Transitioning from one career to another
TRANSITIONING FROM ONE CAREER TYPE TO ANOTHER
In the month of June I resigned my corporate job as an Internal Auditor in a company I had worked with for over 3 years.
Making this decision was heart wrenching and basically took every ounce of courage I had. It's moving from Comfortable to the Unknown.
It was not an easy decision to veer off an accounting career path to start over in the craft of Fashion Design.
I already had some foundational knowledge of fashion design and I was making most of my clothes but wanting to start a step into the industry for profit required that I enroll in a fashion school to sharpen my skills and familiarise me with the new environment.
Here are a few Transition Shockers I have experienced since starting my Journey to building a Brand
Self Accountability: You know as a professional working a regular 8-5 job the company policies hold you accountable to resume and close at a particular time but as an artisan with no one but you being largely responsible for the success of your brand, you will advice yourself and create a productivity pattern that will ensure you grow and earn in this space. It's literally no food for lazy man.
Communication: In these few months as a fashion consultant and designer I believe I have said more words than I would in a year as an accountant. I thought I was an introvert and not really a social media person but to build anything of value you will realise with speed that you need people so I have spoken,engaged, advertised ,pitched so many times and I'm honestly surprised at myself.
Wardrobe Change: I've been in the corporate sector for over 3 years post graduation and after I resigned, I realised that my wardrobe was filled with shirts, pants , skirts, basically work and church fits because there wasn't so much time for social activities and even when there was it didn't really apply to me because I'm a home body. So I have had to switch my dress mode because I really can't be wearing button shirts and straight pants to go fabric shopping.
Grounding: You don't realise how floaty your existence can be when you deal with figures and most communications are over the phone. But one thing fashion design has pushed me to do is have real life extended interactions with people. You will see and feel people, you will take their ideas and transfer it to a 3d wearable piece and the reviews may range from positive to negative and you will learn to take the bad with the good and this one you cannot resign from.
Work hours: My dear Boss who I miss now anyway used to talk to me and my colleagues and say you think the life of an entrepreneur is glamorous and they work less and earn more and you envy them as a 9-5er. I can say now that I see the error of my ways. Because as a fashion designer I start at the crack of dawn and finish when I finish. Especially when there's a deadline.There was a week I was so choked up with work I barely ate or slept.
When you're not working, you're learning and practicing and creating content and joining Communities.
- Change In Pay Consistency: As a Corporate worker you are paid monthly and you might come to rely on and limit your earning capacity to your basic salary alone. But as a fashion designer, the pay ranges from simple sewing projects to complex more expensive projects and your records will tell you how much you're earning. It may be higher or lower than what you were earning . So the more you sew the more you earn(something like that)
I will stop here for today. Feel free to share your Transition experience and how your journey is going in the co