The Not-So-Straight Career Path.
It all started with launching a technical course, leading a team, facing a layoff, and going down one path to fall in love with what I thought would be project management to...product management?
That's right. Even before posting this I shared that I bought the PMP exam, and practice exam-all ready to take the exam. And even 2 months before that, I took 6 weeks to complete the Project Management certification by Google. So how did we get here?
Crazy how things can change so fast sometimes.
But, grateful for the journey.
Early 2023 I spearheaded the launch of my prior consulting firm's first technical automation course. Leading a team of instructors and seeing 25 students confidently using automation was incredibly rewarding. I loved leading a team, and developing a course with the user in mind.
While in early 2023, my official role was consultant (think building, architecting, and gathering requirements across industries like marketing, AI, and manufacturing), I knew I wanted a change. Project management seemed like the natural fit based off the success and launch of the technical course, so I dove into research and interviews to find out more about the role.
Shortly after the launch of this course, a layoff happened eliminating my position and around 7% of the company. Needing to quickly find a new role, I leveraged my experience to secure a technical business analyst position that allowed me to combine my technical skills with user-centric thinking and team leadership. I felt that project management was still the next step and was eager to follow it. But at the time little did I know it would lead to instead, a product owner role.
It's been a powerful reminder that career paths aren't set in stone.
Fast forward to the past few months I've completed multiple courses, still following the project manager path from taking the Google Project Management course (which was awesome!), I realized during my PMP prep...it wasn't quite right.
I decided to put a hold on project management and connect with product managers in my network, building some incredible things. After a few conversations, late night thinking, and load and I mean loaddd of Youtube videos- I was sure that product was my jam. So sure, the PMP exam fee stings a bit, but hey, self-discovery is a journey, right?
The best part? I was already doing what I loved-building products for users. At my currrent role I am leading the implementation of a service call center using Salesforce Service Cloud and creating a portal from scratch working and leading UX Design teams.
What about product management ignites my passion? It's the perfect blend of creativity and user-centricity? I get to be part of the entire product development process, from brainstorming solutions to seeing the final product make a real impact on users' lives. Whether it's designing a user-friendly interface for a service call center or building a healthcare website that empowers our military heroes, product management allows me to combine my technical knowledge with a deep empathy for users, and that's incredibly fulfilling.
So what's the takeaway? A few things:
Declaring something live and going back on it, feels weird. But that's the journey. You make a turn one way to be redirected another.
Sometimes you're already doing what you love it just takes a little research and talking to others to see that.
Skills are amplified across fields. Don't think one skill isn't valuable you can make it work for where you want to go.
Don't fear pivoting, it might be exactly what you been searching for.
Networking is knowledge: They say the more you know and learn is key right? Well, in this case my networks stories really helped understand the difference between project management and product with real life examples.
Don't be afraid to pivot. Sometimes unexpected turns lead you exactly where you're meant to be." - This highlights the value of adaptability and embracing change as opportunities for growth.
I hope this encourages you to take that step into an area you're curious to learn more about and helps you fall into where you are supposed to be.
