I fell into HR without a degree in it. Before this, I had graduated with a bachelor’s in communications, concentration in public relations, and minored in creative writing, first, then changed it to psychology. This was my rationale: I can apply communications to any future job, and will need psychology to understand people better. Then, I’ll write on the side for fun and as a side hustle. Through my naivete, I thought things would be clear-cut and simple.

After college, I was accepted into an internship program aimed at diversifying the media and entertainment industry. I probably would have stayed in television if the team I loved working with hadn’t been dismantled by a wave of layoffs and departures.

That loss taught me something I didn’t know to look for in a workplace: camaraderie and purpose. We didn’t have to cure cancer, but it mattered to me that whatever company I worked for next cared about people and making a difference.

Eventually, I shifted from digital marketing to HR and education. That move is where I first learned how transferable our skills can be and how every role we take on builds on the one before it. But with that transition came doubt. I low-key started comparing myself to others who seemed like naturals, people with evident talent, clear lanes, and aspirations. I didn’t feel “official,” and later down the line was told that I couldn’t do better than my position at the company.

Pausing here for a second.

In the 6th grade, one of my teachers told me I “had potential,” but in that disappointing, half-sigh kind of way, like I was close but probably wouldn’t do any better than I was currently doing. I (clearly) never forgot this, and it echoed in my mind for years, an excuse not to fully apply myself. But my mindset has been shifting over the last few years, and I’m so much better for it.

Fast forward to the moment I decided to take the SHRM-CP exam. I was working at a nonprofit where the mission was meaningful (I ended up doing better than my last company after all), but towards the end, growth wasn’t happening, and pay was stagnant. Layoffs were quietly unfolding. I started thinking about future-me: the version of me who might need more leverage and options, and I didn’t want to leave hanging. I knew she would appreciate having this certification under her belt.

When the layoffs finally reached me, I studied. Once a routine was formed at home, I dedicated one to three hours almost daily. It had been a long time since I’d studied from a physical textbook (big up the Libby app and audiobooks!), and yes, I definitely dozed off a few times.

But pushed through because it felt personal.

Studying for SHRM-CP gave me more language for the work I had already done and witnessed others do. It gave me a sense of direction, but not in a rigid-career-track type of way. It was more like a quiet affirmation that I’ve always been doing the work, and I belong here. It was a reminder that I have the discipline to pursue goals and accomplish them. Even if that means veering off into something new, something creative or strategic, or unexpected. Whatever it is will be just as valuable as staying the course.

Careers aren’t always linear. What’s your career story so far: the pivots, the pauses, the proud moments? I’d genuinely love to hear it.

I’m at a point in my career where everything is getting reconsidered, hence the reflective tone of this post. Many of us have been forced to do what we were conditioned to think was right, or what we were told was right. It’s time to get creative and think outside of the box for real. Our actual survival may depend on it.

Thank you for your eyes on this post today. Please continue eating your carrots so that you can come back in the weeks, months, and years to come :) Take care!