--- title: How to move on from your dream job and figure out what's next description: How do you move on from your dream job? When do you know it's time to change your career? Here's one content marketer's transition to the next big thing. image: https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/Stock%20images/Business%20woman%20looking%20at%20keyhole%20with%20bright%20cityscape%20concept%20background.jpeg --- [![Flock](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/FlockBlog_Logo/Flockblog-v2-inverted.svg) ](https://blog.flock.com/) [![Flock](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/FlockBlog_Logo/Flockblog-v2.svg) ](https://blog.flock.com/) × × ##### Try Flock today! [![Book a Demo](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4323997/498b9a75-5c2a-4bd1-b22d-1a22c7a2265a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4323997/498b9a75-5c2a-4bd1-b22d-1a22c7a2265a) - - - - [Communication](https://blog.flock.com/tag/communication) - [Leadership](https://blog.flock.com/tag/leadership) - [Productivity](https://blog.flock.com/tag/productivity) - [Business Email](https://blog.flock.com/tag/business-email) - [Collaboration](https://blog.flock.com/tag/collaboration) - [Remote Teams](https://blog.flock.com/tag/remote-teams) - [Team Management](https://blog.flock.com/tag/team-management)   [The Flock Way](https://blog.flock.com/topic/the-flock-way) [![Sarah Ribeiro](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/sarah.jpeg) ](https://blog.flock.com/author/sarah-ribeiro) [ Sarah Ribeiro ](https://blog.flock.com/author/sarah-ribeiro) On Dec 01, 2019 [ Sarah Ribeiro ](https://blog.flock.com/author/sarah-ribeiro) TOP STORIES 1. [Is Neo Mail the Best Free Business Email Provider? Brutally Honest Review](https://blog.flock.com/is-neo-the-best-free-business-email-provider) 2. [How India works: 2020 insights from Flock users](https://blog.flock.com/india-2020-insights-flock) 3. [How we manage a globally distributed team—tips from Flock managers](https://blog.flock.com/managing-globally-distributed-team) 5 min read # How to move on from your dream job and figure out what's next ![Business woman looking at keyhole with bright cityscape concept background](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/Stock%20images/Business%20woman%20looking%20at%20keyhole%20with%20bright%20cityscape%20concept%20background.jpeg) ## How I accidentally stumbled into SaaS marketing ## ![Business woman looking at keyhole with bright cityscape concept background](https://blog.flock.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stock%20images/Business%20woman%20looking%20at%20keyhole%20with%20bright%20cityscape%20concept%20background.jpeg?width=1000&name=Business%20woman%20looking%20at%20keyhole%20with%20bright%20cityscape%20concept%20background.jpeg) I never set out to be a marketer—yet here I am, six years into my [marketing career](https://jooble.org/jobs-marketing/Abroad). I always wanted to be a journalist, so I studied communication in college with an emphasis on media and cultural studies. I never once took a marketing course. Instead, I opted to focus more on journalism and academia. It was the '10s and social media was just at the precipice—Instagram didn’t even exist! I had never considered a career in digital media until the world of social media exploded.  Saying I love social media is an understatement. I was an avid [LiveJournal user](https://mashable.com/2018/05/13/was-livejournal-ever-good/), a [MySpace kid](https://riotfest.org/2018/05/rip-myspace-scene-kids/), and an [early adopter of Twitter](https://www.fastcompany.com/3053837/how-twitter-has-changed-a-retrospective-with-early-adopters). The ability to connect to anyone at any time has always enthralled me. Making it my career was the ultimate dream job. So I put journalism on the back burner and dove right into the opportunity to intern at a museum and craft their social media strategy from scratch—and I was hooked. ### [![Free eBook Download the Flock Guide to Improving Employee Engagement](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/4323997/d5edff28-8418-47db-8c9f-6a192c679c35.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/4323997/d5edff28-8418-47db-8c9f-6a192c679c35) Understanding [how a business can increase its digital presence ](https://blog.flock.com/online-presence-for-your-business)to both attract and connect with a brand new audience was thrilling to me, and social media gave me the opportunity to take part in digital marketing while flexing my creative skills. I was soon crafting social strategies for my extracurricular clubs, my radio show, and [even myself](https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/342013). That earned me a couple more internships, and soon I was freelancing social media services on a self-taught basis. ## Finding the Dream Job A series of very fortunate circumstances led me to a brand new agency specializing in social media for small businesses. I joined a team of five and quickly found myself diving headfirst into *real* social media marketing and learning beyond the skills I taught myself.  Working for a company composed entirely of all women in their 20s who loved all things social media meant I was able to stay on the pulse of social marketing trends and learn everything as it was being built. Thanks to company-sponsored learning initiatives, I begrudgingly delved into the world of social media on Instagram, honed my skills in [graphic design](https://graphically.io/blog/alternative-to-design-pickle-penji-delesign/) with Photoshop, and even ventured into video editing and production using the easy-to-use [video editor](https://invideo.io/make/online-video-editor/).  ### Work doesn't have to be grueling. Read our [tips for staying focused in the workplace & home office](https://blog.flock.com/simple-ways-to-stay-focused-at-work). I learned a lot from my clients, too. At one, a well-established tech company, the team I worked with held an incredible wealth of knowledge in PR and marketing. There, I got a baseline training in SEO, media amplification, and project management. My role ultimately focused on social media, and this exposure to more marketing tactics further sparked my hunger to know *everything*. This was my dream job, and as much as I loved it, I knew I needed to find something that satisfied that inquisitive nature and taught me more than I could conceive. So when an internet pal of mine shared that her former manager, [Ryan](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanpaulkelly), was looking for an “all-star content marketer,” I saw an opportunity to learn those skills I was itching for. Ryan mentioned that he was building a world-class team of marketers that *knew a thing or three*, and I was excited by the prospect to learn from folks with a breadth of experience I couldn’t even imagine. ## Moving on and learning… everything ![Gif of Jack Black saying "knowledge is power. for real."](https://media.giphy.com/media/ToMjGpRhf96j23aTc5i/giphy.gif) After multiple conversations with most of the Flock team (where I was admittedly terrified I wasn’t selling myself well), *they* convinced *me* this was the best opportunity to learn and grow in a dedicated marketing function. It didn’t hurt that everyone I met was incredibly kind, smart, and just as nerdy as I am ([Sam](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mallikarjunan/) referenced [Ki-Adi-Mundi](https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Ki-Adi-Mundi) in our first meeting!). They ensured I’d be able to expand my knowledge base beyond what I already knew, while still dabbling occasionally in social. And I have! I already had a light background in SEO, but having teammates hailing from the Hubspot world made me eager to learn from the [best in SEO](https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-seo). I’ve never worked in a B2B function and re-positioning the knowledge I have towards a new market excited me. I was also looking to move away from broader storytelling and brand-building and begin to focus on more structured market goals. My first three months at Flock have been a whirlwind. There are countless lifelong learnings I have already consumed, including hundreds of acronyms—ask me about CAC, MQLs, CAO, and OKRs—and marketing tools I didn’t even know existed. I have already witnessed firsthand the power of a dedicated SEO strategy, watching our SERP rankings grow as I put in the work that drives that initiative. I’m slowly but surely understanding both the US and international business sector, and the work our go-to-market team does has taught me how to establish a competitive advantage and a stronghold in a market. I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned from social media and apply it here, too. And I know I have full support from my team. Moving on from my dream job was an emotional experience, but gave me the opportunity to enter a new world where I could transfer my already established skills into an industry that’s brand new to me. For a long time I was worried that leaving my dream job would mean closing myself off from everything I’ve done. In reality, I opened myself up to a profusion of new skills and strategies, and have gotten to know some incredibly intelligent people that continue to guide me forward on a new path. I didn’t realize how much I had still to learn—and how much I was already capable of. There’s so much learning still to do! Our marketing team mantra is “learn faster than everyone else.” I’m excited to be on a team that’s already committing to that. [The Flock Way](https://blog.flock.com/tag/the-flock-way) [![As 2020 ends, Flock is taking a wellness break!](https://blog.flock.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Holiday%20Break.png?width=710&name=Holiday%20Break.png)](https://blog.flock.com/flock-wellness-break) [Announcements](https://blog.flock.com/topic/announcements), [The Flock Way](https://blog.flock.com/topic/the-flock-way) [As 2020 ends, Flock is taking a wellness break!](https://blog.flock.com/flock-wellness-break) [![Kesava Mandiga](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/Kesava_Photo.jpg) ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) [ Kesava Mandiga ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) [ Kesava Mandiga ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) [![Kesava Mandiga](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/Kesava_Photo.jpg) ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) TOP STORIES 1. [7 tools to supercharge sales collaboration](https://blog.flock.com/7-tools-to-supercharge-sales-collaboration) 2. 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[5 useful tips to encourage sales collaboration in your business](https://blog.flock.com/5-useful-tips-to-encourage-sales-collaboration-in-your-business) 2 min read [![How joining a young startup gave the old me my mojo back!](https://blog.flock.com/hs-fs/hubfs/01_Flock_Blog-08.jpg?width=710&name=01_Flock_Blog-08.jpg)](https://blog.flock.com/how-a-young-startup-gave-the-old-me-my-mojo-back) [The Flock Way](https://blog.flock.com/topic/the-flock-way) [How joining a young startup gave the old me my mojo back!](https://blog.flock.com/how-a-young-startup-gave-the-old-me-my-mojo-back) [![Eddie](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/62e585948d2cd928ae29ad8484f693df) ](https://blog.flock.com/author/eddie) [ Eddie ](https://blog.flock.com/author/eddie) [ Eddie ](https://blog.flock.com/author/eddie) [![Eddie](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/62e585948d2cd928ae29ad8484f693df) ](https://blog.flock.com/author/eddie) TOP STORIES 1. 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[Set your remote team up for success—create an effective remote work policy](https://blog.flock.com/create-a-remote-work-policy) 12 min read [![What a vacation can teach you about life, happiness, and your career](https://blog.flock.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Life%20lessons%20from%20a%20vacation.png?width=710&name=Life%20lessons%20from%20a%20vacation.png)](https://blog.flock.com/life-and-career-lessons-from-a-vacation) [The Flock Way](https://blog.flock.com/topic/the-flock-way) [What a vacation can teach you about life, happiness, and your career](https://blog.flock.com/life-and-career-lessons-from-a-vacation) [![Kesava Mandiga](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/Kesava_Photo.jpg) ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) [ Kesava Mandiga ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) [ Kesava Mandiga ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) [![Kesava Mandiga](https://blog.flock.com/hubfs/Kesava_Photo.jpg) ](https://blog.flock.com/author/kesava-mandiga) TOP STORIES 1. 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