A few months ago, I was laid off as a software engineer at a fintech company. Ten percent of the company got let go, and my team was heavily affected. After I got over the shock of what happened, I had to maneuver the reality of the loss of routine. Suddenly I had all day to do whatever I pleased and at first, that was overwhelming. But quickly my days filled up with running, meeting friends, hanging out with my family, and finally choosing a brokerage to hang my real estate license with.
The timing of everything worked out perfectly. I planned to select a brokerage in the new year, after securing my real estate license last October. New year, new start for my side hustle. It just so happened that I had scheduled broker meetings the day I got laid off and the day after, so that week ended up quite busy. I also planned to take community college classes again (as I had done in previous semesters) and now could take even more classes since I no longer had work during the day. Things quickly came together into a loose plan – I would start my venture as a real estate agent and take classes on the side.
With my interest in real estate, I found myself in the niche of Construction Management classes. As the semester went on, I felt this was the right next career move for me. It tied together my interests in the building industry, real estate development, and project management. I became a full-time student (6 classes!) and started prospecting for my next role in this industry. With that decision came the bittersweet realization that my software engineering career may be behind me. I did what I needed to get me to this next chapter of exploration.
With a generous severance, I feel financially stable enough to take a leap of faith and completely switch careers. With no set work schedule, no need to earn money, and only a focus to do whatever pleases me, it truly feels like I’m in control of my life. Every day is dynamic and I’m busier now than ever before. I’m thrilled to start each day, whether it’s spending time at home knitting, journaling, getting my runs in, hanging out at the office and meeting other agents, touring homes, hosting open houses, or spending time in class learning about a completely new industry – I love it all.
Life has never felt so free and mine to live.
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