Career Advice From a 22-Year Old

Would you let a 22-year old decide your career path? 

I came back to this question over and over as I was thinking about leaving my C-level career a couple years ago. 

I graduated in 2008 and decided to go into marketing consulting because the starting pay was good and it felt more stable than working in finance as the markets were melting down. 

I was good at my job so the promotions came fast. Rising up the “corporate ladder” felt more like riding an escalator than some kind of arduous climb. I reached a C-level position at an early age. The problem was, I never really stopped to wonder whether all this was what I actually wanted for myself.

A decision I made at 22 with no insight into who I would become and what kind of work I actually enjoy dictated how I spent the next 16 years of my life.

What you know now

This is how many careers develop. You pick a job when you graduate. You work your way up. Before you know it, your adult identity has formed around being the person who does XYZ and you’re further locked in by the income that comes with more senior positions.

It was a few years after reaching the C-suite that I really started questioning whether what I had been doing was what I wanted to keep doing. 

If I knew back when I was choosing a first job what the rest of this career path would look like, would I still have signed that contract? 

The more I thought about it, the more I landed on the answer to that question being no.

It took me many more years to build up the courage to finally jump off the corporate ladder. When you’ve spent that long making your way to the top of a chosen field, the view back down looks scary. 

Change is easier when you can talk to people who can relate

I work with a lot of people who are navigating this kind of decision. The Corporate VP who wants to become an entrepreneur. The physician who wants to leave medicine to spend time with their kids.

The financial side of this kind of decision is the easier piece of the puzzle. 

I have standard frameworks to optimize that initial financial runway, create passive income to bridge the transition, etc.

But I always thought financial advisors who focus purely on the numbers are only solving half the puzzle for people. By far the tougher piece to work out is the emotional aspect of making such a significant identity change. 

One of the most important aspects of making these pivotal life changes is being able to talk to others like you who have also made the shift. But it can be hard to find other people like this in your immediate network. There are only so many people who are outwardly successful who decide to blow it all up and pursue a more intentional second act.

A lot of people have come to me because I did this myself and openly talk about what it was like. I can relate to many of the tradeoffs they’re trying to work through.

Over the past year, many of those people have also become clients. And they are more than happy to also talk to people weighing these decisions and share their own experiences. It’s become a curated network of career changers, second actors, and early retirees. 

Reach out if you’re working through these kinds of questions. Beyond the financial aspect, I can help connect you with others who have navigated the emotional and identity questions that come with these big life changes.

If you liked this piece, you should also check out:

• Leaving a C-Level Corporate Career
• What Worked: 9 Things That Made Me Financially Independent Before 40

Nathan
Founder & Lead Advisor
[email protected]

Kangpan & Co. is a flat-fee financial advisory firm specializing in helping mid-career professionals navigate the career, family, and financial tradeoffs that come with this stage of life. This content is for educational purposes only and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Consult a licensed advisor for help with your individual situation. Employees and clients of Kangpan & Co. may hold positions discussed in our content. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.