What work had been you doing beforehand?
I labored as a historical past museum skilled for greater than ten years.
Particularly, I labored in collections administration/conservation, then I used to be a curator for a number of completely different museums. I ended my profession as the manager director for a small county historic society.
What are you doing now?
Now I’m a contract private finance author and editor.
Why did you alter?
My final yr in museums was impacted by the pandemic.
I ended up having to depart my second to final place (because the curator for a regional and transportation historical past museum) in a rush, after I used to be advised that my pay can be minimize if I stayed.
The museum was closed for a number of months throughout spring and summer time of the primary yr of the pandemic, and with out customer and program income, the funds had been very strained (a sadly frequent occasion for museums on the time).
It was my intention to stay in that place for an additional yr (I would been there greater than 4 years by that time), as I actually loved the work.
Sadly, the pay was not sufficient for me to have the ability to do rather more than simply barely keep afloat, and as I lived alone and needed to have the ability to preserve that life-style, I began on the lookout for one other place.
I used to be employed to turn into the manager director for a tiny historic society in a rural space in my area, and since I needed to remain on this a part of the nation, I went for it. It turned out to be a poor match, because of the remoteness of the world, and the job itself was disastrous for my psychological well being. I ended up in remedy.
The establishment has now been by 5 govt administrators within the final 4 years as a result of large ongoing governance issues with the board of trustees (after I left I used to be changed, after which my alternative was changed, and now that particular person has additionally left).
When was the second you determined to make the change?
I observed that I used to be actively dreading returning to my final museum job after I had a while off for the festive break on the finish of the primary yr of the pandemic.
I would by no means felt that method earlier than, and had at all times been the sort of one who beloved my work.
Not lengthy after, I started to look to alter careers.
How did you select your new profession?
I targeted my utility efforts on roles that had been totally distant (as I used to be uninterested in shifting always for museum jobs that didn’t pay sufficient).
I targeted on digital content material roles, as that profession path has lots of connections to what I did for museums (analysis, writing, and different content material creation). I ended up getting employed to turn into a duplicate editor with an search engine optimisation advertising firm.
I left this position lately, as my freelance work took off final yr. I used to be making extra money and having fun with the work rather more, so I stop my worker position and am now a full-time freelancer.
Are you proud of the change?
Sure.
Now I’ve rather more earnings and I actually love the work I’m doing.
I used to be relieved after I switched from museums to modifying, however I didn’t actually turn into glad till I reached some extent with my funds the place I might afford to stop my worker place and simply be a freelancer.
What do you miss and what do not you miss?
I miss the work I did as a museum curator – particularly analysis, and writing and creating reveals and public applications.
I additionally miss working with school and graduate college students, who would intern on the museums I labored for to get expertise within the discipline.
And I miss speaking to museum guests who loved my work and discovered from it.
I don’t miss shifting home each few years for jobs that didn’t pay sufficient for me to do issues like purchase a house or journey. I don’t miss the shortage of job safety.
I additionally don’t miss how, in my final museum position, I used to be employed to do a job after which had folks getting in my method at each flip.
How did you go about making the shift?
After I determined I wanted to get out of museums, I began making use of for brand spanking new jobs at a speedy clip (over 400 in simply 5 months).
I acquired some assist from considered one of my companions to enhance my LinkedIn profile, to place extra deal with my transferable abilities.
I additionally paid for profession counselling and a resume/CV rewrite from Flexjobs (which was an important useful resource for the profession change course of).
How did you develop (or switch) the abilities you wanted on your new position?
Having flexibility, kindness, and communication abilities has gone a good distance in direction of getting employers concerned about me for modifying roles.
In my LinkedIn profile and on my resume, I performed up my expertise with writing, modifying, analysis, and in addition my expertise working with all completely different sorts of individuals.
What didn’t go nicely? What fallacious turns did you are taking?
I want I hadn’t undervalued myself after I was requested about wage necessities for my first official modifying job.
However on the time I used to be determined to get employed by somebody and get out of museums.
If I would requested for extra money, I won’t have struggled a lot financially throughout the primary yr of my shift.
How did you deal with your funds to make your shift attainable?
I didn’t actually have the luxurious of constructing sufficient cash in my outdated profession to have the ability to put a lot apart for the change.
I used to be capable of save sufficient to pay for my transfer that occurred concurrently my profession change, at the very least. Since I used to be going to be working remotely, I had deliberate a transfer to a brand new metropolis that I needed to dwell in for private causes, quite than profession causes.
What was probably the most tough factor about altering?
I beloved lots of the work I did in museums, and it does harm to consider how I’m not doing that anymore.
I additionally generally battle with feeling responsible that I’m now not working for nonprofit organisations, as I at all times felt actually good that the work I did made a distinction.
What assist did you get? 
The assistance I acquired from a associate with revamping my LinkedIn web page to deal with digital content material was undoubtedly necessary to creating the transition.
I’m additionally glad I used to be capable of afford to pay for profession counselling and resume/CV assist.
What assets would you suggest to others?
LinkedIn is an effective way to make connections with recruiters and people within the line of labor you’re wanting to modify to.
Glassdoor is one other nice useful resource for job postings and to be taught extra about corporations you’re contemplating.
What have you ever learnt within the course of?
I discovered that it isn’t price clinging to a profession that is now not working for me, although I did it for greater than ten years and went to graduate college for it.
And I discovered that there are a lot of methods to be glad at work.
What do you would like you’d carried out in a different way?
I want I hadn’t waited so lengthy.
I undoubtedly acquired complacent. Trying again, I want I’d began on the lookout for a brand new profession alternative earlier than the pandemic.
As an alternative, my outdated profession prospects modified due to COVID-19, the place I needed to discover a new museum place in a rush so I didn’t lose cash.
What would you advise others to do in the identical state of affairs?
Don’t be afraid to alter in case your outdated profession is now not serving you.
It’s very unrealistic to anticipate that you just’ll keep in the identical profession on your total working life.
And in case your life isn’t the place you need it to be (and also you’re unable to plan for the long run as a result of an absence of cash), then undoubtedly look into making a change.
We caught up with Ashley lately to see how her shift was understanding, roughly a yr and a half on. This is what she’s been as much as, and the most important classes she’s discovered.
What’s modified for you in your profession since we first printed your story?
I am nonetheless working as a full-time freelancer in private finance content material, however I’ve broadened my abilities.
I am lucky that my essential shopper provides me the chance to work on completely different task sorts, like product critiques and updates to informational pages, so it has been nice to get expertise with this sort of work. It means extra incomes energy for me now and maybe additionally sooner or later.
I additionally get to do extra work with search engine optimisation (search engine marketing), which is one other in-demand talent, so I am glad to be increase that exact muscle too!
How do you are feeling about your work now?
I nonetheless actually get pleasure from it and really feel as if I be taught one thing new daily!
That was at all times considered one of my favourite issues about museum work, so I am glad to nonetheless be in that place even in a brand new profession.
I additionally love having the ability to set my very own schedule. That was one of many qualities of freelancing that attracted me initially.
I nonetheless work greater than full-time hours, however it feels good to be holding the reins of my very own profession.
I additionally love my colleagues and I’ve made some actual buddies amongst them.
What challenges have you ever come up towards since making your shift, and the way precisely have you ever handled them?
Being a freelancer within the U.S. means paying quite a bit in taxes and on medical health insurance, however I am coping.
After some well being points final yr, I ended up signing on for a dearer medical health insurance plan for this yr. Now we’re nearly midway by the yr, and naturally I have not been sick and have due to this fact solely used it as soon as, for a little bit of routine care.
If I preserve this identical plan subsequent yr, the premium is ready to go up in worth, and will value me nearly $900 a month, not superb. If and after I left freelancing for an additional worker position, it might be an important reduction to decrease my prices there.
How is the monetary aspect of issues panning out, and is that this what you’d anticipated?
Aside from the growing prices of insurance coverage, the monetary aspect has been going nicely up to now.
I really simply grew to become a house owner, and this was one thing I began enthusiastic about not lengthy after altering careers, however it took changing into a freelancer to make it a actuality.
I paid off lots of debt after I began freelancing, then began saving to purchase a home. I began trying to find a spot to purchase earlier this yr and as I write this, it has been every week since I moved into my new house.
It is just a little scary to consider this large dedication I made, however I really feel higher understanding I’ve financial savings within the financial institution and I am constructing the sort of skilled abilities that ought to make me marketable into the long run.
I did not actually anticipate this consequence, however I did need it. If I would identified my life might appear like this a number of quick years after switching careers, I’d have gotten critical about making the shift a lot sooner.
What have you ever discovered, since making your shift?
By no means having had the chance to work full-time remotely earlier than after I was in museums, I discovered that it is a option to work that actually agrees with me and my life.
I really like having the ability to match work round my life, quite than vice versa.
And having the ability to work extra and earn extra was by no means a chance for me in full-time salaried roles earlier than, both.
I undoubtedly tipped over into being a slight workaholic final yr, however fortunately, I’ve additionally discovered how one can average my work and decelerate and luxuriate in life earlier than (which has additionally been good for my bodily and psychological well being).
Is there the rest you’d prefer to share?
Life’s too quick to be depressing in your job.
It is laborious, however you can also make a change, and you will be higher off for it.
To seek out out extra about Ashley’s companies, go to www.clippings.me/customers/mareaditingservices
What classes might you are taking from Ashley’s story to make use of in your individual profession change? Tell us within the feedback beneath.
