Working in a Different Field to Your Degree Post-Graduation: Tai's Story

 

Tai graduated from culinary school in the USA in 2009 with the idea of becoming a chef. She worked in culinary for five years, from 2009-14, before being laid off due to the “slow season.” Due in part to this, Tai decided to change careers.

“I had just gotten laid off because of slow season. I needed a job that wasn’t seasonal,” Tai told me. “Once I was laid off… I decided the stress wasn’t worth it, especially since I could be laid off at any time.”

It wasn’t immediate smooth sailing for Tai, as she told me, “I cried myself to sleep for months as I tried to figure out what I wanted.”

Eventually, Tai decided to become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA). Her involved a little bit of luck.

“I started in nursing homes but that was too much for me. One day after having a massive panic attack I walked into my current place of employment asking for a job and by pure luck, someone had given their two weeks.”

As you can see, Tai’s approach was quite direct, and while you might not always have the same luck as she did, putting yourself out there can be a huge help.

Working as a CNA has given Tai significant benefits regarding skills learned, as well as mental health. As she says, “I made some awesome new friends and learned a ton of new stuff. After six years, most times I can even self-diagnose without seeing a doctor. Now, along with having my CNA license, I’m also Med Certified and can pass out medications.”

Despite graduating eleven years ago, Tai still had the same support systems that most people would today, having seen a careers counsellor and finding great help in being able to vent to friends in Facebook groups and on her personal page. “It felt good to vent it out,” she told me. “I always have a couple of friends I can vent to.”

Now, Tai absolutely loves her job, “no matter how stressful it gets.” Stressful things she has told me about her line of work include being short-staffed and physically and verbally abused. Despite these things, Tai has told me she would not do anything differently if she had her time over again. She also believes that she would have had the same support system if she had graduated now, as opposed to then.

So, having gone through a change in careers after graduating, and experiencing the highs and lows, here is Tai’s advice to you:

“It’s never too late to change your profession. If you wake up every day hating having to go to work, that probably isn’t the job for you, no matter how much you enjoy it.”

As you can see from Tai’s experience, things aren’t going to always be easy, but she went from a fear of being laid off at any time, to a stable job in a different field that has taught her many different skills and lessons. With a good support system and some courage, Tai was able to literally walk into her current job and start herself on a new path. It wasn’t too late for her, and it certainly won’t be too late for you.