There are times when you realize the career you’re pursuing is not aligned with your passions and the idea of searching for the “right career” is bewildering. But as the saying goes, “nothing is too late”. One of the many who switched careers during the pandemic, Aidan Fournier, realized that she “really flourished” behind a computer and that a career in #IT may be her true calling.

Aspiration and realization

Prior to the pandemic, Aidan was working as a Science and English teacher at an international school in Japan. Her school’s switch to remote and online teaching methods was her aspirational awakening.

“From the beginning I knew this career wasn’t my passion. However, it was my best choice at the time and I’m very grateful for the opportunities this career gave me.”

She revealed that “once my school decided to go back to in-person teaching, technologies and resources we had brought in were dropped and even actively discouraged, despite their continued advantages. The pandemic was a chance to adapt some things that hadn’t been questioned before, but it seemed like many schools were unwilling to evolve".

"It was this that really made me begin to consider changing careers.”

After some self-reflection, Aidan realized that she wanted to pursue a career in #WebDevelopment. Majored in Biology and Anthropology at university, she had previously considered studying Computer Science. But as many of her peers had been interested in IT since childhood, she felt it was “too late” to join in. While her career path took a different turn, her interest in #technology remained.

A new world of web development

Exploring  free and accessible resources available online and dabbling with some #HTML and #CSS, Aidan took a leap by signing up for an intensive web development course at a local coding bootcamp. She knew it was the “right decision” and encountered a “wonderful, supportive community” of fellow students and more experienced developers.

Aidan graduated from her coding course earlier this year and is now actively searching for new opportunities – however, her lack of experience has presented some challenges.

“I haven’t seen many advertisements for junior-level positions, and even the ones that I’ve applied to have turned me away for not having any experience.”

Strive to thrive

As many companies do prefer to hire experienced candidates and entry-level positions can often be reserved for university graduates recruited via on-campus campaigns, Aidan remains optimistic:

“I keep reminding myself that there are many people who have been in my exact position – as a teacher trying to switch into web development – and what I’m doing is not impossible. I just need to keep learning new skills, building new projects, and applying to jobs!”

Striving for the impossible doesn’t mean it will come easy. Still, no age can limit how late you want to embark on your aspirations, and through passion, determination, optimism, and hard work, you can make your dreams become a reality.