Making a Career Switch? Here Are 6 Reasons Why I'm Taking the Plunge.

My first real job was in book publishing, and boy, did I think I was the coolest kid on the block. I mean, come on! Being surrounded by books and people who were truly passionate about making them.... For someone who loves storytelling, what more could you ask for? At least that's what I thought. But then I started wondering what else was out there, and I began reading about cool stuff like digital trends and interactive applications, and discovering terms like "user experience." Suddenly, it was like a whole new world had opened up.

But here's a reality check. I'm a mom with young kids, so making a career switch is not as easy as it once was. I needed to be certain that this was the right path for me and my family. The question now became where could I go that would incorporate all of my creative interests and skills as well as offer career growth? The answer turned out to be digital interactive media, and here's why: 

1. It's a growing industry.

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The book publishing industry is called a mature market. Why? Because there's barely any growth. In fact, one study by the Ontario Media Development Corporation predicts that the Canadian publishing industry will grow by 2% by the year 2021. If this were an interest rate for a bank account, it would be amazing! For the growth rate of an entire industry, it's not as impressive. On the other hand, according to a report by the Ontario provincial government, Ontario's interactive digital media companies predict a 61% growth rate in just one year. That's 2017 to 2018!

2. Companies are actively looking for skilled people.

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With growth comes demand. Not only are specialized interactive media companies looking for qualified people, so are most companies that have digital divisions. From being a UX designer at a mobile software company, a content strategist at a bank, or a digital project manager at an ad agency, the range of employment possibilities is huge, especially compared to the publishing industry.

3. My skills are transferable. (Yay!)

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I love editing and I love working with words, so being able to use my skills and experience to branch off in a completely new directions is a rare and exciting opportunity. Bill Gates is credited with the saying, "Content is king." For an editor, those words are pretty sweet.

4. The work is dynamic.

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The publishing industry is quite conservative when it comes to embracing change. But change is exciting! The ever-evolving nature of digital technology means interactive media professionals need to be nimble and adaptable to any new developments that arise. There's just no time to be bored.

5. The learning never ends.

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I love being challenged to learn something new. In publishing, it's easy to get away with following the same processes and using the same software for years. But as an interactive media professional, you need to stay on top of trends and changes in areas such as technology, user experience, design, and strategy. Fun!

6. And last but not least, being paid in dollars sounds kind of nice.

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The inside joke in publishing is that you're actually getting paid in books. That was awesome when I was first starting out. Now that my bookshelves have run out of space, I've decided that being paid enough to go out and buy my own books (not to mention a new bookshelf) is not such a bad thing after all. And although my children see no problems with my "book salary," it would still be nice to have options. Imagine that!