Your career takes up a pretty big chunk of your life. Do you enjoy what you do? Would you go so far as to say you are happy? If you know for sure that your job isn’t a good fit, where do you start? A career change can feel daunting. But it doesn’t have to. When you focus on what makes you happy and take intentional steps to reach your goals, you can change the trajectory of your career. In this episode, I’m chatting with Carolina Cobo, former recruiter turned software developer. She shares valuable insight into how to leverage your current experience towards a career change as well as the importance of considering your future self and what will keep you happy and fulfilled in the long term. Her story is one that I think a lot of people can relate to, and her recruiter perspective will give you a leg up on making your leap.

In this episode, you’ll learn...

• Why Carolina made a career change from technical recruiter to software developer [04:15]
• How the COVID pandemic was a force in pushing Carolina to make a leap [09:51]
• How her experience in Ireland opened her eyes to other work cultures and new possibilities [11:56]
• How taking risks can bring big rewards [13:15] 
• The importance of putting yourself out there regardless of the outcome [15:15]
• The steps Carolina took to leave recruitment and try a different path [16:35]
• How online courses can give you a taste of a new career path [17:53]
• The value of formal bootcamps when making a career switch [18:51]
• The importance of not giving up and recognizing little wins as critical to your overall journey [22:04]
• Why you should consider your future self (wants and needs 5 or 10 years from now) when thinking about your career [25:19]
• How Carolina realized that she wants more from a career than “just a job” [30:44]
• How to make yourself stand out in your CV when switching careers [33:32] [40:08]
• How using keywords and networking on LinkedIn benefits you on your journey [38:06]
• How connecting with companies and recruiters can help get your foot in the door [42:03]
• That sometimes taking a pay cut or starting at a junior level can be worth it in the long run [44:48]
• Why community and connection is so important in any career, but especially during a change [49:32]
• Inspiration to make your own move if you’re considering a change [51:01]

 

If you’re looking for intention and happiness in your career change, be sure to tune into this episode.

Get full show notes and the episode transcript: https://www.lisahoashi.com/leaplikeme/episode21

Links mentioned in this episode…

Connect with Carolina on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolina-cobo

Connect with Carolina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolina_cobo8/

Carolina’s website: https://www.carolinacobo.com/

Carolina’s “Getting a Job in Tech” blog series on Medium: https://ccobo.medium.com/

Apply for the Catalyst Coaching Program: https://www.lisahoashi.com/catalyst-coaching

Carolina’s Bio:

Carolina received her degree and masters in HR, then started working as an HR Generalist at a software company in Seville, Spain. She decided she wanted to live abroad and improve her English, so she quit her job and moved to Ireland in 2018, where she worked for nearly three years as a technical recruiter.

She wasn’t happy as a recruiter, but software and computers were always an interest of hers. At the beginning of the COVID pandemic, she decided to take the leap to give software development a try. After completing an online course on Udemy and a formal bootcamp at Code Institute in Dublin, she started her first job as a software developer in October 2021.