{"id":18203,"date":"2025-03-19T13:03:58","date_gmt":"2025-03-19T10:03:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/?p=18203"},"modified":"2025-03-19T13:03:59","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T10:03:59","slug":"coffeewithrw-career-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/railsware.com\/blog\/coffeewithrw-career-switch\/","title":{"rendered":"#CoffeeWithRW: Career switch"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At Railsware, we love sharing updates with our community\u2014but we also love a good chat with each other. That\u2019s why we have a tradition of virtual coffee chats\u2014a chance to meet people from different fields, hear their stories, and talk about more than just work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lately, we\u2019ve been inspired by our teammates\u2019 career change experiences. And, of course, it wouldn\u2019t be Railsware if we didn\u2019t share those stories with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, in our series #CoffeeWithRW: Career switch<\/em>, we invite you to grab a coffee and join us for real talk about career shifts, lessons learned, and unexpected turns along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Career switch: from Head of sales to recruitment. Wins, tips, biggest mistakes<\/h1>\n\n\n\n
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They say change is all about growth. But what if that change means completely shifting careers and going from a leadership role to starting over as an intern?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And it happened \u2013 I abandoned my position as a Head of Sales for a fresh start.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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It was fresh in many senses: new industry, new role, my first international experience, and also my first work online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now add this: I changed careers while on maternity leave. It wasn\u2019t easy, but it was absolutely worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re wondering what the reasons for my choice were, how I made the idea come to life, or what was my biggest mistake \u2013 grab a coffee or tea and keep reading. Here\u2019s the story behind it all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archeology, herring, and management major<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The switch story took place almost a decade ago. But let\u2019s start it even earlier. Believe it or not, my childhood dream job was one that involved as little interaction with people as possible. For instance, to become an archeologist. A lab, a library, or an archive\u2014those were my ideal workplaces. My younger self found comfort in quiet, solitary spaces and imagined a future built around that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, my mom, a talented journalist with a broad network in Ukrainian academia, had a different perspective on my career. Since I was twelve, she actively encouraged me to explore the best educational opportunities, introducing me to university presidents and professors. While she wasn\u2019t exactly thrilled about some of my early aspirations\u2014like becoming a fashion designer \u2014her guidance came from a place of care and practicality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, I ended up studying management at a trade and economics university. It wasn\u2019t my first choice, but I trusted her instincts and went along with them. The way I was raised and the encouragement to meet high expectations all shaped my early career. There were even jokes growing up that if I didn\u2019t put in the effort, I\u2019d end up selling herrings at a market. Ironically, part of my university program involved practical training at a factory that\u2014you won\u2019t believe it\u2014 produced canned herring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By my fourth or fifth year of university, I had started working in sales. Later, I moved into magazine publishing. Through it all, I stuck to one guiding principle: do your best wherever you are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Even if the current path wasn\u2019t exactly what I had imagined, I focused on showing up and doing the work to the best of my ability.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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From queens back to pawns<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I was moving up the ladder in sales, ultimately leading my own team as Head of Sales\u2014a role that felt like a big achievement. Then, something new landed on my plate: hiring new colleagues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I remember sitting at my desk one day, scrolling through job descriptions, and studying requirements, values, and expectations. To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. One of our main goals was to find high performers\u2014result-driven people. Back then, I didn\u2019t have much hiring experience, so I leaned on books, tests and my own experiments to figure things out. Sometimes, I\u2019d even ask candidates to draw something and analyze what they chose to sketch first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It was during one of those moments that it hit me: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I could actually get paid to do something I genuinely enjoyed.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n

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During my maternity leave, I found myself in the right moment to act on this realization. With time on my hands and no pressure to rush, I started exploring the possibility of transitioning into recruitment. I didn\u2019t have a solid backup plan\u2014if it didn\u2019t work out, I could always return to my sales career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how I approached it:<\/p>\n\n\n\n