I have a few out-of-the-ordinary differences I bring to my career. I leveraged these experiences when I eventually switched careers. Here are a few of them.
Currently, I am an ethics and compliance manager who is a nerd in risk management. I have been a program manager who geeks out on the process. I was also a bartender at one point in my career. Finally, I am a former nun now working at Microsoft. This direction is not your typical trajectory to move from one industry to another.
In sharing part of my story, I want to offer a few insights on the mindset that helped me successfully navigate a total change of career.
A Nun Story
When people think of nuns, they think mostly of movie characters, like Whoopi Goldberg in “Sister Act,” or famous nuns, like Mother Teresa. Those who may not be familiar with the term, a “nun,” means a “religious sister,” a woman who professes religious vows and lives in a community with other women. I was a Roman Catholic nun, a religious sister, and I lived in a community with other women across the United States in houses known as convents.
When people find out that I was a nun, one of the first questions they ask me is, “Did you wear a habit?” My quick response is, “Only bad ones.” All kidding aside, some religious orders still wear a habit. The community I belonged to does not, and I did not wear a habit when I was a nun. I dressed in ordinary clothes and wore a cross or religious pin that identified me as a religious sister.
A Sense of Belonging
I belonged to an International Community, and moving across the country and globally is part of their mission of service. While being a religious sister, I was privileged to journey with people in their most intense moments of life – illness, the dying, and times of celebration such a birth, a wedding, or anniversary. I was also trusted to be with people in the ordinary stuff of life while listening, empowering, and serving. I lived that life for eight years.
A turning point for me happened when I decided to leave religious life because of a chronic physical illness. I needed to stay rooted in one place to take care of some health issues. When I left the community, I also knew I needed to make a career change to the corporate world. And the company I wanted to work for was Microsoft.
Switched Careers from Former Nun to Microsoft Employee
The road to a career at Microsoft was not quick and easy for me. It took a few various job experiences in the corporate environment and a relentless job application process before I finally landed a job at Microsoft.
Let me give you a few numbers of what my persistence looked like in getting to Microsoft: 44, 1, 9, and 1. Forty-four job applications, one rotation as a vendor, nine interviews, and one job offer to become a full-time employee.
Forty-four applications are a lot to one company. I knew I would succeed or fail with my work effort and strengths. I just needed someone to give me a chance.
The Manager Who Empowered the Opportunity
Who hired me? A manager who had a strong bias against institutional religion. That’s who hired me. My first manager, who still works at Microsoft and is my friend, told me his story a few years ago about hiring me.
He said that when he first looked at my resume, it had “Church Lady” written all over it, and he tossed it aside. He said that he wasn’t going to give me the time of day, much less a chance at an interview. Yet, he also knew what it was like for people not to give him a chance. So he acknowledged his internal bias and decided to take another look at my resume.
On second glance, he noticed that I had some project management experience. He then decided to interview me for the job. The interview was a success. I owe my career at Microsoft to my former boss, who challenged himself to have an open mindset and grow beyond his bias.
The First Few Years of Corporate Work
When I first started at Microsoft, I was deliberate in covering my experience in religious life. I was worried I would lose my job if people found out I was a former nun. So I held back. I also did not want to offend anyone because I was afraid that religion was too much of a hot topic to safely mention. I did not want any of my teammates to feel uncomfortable being around me or act differently with me if they knew I was a nun.
The good news is that a lot of growth happens in our career, and I have learned to embrace my experience as a former nun. I utilize my strengths of being an empathic listener and a servant leader throughout my work today, qualities that matured during my experience in religious life.
Switched Careers with This Mindset
I do not easily give up on things. Some people call me stubborn, but I think of it as determination. I applied 44 times to one company. Forty-three of them were rejections. One of them was a yes, an opportunity. I remember something my Dad taught me at a young age about finding a job and working. My Dad was big on action and less on talk or BS about work. He said to me, “You get your foot in the door with the job offer. Now you have the chance to keep your job by what you do once you’re through the door and working.” The lesson I learned from my Dad is to let your actions speak the value of your talent.
Getting a job offer was the first step. Doing the work would be the key to keeping my job. Throughout that process, quitting is not an option, but learning and growing from the rejections, mishaps, and mistakes.
When it comes to switching your career, remember to be all in and relentless throughout the journey. Most often, a career change does not happen overnight. You have to be committed to the long haul of change. Don’t give in or quit too early, and don’t quit on yourself.
Resiliency Needed
Switching careers or remaining steadfast in your current work environment requires a strong resiliency to be persistent and dedicated to your genuine self, your skillset of strengths, and the purpose of your career. Plus, taking the time to leverage elements of your experience will help you in your current work.
For example, I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I was a bartender at one point in my career. I learned about risk management when I started as a bartender at a pub in a monastery. Bartending was at a place that valued compliance in ensuring all of us understood the significance of being responsible stewards in serving alcohol. Another experience was my first job after high school, where I developed black and white film photography for a local newspaper. Here I learned the value of quality work and excellence for the success of others.
Each pivotal moment in our experience will define our life in some way. Learn something from your past no matter how small or insignificant the jobs may seem.
You Turn – A Few Questions to Consider When Switching Careers
Your experience and persistence help get you where you are today and where you plan to go moving forward. Your mindset throughout it all is essential for growth.
Here are five questions for reflection when thinking about a career change.
- What are your strengths? Of these strengths, which one stands out the most?
- In what ways have changes in your life given you a different perspective on the trajectory of your career?
- What does persistence look like for you?
- What are the lessons and kernels of wisdom from your past work experience that will deepen your growth in your career today?
- In what ways do your strengths and growth opportunities propel you forward?
I welcome your perspective and insights.
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