After 15 years as a math teacher, Kristina Clayton contacted me in order to transition out of the classroom and into online curriculum development.
After applying for 72 positions, interviewing with 8 companies, and being offered 3 jobs, she successfully changed fields and has been enjoying her new circumstances ever since.
I caught up with her recently to seek her advice for people who are considering a career transition.
Here are her words of wisdom for you ~
CKP: Tell me about your career transition. What made you decide to change jobs?
KC: Moving was the ultimate reason for my career transition. I knew I was in an unhealthy work environment and felt guilty for wanting/needing to leave and I used the move as an excuse/reason to leave that role entirely. I am very thankful I did.
CKP: What’s the best advice you have for someone who’s considering a career transition?
KC: Take the leap. I’m not going to lie, it’s scary and at times you’ll question whether you should have made the decision. But if you’re in a place where you’re questioning your current role/position, it probably means you’re ready to leave.
CKP: Are you happy now in your new job, and why or why not?
KC: I am. I found a group of people that value my input and appreciate my contributions. I am happy with the position I found for the season of life I am in right now. I started out as a contractor and am now a full-time employee.
CKP: What helped you the most in making your career transition?
KC: You; having someone who was on my side and would give me advice was the most helpful. I was in my former position for 15 years; I hadn’t updated my resume or interviewed since 2004.
It was a lot of work to catch up; plus making a career change was intimidating. So having someone that could assist in the process was beneficial.
I spent 5 months unemployed – we had a move so a few months were occupied with that – but that was really scary. After being employed for 15 years in a very secure job, it was unnerving to not know when I would receive another paycheck.
It was extremely hard for me to turn down a job offer during that time and I had to turn down two. Both positions would have been great for me, but they both offered salaries that would not have been able to support my family.
I remember having a conversation with you about it and how knowing my worth was important. I was scared to turn these down because I didn’t know when the next job offer would come but my experience was worth more than what they were willing to pay. You helped me see that and assured me that things would work out, and they did.
One other thing that helped me was goal setting. It felt frustrating to be on the computer all day searching for jobs and then at the end of the week I didn’t have anything to show for it. I set a goal to apply for a minimum of 3 jobs every week, it served as a metric for myself so I could feel productive for the work I was doing.
Some weeks I could find multiple jobs that fit what I was looking for and I could easily adapt my resume and write a cover letter. Other weeks there weren’t any jobs that fit what I wanted, but I used these opportunities as an exercise in adapting my resume and adjusting my transferable skills to fit this random job.
In the end, I applied for 72 positions, interviewed with 8 companies, and had 3 job offers.
To make sure that I don’t get in the situation where I need to start fresh after 15 years again, I regularly search for positions and set a goal to apply for a minimum of 3 jobs per year.
CKP: Wow, that’s impressive, and it’s a good idea. Thank you for your time, Kristina.
KC: Glad to help!
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