Forget climbing the career ladder, professional success today is more likely to be on the “gap” – zigzag between different jobs and industries
Patricia Bright explains how an unconventional route can be the key to achieving your goals
In 2016, research on LinkedIn found that four job changes at the age of 32 were “normal.” In May 2018, an updated LinkedIn study found that for Generation Z – now the under 24s – these four jobs had already taken place. So how do you turn an unconventional start into a stable success? Here, Patricia Bright, a 31-year-old fashion and beauty vlogger with 2.6 million subscribers, reveals the best career advice she learned on the path from banker to influencer , and how to start with nothing fueled his drive to succeed.
1. Things can be taken away in an instant. be ready
“I grew up in Battersea, south London, with Nigerian parents. When I was six, my father was expelled. One night, police entered the house and took him away while my mother was arguing and my sister and I were sobbing. My father had exceeded his student visa, but had not applied for residency. It took six years to recover it. Mum alone could have been broken, but instead she grafted. She cleaned the offices at 6 a.m. and trained as a nurse, so that she could join the NHS Staff Bank – a pool of talent for temporary and part-time work. She opted for the unholy shifts from 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. which pay time and a half. Thanks to this, mom invested in her first home. It has proven that your past does not define your future. But it showed me that nothing was guaranteed, and now I don’t just have a professional plan B – I also have plans C, D and E. Ask yourself: if everything falls apart, what would -I? You don’t have to reinvent the wheel; consider ways to increase your income based on what you know. A friend makes wigs and, instead of just selling them, she has set up a class where people pay hundreds of books to learn how to make them. I also know a graphic designer who has diversified beyond website design. She now scouts clients via social platforms and offers to manage their Instagram feeds, with fonts and colors. Even if you work nine to five, you could get a job at the bar on a Saturday night. “
2. If you are going to fail, fail quickly
“My family wanted me to become a lawyer. In the families of African immigrants, you are either a doctor or a lawyer because these professions offer your children more academic opportunities. I had studied biology, chemistry, psychology and level A business studies – hardcore university – so I went to the University of Manchester to do a degree in fashion marketing as an opportunity to explore my dreams creative. I expected it to be cool to work in fashion, but I hated it. I didn’t like making clothes; the only module I liked was accounting. After a year, I gave up and opted for an accounting degree. I always say you should try something and see how it goes. If that fails, fine, but continue quickly. Don’t be afraid to fail, just be a quick failure. “
3. Question your perception of yourself
“After I graduated, a friend got a job at Merrill Lynch investment bank. I thought it sounded good and I discovered that an internship was available, but I needed 360 UCAS points to apply. Because I had already lowered an AS level and changed degrees, I had 280 – not even close – but my friend said that I should still apply. Research shows that men are more likely to apply for a job, whether they are qualified or not. Women, however, wait to be qualified, even overqualified. I felt I could do it, so I networked. I went to a Women in Technology event to connect with senior management and Merrill Lynch recruiters so that they would remember me. It worked. My application was accepted, but I failed part of the entrance exam. Somehow, they let me put it back and I got the internship. The paper version of me was not supposed to be there, but I hustled and pointed them out. “
4. It’s good to feel like an impostor
“In 2009, I started working at Merril Lynch as a business analyst, but I never felt confident. It took seven months for the rigid corporate culture to warm up. Then, two years later, I was laid off. I was scared. Personally, I was proud to work at Merrill Lynch, but I also came from a graduate program where I almost became a baby because of him. With that ripped off, I applied for jobs – still feeling under-qualified – and moved to Deloitte, a consultant for investment banks. Your job here is to pretend that you are the expert. I remember meeting the head of the Camden Council, a 50-year-old white man. There is me, this 23 year old man, who tells him that his economic model is wrong and that he should implement my strategy. I had no choice but to forget my self-awareness. “
5. You can survive the humiliation
“I started vlogging in secret at university. I was always in beauty, and there were forums, like Fotki (similar to Reddit), where women shared their hair trips or makeup collections. I started doing tutorials on YouTube, recording videos in the bathroom, whispering like I didn’t want my roommate to hear it because I thought it would be embarrassing. It was my private hobby until a Merrill Lynch intern took my camera and saw a video of me speaking and saying, “Look Patricia. Why would someone do this? It was around 2011 or 2012, and I felt like a joke. Co-workers warned me that it didn’t look good for the bank. I closed my YouTube page for months because I was so ashamed. Even after I started vlogging full time, I hid it from my family. When I finally said to them, my parents said it so well, “You have to make the career right for you.”
6. False starts make you stronger
“When I started at Deloitte, I had been under YouTubing coverage for three years, my subscribers were approaching 100,000 and I was receiving requests for vlog jobs. But the internet stuff still seemed random and it wasn’t enough to leave a solid career for. Instead, I was recruited by MUFG, the largest bank in Japan, as a senior business analyst. Back in the banking industry, I could see that YouTube was growing fast and I gained confidence to see where it could take me. When I resigned, citing “personal reasons” because there was no way to tell them the truth, YouTube became my full-time profession. Well, for three weeks – until I panicked, I got cold feet and joined a digital company called Base79 for three months, consulting with brands on how to use YouTube. Strangely enough, I needed this false start in an online media business to see the true potential of my channel. I thought to myself, you have to go full speed, put your foot down and do that. Mike Lewis, who wrote When To Jump, about people who change careers, calls it “the 10,000 non-sexy steps” you will do in pursuing the job of your dreams. It is easy to soak up planning a jump that you never actually do it – this is called paralysis of analysis. But when your lateral effort is hampered by your main work, it’s time to jump. To help you: invest in your decision. Even putting £ 10 towards something vital, a switch in your brain says, “If you don’t follow, the person who will burn is you.” “
7. Confidence comes and grows by putting the hours
“Lack of confidence affects everyone. But the number of hours you spend on something makes a big difference. If you want to become more confident, you have to apply yourself. I have over 1,700 videos and, considering the ones I deleted, I probably filmed 3,000. So why am I confident in front of the camera? Practice. In my first job, I was not confident. My second job forced me to become confident. Third job, I knew what I was doing because I was putting the hours. Today, I feel fully in control. Trust yourself. And, more than that, trust your trajectory, whatever it is. “
Patricia Bright’s Heart & Hustle (£ 18.99, HQ) is now available
Loading…