The Niche Movement’s Leap of Faith series features stories about big life changes and major pivots, focusing on the courage it takes to commit to the leap. This week’s blog features Carmen Vernon’s decision to take the leap before she’s even stepped off the ledge to pursue her passion. Read on to learn Carmen’s four decision-making drivers to change career paths.
Feeling lost.
The past two and a half years I took comfort knowing that I was not alone in this feeling.
But although I was not alone, this lostness was still isolating, especially living in DC, a city where everyone knows what they want, where they want to go, how they fit into this intersection of industries, and who they are in this city of service.
High achievers flock here and set their course up a ladder to success.
I was one of them.
I moved to DC over two years ago because I wanted to help people at scale.
I wanted to land a job at a big nonprofit, use my writing skills for good, and eventually transition to a global NGO focused on empowering women and girls.
Well, I landed the job at a big nonprofit. But the rest of the plan didn’t exactly go as I envisioned. I discovered I don’t like sitting at a desk. I discovered I don’t like working at an HQ away from the action in the field, where the real life-changing work happens. And I discovered macro-focused work doesn’t appeal to my nurturing personality that thrives off of 1:1 connections and direct service.
So, a month ago I decided to take a leap of faith and pursue a grad school program that I didn’t even know existed when I was completing my undergrad.
Social work.
Rather than write fundraising appeals at a global NGO to fund work empowering women and girls, I’ve discovered that I need to empower women and girls directly through my daily work.
I don’t want to fund programs; I want to run programs. A big shift I never envisioned for myself. Yet here I am, certain it’s the right move.
It took two and a half years of learning everything I DON’T LIKE to do in order to understand what I DO LIKE to do.
All that to say . . . yes, it’s scary to sacrifice the comfort and predictability of my current career trajectory. But if I don’t take the leap now, I might be stuck in nonprofit fundraising for forever.
Never realizing the full potential of my dreams, my gifts, and my life’s conviction just because 20 year old me thought “helping people” looked one particular way.
And I can’t let that happen.
I also can’t let it happen to you, so I’ve compiled my four key decision-making drivers. Take this list and apply it to your life. Take a hard look at yourself to see if you’ve found your niche.
If you haven’t, it’s time to start searching again.
Don’t wait until tomorrow; your dreams won’t.
Don’t ignore your dreams
Since senior year of high school, my heart has ached to make sure every K-12 girl in the U.S. grows into a strong, smart, and bold woman—self-sufficient, able to realize her dreams, and free from danger or harm.
That kind of heartache doesn’t just go away.
Fast forward to senior year of college when I was scared to say this dream out loud. As graduation drew closer and people asked me what my dream job was, I would timidly say “work in communications for a nonprofit focused on women and girls” . . . all the while in the back of my head, thinking I would never make it there.
Fast forward to present day, and I proudly tell people I want to get my Master’s of Social Work, so that I can be trained in direct service and work in a helping profession.
I never lost sight of my original dream. But it took courage and time to discover the vehicle to get there.
Don’t reject your life’s calling
As The Niche Movement’s Founder Kevin O’Connell says, “you know you have found your niche when you feel like you are thriving, are challenged, and feel invincible — willing to do whatever it takes to keep moving forward.”
What makes you cry? Pound your first? And what are you going to do about it?
Your life’s calling might change from season to season, but in each stage of your career you need to pick up the phone to answer that calling.
Otherwise, you’ll be stuck in a job where you aren’t thriving or challenged.
Follow your gut to the places it enjoys being.
Don’t be boxed in (or boxed out) by personality tests
Sadly, I have always wanted to be someone else. I never appreciated my unique gifts until this summer.
In college, I took a career class for my Political and Civic Engagement certificate. Through that course, my peers and I took the Myers Brigg assessment.
I was an ISFJ: The Defender. But I was jealous of the girls in my class who were ENTJs: The Commanders.
They were the leaders in the class . . . I was the only introvert and defined by my Myers Brigg as sensitive, supportive, and caring. I was devastated to be cast in a supporting role rather than a leading role. I rejected my Myers Brigg because I thought it made me weak, meek, and uninfluential.
But these exact traits I was devastated by in college are the exact traits that I need to be a good social worker. These are also the traits that I’m happiest to exude.
The lesson? Lean into your strengths while acknowledging you still have chances to grow your weaknesses. Don’t be boxed in by personality tests, but realize that they reveal a lot about your ideal work style and office setting. Just because U.S. society loves extroverts who lead with charisma doesn’t mean your personality type doesn’t work wonders on a daily basis.
Don’t wait for others to validate you
I’ll keep this one short.
Your dreams are your dreams.
No one else’s.
Not everyone will agree with your path or career choices.
But as long as your plans are strategic, well-thought out, and well-executed, you should be set up for success.
Some people will be your cheerleaders.
Some people will be your peanut gallery, doubting you along the way.
Try to find more cheerleaders.
Leave the rest behind.
And above all, validate yourself in your career decisions.
After all, you know you best.