Graduate Stories | Finding the courage to pursue her growth career

If you had to choose what to prioritise, would it be to enjoy what you do or to be good at it? If you’ve been nestled in the comfort of a familiar yet unfulfilling job, would you choose to settle? For some of our Digital Marketing Immersive graduates, these questions are all but too familiar. In this article, you’ll get a glimpse of Pricilia’s story. Hopefully, you’ll find some inspiration in her resolution, which in turn spurs you on to find your own courage to pursue your growth career.

Six years into the job, Pricilia Liani met with the first roadblock in her career.

All has been well since the 27-year-old graduated from the University of Newcastle Australia in 2013, where she managed to secure a role in the finance department of a multinational corporation. Yet, underneath the daily punching in of numbers and interpreting of financial charts, the trained business analyst yearned for something different.

She had an unfulfilled desire to incorporate design in the work that she does.

My current job in the finance industry is not something I want as a profession, she said.

“I wanted a change.”

Motivation to pursue a career change

She was confronted with a hefty dilemma. At first glance, the odds seemed tipped against her favour. She not only risked the stability from a long-term job, therein also lies the looming fears and anxiety in entering a completely different industry. To top it off, her parents – taken aback by the drastic disruption in her career path – were least enthusiastic in supporting her decision to take up digital marketing.

It’s not easy to change careers, something that she recognised was a monumental decision to make. But come hell or high water, Pricilia knew that this journey was one she had to embark on.

“I want a change for something better and completely new, so I have to motivate myself that I have a purpose for this,” she said.

When she chanced upon the program on Instagram, something within her ignited. She linked up with Hatch’s career coach who helped her gain a more thorough understanding of her needs and aspirations from enrolling in the program.

Eventually, she managed to persuade her parents of her conviction to follow through in switching to a new career. Amongst other factors, her parents felt the most assured to know that employment opportunity is part of the program outcome.

Overcoming personal obstacles and choosing Hatch

The Hatch Immersive is an intensive training and job-matching program with an emphasis on securing employment outcomes. Upon graduation, students get tailored arrangements with job opportunities to materialise classroom teachings into real-world practices.

“I did research other programs as well. What made me first interested was because Hatch stated that they will help students seek job opportunities,” she added. The element of helping students facilitate recruitment greatly appealed to her immediate need for job security.

Pricilia graduated from Immersive after four months of hard work

Aside from program outcomes, the curriculum also spoke to her because of a unit specially dedicated to the teaching of design principles and techniques, which was a direct alignment to her interests.

Because leaving her current job was not a viable financial option at that time, Pricilia was heartened to have the option of part-time classes held over four months. Compared to other training providers, she said, it was one of the shortest durations in the market given the flexibility, rigour and outcome of the course.

Not a walk in the park, but one that is worth taking

The journey to upskill while committed to a full-time job is undoubtedly an arduous one, with the first step always the hardest one to initiate. Prior to joining, Pricilia was not without reservations about her ability to manage the demands of the program.

Working on the capstone project before graduating

“I was hesitant mainly because of time. My current full-time job already takes up a lot of time and energy,” she said.

What ultimately pushed her on to take the final leap was her unfaltering determination to chart out the future that she wants.

“It takes courage and there is sacrifice,” she said.

What followed this was sheer determination to trust her growth in the process. For four months, she juggled between work and study – where she worked from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and subsequently join Hatch’s training classes at night.

“You must motivate yourself if you really want a change.”

An environment that kept her going

Brainstorming sessions with the trainers

For her, that journey was made less daunting under the guidance of nurturing trainers at Hatch. She said that throughout the four months, the trainers “helped her step-by-step” in the projects that she and her classmates took on.

Since classes were both online and offline, Pricilia had more leeway to manage her full-time working schedule amidst the opportunity to learn through different mediums. As for the curriculum, it not only covered essential theoretical concepts in digital marketing, but how to put them into practice as well.

“The lessons are more straightforward in going beyond the theory and straight into how you can apply them into real-world situations in the industry”, she added.

Furthermore, Hatch Immersive also includes an aspect of mentorship. Pricilia and her classmates were each attached to different mentors in Hatch’s network of seasoned industry experts who provided insider insights on how they can break into the field.

Pricilia’s mentor helped her elevate her resume and portfolio, and even hone her interview skills. Even long after she has graduated from the program, she is still benefitting from the influence of that enduring relationship.

“Until today, I am still in contact with my mentor who helped and guided me through this journey of job transitioning.”

Classmates and culture

The skills and knowledge taught in the Immersive classroom culminate in a final capstone project, where they get to work on real-world problem statements issued by Hatch’s industry network.

Pricilia and her team got to work on a problem statement provided by WillCraft, an online will drafting service that aims to provide affordable and quality services at a fraction of its traditional cost.

Seminar-style learning in the Hatch classroom

She fondly recalls a pleasant moment nearing the end of the program when her team made the sprint to the finish line. Although they had all stayed late into the night to iron out the nooks and crannies of their project deliverables, they thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company in the process of exchanging their ideas.

“The process was very memorable for me and the other students as well,” she added.

Beyond skills training, Pricilia also found great comfort in having like-minded classmates who were in the same life phase to journey together.

Bonding outside the classroom

“All of us came from different backgrounds, so we got to share our current working experience and how we all want to have the same mission to change into a digital marketing career.”

Life after Hatch

As with most career switchers who have joined the Hatch Immersive, the opportunity cost to switch into an entry-level digital or design job can be too high for their present circumstances. That’s where various employment divisions in Hatch come together to help graduates ease into the job transition on all fronts.

One such arm is the Hatch Mediahouse, our very own in-house media agency that brings together students, industry professionals and educators to co-create a range of digital and design solutions for clients.

For graduates who may not have the immediate capacities to make the switch to a new career, they can go under the Hatch Mediahouse to work on media projects on a freelance basis. This helps them to get exposure to a range of media projects while building their portfolio even as they continue to hold onto their full-time jobs.

With the help of Hatch, Pricilia managed to clinch a freelance gig to do photography and social media management for JirehPotPot, a plant pot designer.

Some of the product shots Pricilia took

Aside from external projects, Pricilia was also determined to make the best out of her situation in her company. Armed with a sense of confidence in her newfound digital marketing capabilities, she approached her boss with a unique proposition: one day in her usual workweek where she could rotate into the social media department as an intern. This arrangement went on for two months, where Pricilia helped her company to manage their LinkedIn, Twitter and website.

“I learnt a lot during these two months even though it was just once a week.”

Pricilia has since left her full-time job and joined another firm as a digital marketing executive.

When asked for advice to give anyone who is still finding the courage to pursue their growth careers, she has this to say:

“Don’t be afraid and keep motivating yourself to make these changes. There will be obstacles of course, but have the courage to keep pressing on.”

Did Pricilia’s journey speak to you? We really want to hear it.

Here at Hatch, we believe that the mark of a good hire should be reflected in an individual’s character and skills competency instead of their qualifications. We strive to empower young adults from all walks of life, and we do so through train-and-place programs in Digital Marketing and User Interface, User Experience (UIUX). Through constant social innovation, we keep our services accessible to those who do not have the means to pay for them.

Interested to learn more about what we do at Hatch?

• The Hatch Advantage | The Influence for Success
• Reflections | Why I do what I do