Why Starting from Scratch Doesn’t Really Mean You’re Starting from Scratch
Past experiences have built you up for this moment
Be honest. How many times have you been anxious just at the idea of quitting your job to finally start doing something you love? You start thinking, maybe dreaming about it. For what? To never start.
You think you should take that new training to be “up to the job”; you think you’re too old to start from rock bottom again.
Who would hire you?
Starting from scratch in business, in our career, in relationships, or whatever area is scary. For some people, this fear is enough of a drive to start anyway. But for most, this fear will become a source of anxiety and an obstacle to achieving their dreams.
I’ve been there, done that, fucked it up too many times. But do I want to run all my life next to my dreams instead of living them? Hell, no.
When I left my high-paying job at my consulting firm to go back into the marketing field, I was full of anxiety. What company would hire someone who hasn’t worked in this field for more than 7 years?
However, one thing I’ve come to realize, and what I hope you can too, is that the person you are today is not the person you were at the beginning of your career.
And this is why, I believe, you’re not really starting from scratch when you think you do.
I have found my peace by practicing two exercises. Not only did it help me take into account all my achievements, but it also helped me appreciate who I am and where I am.
Make a list of your professional achievements
I have been working since 2012. And for a long time, I have been ashamed of my resume. With too many stations and breaks in between, I certainly don’t check the boxes of a traditional recruiter.
When I started my career after my Master’s degree in Strategic Marketing, my first 6 months in the field didn’t really connect with me. So I changed direction. This was followed by a series of experiences in different industries and positions.
A few time ago I had to reconsider my career. After my baby was born, I knew one thing: the vision of my role as a mom didn’t fit my consulting job’s lifestyle from that time. I loved the paycheck, my colleagues, and the inspiration I got from working with these smart people, but to be honest? The job was far from fulfilling.
I had to make a change, and I thought about going back to marketing. It felt like starting from scratch again. “Who would hire me? I have done nothing that fits the requirement of a marketing position,” I thought.
But I was wrong.
Whether you’ve been working for six months, a year, or 8 years like me, each position has its load of key learnings. Often, some of the things you’ve learned can be useful in other areas or even enrich a job in another industry because you bring a new point of view, a fresh perspective.
We just fail to recognize that.
To move forward and let go of fear, we need to acknowledge our achievements. The problem is, we fail to recognize and appreciate them in our daily life. It is still common in today’s society that being proud of what we do makes us look arrogant or cocky.
So what? Do you want to continue to miss out on your life, or should we start not giving a damn about what others think of us?
Your To-Do feel good
Take a sheet of paper, a pencil and get some time. It’s an introspection that can be quite long, especially if you have a long career behind you or difficulty admitting that you are a great and resourceful person.
- List the different positions/jobs you have held
- Next to each point of your list, write down the projects you’ve done or the main tasks you had to do depending on your job level
- For all the projects or tasks you had, try at least to find 3 to 5 things you’ve learned
- Now think about what these brought you in terms of professional and human skills
- Be proud of yourself, and tap yourself on the shoulder
What activities do you do in your free time?
My career did not follow the classical path. I call myself a job-hopper. During my job-hopping period, I worked in various positions and industries: online marketing, consulting, business development, consulting again.
I spend six months in online marketing at the beginning of my career and then everything else but that for 7 years. The idea of applying in the marketing field scared me enough to postpone this task over and over.
My not-so-healthy mantra when thinking about a career change? “I haven’t done marketing for 8 years. Nobody will ever take me”.
I was wrong.
Yes, I had spent years working in other fields than marketing, but I also had a blog for a very long time. And this blog kept me up to date on everything you need in terms of digital presence, social media, email marketing, and storytelling — in short, online marketing.
My blog was about running because, at that time, this is was I was doing in my spare time. Running, racing, and writing about it.
While my blog taught me a lot about marketing, running taught me resilience and discipline. Training to run over 70KM in the mountains is, unfortunately, not something I could improvise.
So while I was listing my professional achievements, I also started listing all the other things I had learned next to my jobs. The result? I realized I knew way more than I dared to admit.
Today I’m working in marketing again. I’m amazed by everything I have learned without acknowledging it, just because it was not my official job.
And I am sure you can too.
Your To-Do feel good
It’s time to take a look at everything you’re doing. And I don’t mean your job!
Make a list of the things you do in your free time. Do you sew all your own clothes, have you learned a new language last year, do you write regularly (blog, journaling, etc.), or post videos on Youtube?
Once listed, think: What do you get out of these activities?
Sewing can teach you how to be thorough; posting videos on Youtube or even training for a marathon teaches you rigor and discipline.
What soft-skills have you learned thanks to all this activities?
Final Thoughts
Before you get overwhelmed by the fear of starting from scratch, stop for a second. Now, compare the person you were a few months or years ago to the person you are today.
The truth is, you never completely start from scratch. Well, except if you’re moving from marketing to another field such as medicine or law.
But if, for example, you’re moving from business consulting to marketing like me, it’s not really starting from scratch.
To avoid falling into the spiral of anxiety and fear, and to avoid hiding behind the excuses of missing training or certification you need before you start, do this:
- Make a list of the jobs/professional activities you had as well as your hobbies
- For each position on your list, write the projects and tasks you’ve done
- Then write down your achievements and learnings
- What soft-skills did you learn
- Stay positive and be proud!
Dig deep. You’ll always find something.
Maybe you will still have some doubts after this exercise, and that’s normal. But know that you’re moving in the right direction.
Doubt and fear help us move forward and sometimes even show us that we are on the right path.
