These Women Share What Inspired Them To Switch Career Paths

Change is often touted as a constant part of the human experience. Be it change in political leaders, change in school environments or plain old change in housing structures, change is constant and inevitable.

Change is also seen in careers and this applies to both men and women. For women however, due to how women are often taught to be afraid of new beginnings that may not signify stability, some women tend to be afraid of changing and switching career paths.

It is however important to document the women who have switched career paths as a way of encouraging women at any age to know that changing careers is possible.

Urban Woman Magazine recently spoke to some women and asked them what led to them switching a career path.

Read their responses below.

Marie

I have worked in sales, as a therapist, an academic writer and now a social media manager.

It wasn’t a surprise because in our country it’s normal to branch into careers that have nothing to do with what you studied for. 

And it’s usually encouraged because of the high levels of unemployment. I know an engineer in auditing, a psychologist in media, and most accountants for some reason switch to counselling once they hit 30s so yeah.

Raheemat

I went from studying microbiology to learning tailoring during lockdown. During NYSC I learnt hairdressing. I discovered writing as a job in 2024. I don’t think I ever want to stop writing, it’s my passion. 

I’m now in banking and deep down I know I might not be here for long. 

Honestly the inspiration is money😹 and still finding myself. 

I think that women should explore as much career options as they desire. My best friend said life is in seasons. The season of that career that you are scared of leaving might just be over, so be open to explore new career options.

Ilebaye

I started as a poet, during the lockdown I learnt screenwriting. In 2022, I started learning photography,  delved into being a reels creator and I’ve started learning animation.🤭🤭 My eyes on the bag 💰 

I think it’s actually great to explore a lot of career options. Guess what! I’m still practicing all of them and trying my best to earn from anyone I see a gig from.

Eniola

I’m at the stage where I can’t even remember what my childhood ambition was 😹

All I knew was that I’d end up using my voice one way or the other…either as a Radio or TV Presenter. Early 2023, I started out as a Public Speaker and Communications Intern. 

2024, I went into fashion designing, while at that, on the side, I was an Editor, News writer, Graphics Designer, CV Writer, and Voiceover Artist.

2024 also brought me TEC which helped ground me a bit into what I could focus on to start my personal brand. I focused on being an Editor but later transitioned into Virtual Assistance while being a Fashion Content Writer and Literary Agent Intern.

To be honest two things drive me, passion/interest and money.

It’s 2025, and I’m a Content & Book Editor, Voiceover Artist, CV Writer, Virtual Creative Assistant and LinkedIn Personal Branding Strategist.

In four to five months, will I have taken more and different roles? Definitely.

With the kind of person I am, I believe you should be able have a change in career with not so much of an hassle.

But as one who’s currently a living proof of that backlash, I can tell you it’s not easy to wear these shoes. 

I’d say the goal is to build yourself to the level where they’ll ask you “What can’t you do?” instead of the regular “What can you do?”.

For anyone looking to transition, be really good at the current role you’re in.

If you’re into engineering and you want to transition into let’s say content strategy….know your onions in the engineering industry…trends and all because it’ll give you an advantage. How? 

You can start you content strategy journey with companies in this industry you’re familiar with, then slowly step into other industries….with that you’re building your network and brand along the way.

Tehila

Honestly, the motivation for now is money and the fact that I have a lot of passions 😭 I don’t know if that makes any sense but I like plenty things and I want to explore them all, God-willing.

I used to tell myself to relax on one career path because dabbling into many things will confuse me and not be beneficial in the long run but I still find myself drawn to these things, so I dabble. And today, I’m glad I do, because even if it’s not too much, I earn from most of them at least once in a while. 

I learned tailoring during my junior waec break (this one was because my mum pushed me to. She always loved fashion and had been begging me, so I decided to try). I ended up hating my experience in the shop where I learned and overall realized it wasn’t my passion, so I stopped in like ss1. Today, my sister is a fashion designer (my mum pushed her too lol, but she realized she loved it!) and I’m able to help her in tiny tiny ways when there’s a rush.

In SS3, I decided to perfect my hair dressing and learned for about a year and hairstyling & wig making kept me fed in Uni lol and still does when I take home service braid requests.

I started my business and began making and selling hair products and doing hair consultations as well and even though I hit a pause I still provide hair consultation services till today (which gives me a lirru cash here and there).

NYSC came and I worked as an Ophthalmic assistant for a year and as a medical assistant at another clinic for a few more months after NYSC. I loved it and tried to further that but the pay wasn’t doing it. I re-ignited my passion for writing and started earning better from it in 2023 and decided to focus on that instead.

Honorable mentions – In 2019 I had a proofreading side gig, In 2023 I had a part-time job as a voice-over artist, I worked in sales too.

I also love acting but auditioning and all has always stressed me out. But in 2024/now I registered with a casting agency and have had up to 4 gigs that paid me quite well.

I’m also working a part-time job as a P. A (I might soon quit, this one dey stress me die) and handling my sister’s fashion brand online as the SMM (don’t know if this counts too) Patronize us ijn guys 🥹🤲🏾

Started content creation this year as well. It has been the ghetto but I told myself I want to try it out for a year and see. 

Also want to look into screenwriting this year by God’s grace.

Basically, money must be made, mouths must be fed, chakike must survive and we hopefully get to do what we love too. 🤲🏾

IE

I landed a graduate internship at a small advertising agency immediately after graduation and just before service, as a Copywriting Intern. Been working in the branding industry since then as a copywriter/content writer and lately, content creator. 

Gradually started losing interest due to the pressure… you get blamed for everything, low sales, etc… The deadlines are crazy too, you have to depend on AI a lot to churn out deliverables faster. I don’t enjoy it anymore.

Falling in love with creating from my imagination. This is why I’m now learning artistic writing and looking to delve into journalism.

I plan to transition full time and maintain branding as a side hustle.

Advice I’ll give to someone looking to transition, follow your heart (and of course the money too 😂) cause it’s true what they say… if you love what you do, you wouldn’t work a day in your life. Life is short, you shouldn’t remain at a job you don’t love or be afraid to chase your other passions.

YT

I studied Chemistry in university and I failed woefully. I struggled for many years because I didn’t know what to do. It also didn’t help that my dad was trying to control my life. Had me going to Journalism school to take courses that lasted 3 months each. After 3 courses I quit because I was so done. 

Then writing floated me for a while till it didn’t. I’ve also dabbled in photography, I did sales marketing for a bit and quit because men were more interested in what I wasn’t selling. I tried learning product design with ALT school and gave up after 2 semesters. I also tried Virtual Assistance. 😂 

In all these drama, my love for fashion has stayed consistent so this year I decided to just face it full time. 

I guess Mine isn’t necessarily a career path. It’s more of a “what can I do to survive adulthood?” 😂 I also dabbled in editing and ran a blog for 5 years ish.

Gabbie

I studied Microbiology in the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Before graduation, we were told: ”No jobs for us out there”. I didn’t like the course but I had people who aimed for Nigeria Breweries, oil companies or the FMCGs.

Immediately I got out of school, I worked as a brand ambassador for various brands. The pay was beautiful, shuffling BAT brands, 5Alive, Johnny Walker, Ciroc and all. Even for Apple products. 

I decided to go into proper 9-5 and I started off as a personal assistant, moved to head of operations and customer service, then program coordinator and now an executive assistant/project manager.

You see, ”Na anywhere belle face” and if I see truck pusher and I am experienced or can learn from the job as long as the pay is good and the workspace isn’t toxic, I will jump in.

Nigeria doesn’t give you room to flex in the course you studied for and the level of unemployed people in our country will push you to any career not related to your field of study. 

I created a strength for myself in managing executives and used it. 

My advice: Take that leap right now, wherever you find yourself, do better and be better.