How freelancing my way from a traditional career path has changed my life
Making a career change is scary. It may seem easier to stay in a job that you’re comfortable with and good at, rather than taking the plunge into a totally different career and context. But, those who do take that plunge often end up happier.
Who am I today?
A remote growth-oriented Digital Marketing Specialist at Upstack with a passion for growth-hacking, content marketing, social media marketing wonders, and advertising. More than anything my current goal is to develop myself further and to learn as much as possible on my way while developing businesses through growth-hacking! I love a great story and an unplanned adventure — and digital marketing is all about it!
Long story short: Marketer by day, avid reader by night — sprinkling creativity all around!
Who was I yesterday?
Graduate of medical school, one step away from dedicating my life to a medical laboratory. Of course, it is a noble and beautiful profession… But for me, to live a life in a laboratory, between pipettes and test tubes it would have been a waste of my potential.
Where am I today?
In a remote job where my potential is blossoming explosively. From a job that kept me sitting in a laboratory, doing the same thing every day — in a job that allows me to work from anywhere, to travel all over the world and in which no day is similar to another. Full of challenges at every step. Working in a team of hundreds of people with so many different postcodes!
It’s necessary to respect your goals and continue to take steps toward them, something that can take many different forms. For me, that meant walking away from stability into the unknown.
I have been passionate since I can remember about social media, writing, blogging and growing. I read many books, I looked at many TED talks and I read a thousand such “confessions” until I managed to name my passion: Digital Marketing.
Then, after some courses, books and many articles read — I decided to make the change.
Yes, changing your career can be a risky maneuver, but change is inevitable, not just in your life, but in your career as well. There will also be times when you know that it’s time for a career change even though according to bystanders, you have no reason to switch careers.
Upstack was the perfect choice! The #remotewarrior status was a bonus!
Oh… Remote work… Just in time to answer some questions from my own experience:
Is remote work “healthy”? Should we stick to 9-to-5 office jobs or embrace remote work?
Beautifully, there is no universal answer to these questions; it depends entirely on your own self-discipline, social resilience and personal vision of work happiness.
Here are three reasons, based on my personal experience, why you should consider a remote job:
- Professional Development
- Flexibility
- Happiness level
I was raised in a traditional middle-class Romanian family. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been taught that finding a stable job is extremely important. And, of course, remote work/freelancing is probably the last thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “stability”.
Well… With all the happiness, productivity, and stability with which remote work came into my life… I can tell you this: no more worries about getting lectured by my family for being “irresponsible” for choosing a remote position!
Now… Be under no illusions: remote work takes effort (employers and in-house colleagues included). And it’s not a simple a lifestyle choice — at the end of the day, you still need to actually enjoy what you do. With every job that you take, you learn something new about yourself or develop a new skill (or multiple skills, for that matter). Just because you’re in a specific job now doesn’t mean that you have to stay there forever.
This is not to suggest that you shouldn’t fulfill your responsibilities or quit whenever you want, but each position will help you develop skills to become a stronger candidate for your next position, even if you do start at the bottom of the ladder.
You know yourself better than anyone else. Trust yourself and your instincts and take the leap. You never know what you may find.
One final thought…
The people I work with tend to be happy, they are going into remote positions with the right mindset and finding something valuable to them and this confirms that we are all in the right place. We spend the bulk of our time at work, so being happy with our job can make a huge difference.
At the end of the day, the fact that I have studied the art of medical laboratory and chemistry, even if I chose to freelance my way from the traditional career path, is a big advantage because I can create chemistry that can generate win-win situations.
To take part in building a community that matters is fulfilling! I personally can’t wait to see what the future will look like.
Author: Alexandra Gavrilă, Digital Marketing Specialist @ Upstack.co
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