’re going to learn about those pivot points and how I navigated them.
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To start off with pivoting, you might ask: why pivot? A pivot can be huge, like changing your field entirely, or it can be smaller and more focused, like switching the type of work you do. When I’m going through a pivot, I want to ask myself some questions.
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The first thing I ask is: what is my career goal? Is it likely to happen, or are you okay staying at a lower level where you are? It's essential to think about the timeframe you want to land in those positions. For example, when I was a teacher, I knew I did not want to be a vice principal or principal, but I also didn't want to be a teacher forever. I wanted change in my career, but I wasn’t aiming for any specific goal.
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This is one of my favorite quotes. If you've never heard James Clear speak, he's really awesome. He said, "Don't let your career be a coincidence." Think about what the path to your goal looks like. Do you like the jobs in between now and that goal? Because you will have to do them; you can't just skip over them.
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I have career ambitions and prefer a path that I can follow. This is really hard to do in nonprofit organizations, which influenced some of my decisions to pivot into a larger sector of work. Lastly, I ask myself: am I making the most of my skills? How do I want to grow? Do I want to grow, or am I content to keep doing what I'm already doing? This was a big driver for me moving into management because while software engineering utilizes my technical skills, management allows me to apply all the educator skills that I spent years developing.
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As you navigate these changes, consider what you hope a pivot will achieve. What are your goals after making a change? Do your career goals change after this pivot? Furthermore, will a pivot alter how much of your life is taken up by work, and are you okay with that change? For me, I wanted a change that would leave more room for life, meaning my work would take up less space.
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This may not be what you're looking for; you might prefer the opposite. It's vital to understand what you want from this change and if it aligns with your expectations.
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One key quote that resonates with me is about pursuing energy, not passion. How do you feel at the end of the day? Does a pivot leave you energized for other things you want to do? When I worked at nonprofits, the answer was no. I finished the day drained rather than invigorated. I recognized that I needed more space for my life away from work.
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Moreover, consider how your career trajectory will be impacted if you change fields entirely. You are likely going to start at or near the beginning again, and that’s okay. You are taking with you valuable skills that will accelerate your growth compared to someone just starting; you have soft skills, communication skills, and the ability to navigate professional workplaces.
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These are the qualities that set you apart and will help you transition into your new role more smoothly. A pivot can't solve all problems. Acknowledge that both good and bad exist within any job. It's essential to recognize when you start second-guessing yourself during these significant changes.
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It’s important to remind yourself that discomfort is part of growth. When discussing discomfort, I mean feeling uneasy—not a full-blown anxiety attack. It’s about saying, "I am uncomfortable, but I can manage this feeling and push through it."
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Acknowledge how you're feeling; for example, saying, "This makes me nervous or afraid" is perfectly fine. Trying to ignore those feelings won't help; you can’t eliminate imposter syndrome by pretending it doesn’t exist. Instead, acknowledge it and let it exist without letting it dictate your choices.
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One effective way to deal with discomfort and stop second-guessing is to take baby steps. Give yourself the opportunity to address some of those pivot questions before making significant changes. Spend time in your new area of focus. If you're switching fields, attend a meetup or two and see if you enjoy discussing that area. Engage with professionals in the new field and sign up for relevant free online courses.
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If you're trying to change your work type, such as moving into management, start by mentoring someone. This doesn't require a full commitment and allows you to test your skills. Consider how this new role makes you feel. Do you feel energized or drained? If it’s not the right fit, you can step back without the commitment to a complete job change.
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Seek feedback from your mentors. If you don't have any mentors, find connections in your network that can help. Often, full field pivots may reduce the number of people you can talk to, so it's crucial to expand your network. Engage with your loved ones and trusted people to share your thoughts and gauge their reactions.
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And, if you missed it, networking is very important. It can provide insights into new companies, referrals, and support as you move forward in your career. Connecting with mentors and peers allows you to gather valuable information about various roles and opportunities. It’s exciting to learn about different parts of your field—I often discover job roles or opportunities I didn't know existed at every networking event I attend.
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These small networking interactions can lead you to find the perfect fit or role that aligns with your interests and skills. As I pursue these experiences, I recommend giving yourself time to adjust and step into these new things. Now, let's discuss how to let go of guilt surrounding your career transitions.
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When you're convinced that it's time for a change, try to reframe how you view your feelings. Over time, we develop varying degrees of guilt when making career changes. For example, in a conversation with my toddler, I often say that guilt comes in all sizes and degrees. Switch from a guilt-focused mindset to a more positive perspective. For instance, if you're laying in bed at night, replaying embarrassing memories, choose to relive a happy memory instead. Train your brain to focus on what excites you or what you appreciate about your career journey.
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While acknowledging how you feel is crucial, don’t let guilt drive your decisions. Your reasons for making a change are valid; guilt shouldn’t overshadow them. If you're still in a guilt-ridden mindset, try flipping your perspective. Ask yourself how you would feel if a respected colleague made a similar change. You might find that you'd feel supportive rather than resentful, which can help ease your feelings.
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It's essential to recognize that your narrative is not an accurate reflection of how others perceive your career decisions. Those feelings of guilt often stem from our imaginations rather than reality. This mindset shift allows you to let go of unnecessary guilt more fluidly.
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Let me share some examples to illustrate my points. First is a smaller, in-field pivot. I left a Title I school to teach at a magnet school in another county, still working as a middle school science teacher, but with a new focus.
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Why did I make that switch? Well, money was a significant factor—surprise! Florida had no state minimum pay, leading to enormous pay variations between counties. You need money to live, so this change was instrumental for me. Additionally, my career goals aligned better with this new position since it was located near a science center where I wanted to be involved in science museum education again.
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Although it was challenging to leave students behind, I needed to focus on the positive impacts. My students had memorable years filled with hands-on learning experiences, which I'm grateful for. That perspective helped reduce the guilt I felt about leaving.
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Transitioning away from a challenging environment had positive effects on my mental health, allowing me to grow. The reality is, the job I left was emotionally draining, often ending my days in tears. I needed to acknowledge how much I had endured and reflect on my improvement as I moved on.
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Now looking at a larger pivot, I left public school teaching to return to museum education. This pivot was motivated by factors like work-life balance. Ultimately, I was unhappy as a teacher, as the demands conflicted with my lifestyle. I dislike waking up at 5:00 a.m., and it was difficult to get time off when sick.
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The first school I taught at incentivized coming to work sick with a raffle for gift cards. This created an unhealthy environment for mental health. As for career alignment, I was aware of limited growth in public education and sought opportunities at a science center. Recognizing all of this made it easier to let go of the guilt I felt.
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However, leaving in the middle of the school year created lingering guilt. I knew it wasn't what's best for my students, but I had to prioritize my needs. When the opportunity arose, I needed to accept it even if it did not serve my students or co-workers at that moment.
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During this period, I really had to flip my perspective and recall times when I had wonderful teachers leave during the year. Those experiences did not end the world, and I learned to appreciate the skills I developed.
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Telling my principal I was leaving was an extremely uncomfortable conversation, but it was essential to respect the opportunity I wanted to take. Those hard conversations could not be avoided, and practicing them leads to personal growth.
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Lastly, confirming that formal education was not the right fit helped me to reframe my feelings. Focusing on the fun memories I created with my students helped me to mitigate the residual guilt. Even though I still have some guilt surrounding my decision, it doesn't outweigh my overall career needs.
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For my last example, there’s the big field pivot of leaving the nonprofit education world to become a software engineer. Transitioning from education to a technical role is significant and can be intimidating, but it worked out well.
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Why did I decide this change? Burnout was a huge factor in my choice. I was constantly meeting with customers and that public-facing role weighed heavily on me, contributing to my overall burnout.
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Additionally, the compensation situation in education is far from ideal. On switching fields, I almost doubled my salary, which highlighted how much better long-term financial prospects are in software engineering, compared to nonprofit education where the compensation caps are significantly lower.
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Energy was another factor—my work consumed so much of my personal life. Working many nights and weekends led to strains on my family life. Balancing my creative energy spent across various projects and roles left me exhausted; it was not sustainable.
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Furthermore, my ambitions in the museum sector often meant needing to relocate or waiting indefinitely for promotions in positions with stagnant growth. This propelled me to make the leap into software engineering where I have seen an increase in opportunities for career growth.
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Leaving my nonprofit team is not only filled with guilt but also grief—saying goodbye to friends and colleagues after cherishing those relationships was difficult. But rather than focus on abandoning education, I chose to give myself a ‘long goodbye’ by enrolling in a boot camp while continuing my job.
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This decision granted me the time to transition out of education, ensuring my team was set up for success before I left. While navigating my next moves allowed me to reflect on my goals, I interacted with communities, networked, attended workshops, and embraced various forms of learning during that lengthy transition.
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These various experiences helped shape my path forward. My journey has been mixed with discoveries that are invaluable and rewarding. I encourage you all to try different strategies when facing your career transitions.
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As you reflect on how you feel at the end of the day, consider your current experiences and identify what you could improve. Setting boundaries, like putting blocks in your calendar for lunches, can contribute positively to your daily experience.
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It's completely okay to feel uncomfortable. Take baby steps towards doing something challenging, whether it's attending an event or attempting a project that causes you slight anxiety. Confronting this discomfort and watching your growth can be empowering.
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Also, allow yourself to acknowledge your feelings. Don’t bottle them up; expressing them through journaling or trusted conversations can facilitate release. For me, writing out frustrations has helped whenever I felt overwhelmed.
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Try flipping your perspective whenever you're faced with tough decisions or guilt. Experimenting with how others may perceive your choices can create space for empathy toward yourself in times of second-guessing.
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Finally, invest in networking, even if the term sounds daunting. Networking doesn’t need to be extensive; it can occur in small, policy-friendly environments. Over time, building connections will aid you greatly in times of change or transition.
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In conclusion, I encourage you to take these insights and explore your paths forward, continuously reflecting and adjusting. Future transitions will come, but you're now better equipped with the insights we've discussed today. Thank you for listening!