How to Change Careers (Without Losing Your Mind)

How to Change Careers

(without losing your mind)

Hello! Lauren GalanterWeb Polymath

• 10 years in video/web industry• UX Analyst @ Phase2• 3x career-changer• Philly native; lives in Passyunk Sq. with boyfriend and kitty. <3 bikes, books, sci-fi, comics, interior design, tea.

What about you?

• Sanity• My story• Soul-searching• Methods

We’ll Cover

• No fetishizing hyperwork• Sleep, exercise, down time• Go at your own pace

Sanity

Image by kroszk@ via CC Attribution license

My Story

2005 2008 2009 2013 2014

Film / VideoBA, Film & Media Arts, Temple University. Filmmaking, video production, editing, graphics.

Web Video / DesignVideoblogging leads to managing video website.

Web VideoComcast era! Video Ops team for 4+ years. Two promotions. Left as Product Lead.

Web DevelopmentTransitioned internally to Engineering role. Down in level, up in pay.

User ExperienceLeft Comcast Dec 2014 for UX Analyst job at Phase2.

video / design / web dev / process / education / customer experience

Ops to Dev• Education, events• Connecting; sharing desires• One “lucky” occurrence; one chance email

Dev to UX• More education• More events and connecting• Another chance email

Soul-Searching

• Be your own compass• Find your path…for

now.• Find alternative paths• No “wrong” path

• Structure vs Freedom?

• Alone vs Group?

Motivation

Courage

Ingenuity

Methods

Hopscotch>

Leapfrog

Venn Diagramof Career Transition

CurrentJob

NextJob

NextJob

GoalJob*

* subject to change!Skills

OneSmallStep

Internalv.

External

Internal+ -

• Reputation • Network• Knowledge

• Reputation• Red tape

How?• Make friends • Tell people• Meetings

• Job shadow• Education• Extra projects

Your manager = Your ally

External+ -

• Reinvention • Less barriers• Negotiation

• Lack of rep• Bigger leap

How?• Research • Make connections• Tell People

• Meetings• Education• Side Projects• Apprentice

Either Way• Don’t wait to apply • Don’t wait to “be” • Don’t belittle your experience• Don’t stop• Do get (un)comfortable

Redefining Success

NotMoving

Up

Moving Forward

“Whether you think

you can or you think you can’t,

you’re right” -

Henry Ford

“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop” - Confucius

“It is never to late to be

what you might have

been” - George

Eliot

Thanks!laurengalanter.com

@[email protected]