A Banker’s Transition to the Intimate World of Women's fashion
Can you imagine juggling fourteen-hours a day in the office, planning a wedding in a foreign country, having a relationship, and maintaining a decent social life? Yeah, well, neither can we. But that used to be Cinthia Martinez’ life during her investment banking days. Growing up in Honduras, Cinthia always dreamed of becoming a Wall Street executive with designer pantsuits and a fabulous life. But after finally getting the job, achieving the rank and wearing the pantsuit, Cinthia discovered that the life she dreamed of wasn’t as fabulous as she expected. Actually, life wasn’t fabulous at all. She was always on the run, feeling irritable, stressed, and with no time for herself. At one point her career started taking a toll in her relationship and was even affecting her health. During one of her “regular” workdays, Cinthia started hyperventilating and ended up collapsing at her desk. This disturbing incident, of course, marked a turning point in her life: either she changed careers or hired an on-staff hair stylist to color her fast-growing gray hairs.
Cinthia thought of searching a new career path even before her incident, but not knowing what else she wanted to do, quitting her job didn’t really sound like the wisest of choices. She did know, however, that she wanted to have what her mother had back home: a career that would allow her to have a healthy balance between work and family. Based on this insightful finding, Cinthia dedicated herself to find a strong female role model with a well-rounded life balance and who she could look up to. It proved challenging, but she kept searching.
It took Cinthia one month after her panic attack to start actively searching for new career opportunities. She started by sending her resume out to recruiters and applying to every job post that seemed interesting to her. As the interviews began, the search became more challenging since she was competing with candidates that had experience in the fields she was pursuing. However, Cinthia decided to get the most out of the interview process. “On every interview I had, I became the interviewer”. Today, she advises people to ask as many questions as possible during their interviews, so they can ensure they are transitioning into a field they would enjoy. She also took the opportunity to polish her creativity as she always looked for ways to turn her past work experience into relevant skills for any field.
Cinthia ended up finding her passion by accident, while listening to a guest speaker at a recruiting event she attended. The speaker was a Harvard graduate and former Wall Street professional who had found greener pastures working as an executive for Victoria’s Secret. As she heard the woman’s story, Cinthia realized that she could relate to everything she was saying. She also found herself very interested by the nature of the work that was being described. “This is it!” Cinthia thought, “this lady is the role model I’ve been looking for.” Motivated by her newly discovered interest in the world of undergarments, Cinthia decided to reach out to her new role model. Impressed by Cinthia’s courage, the speaker connected her with the right person within Victoria’s Secret to further explore the potential fit. Soon after, Cinthia got an interview and ended landing a job in their merchandising department. Simultaneously, Cinthia received an offer from another bulge bracket firm in Wall Street. The offer implied a promotion and was more aligned with Cinthia’s experience and definitively within her comfort zone, which made the decision really tough. After carefully weighing her options with her husband – who had been very supportive during this transition process – Cinthia decided to go out on a limb and walk down the runway towards successful career in fashion. “All along, I aimed for the perfect fit, because I knew that once I left I would never be back” said Cinthia, who has been extremely happy with her decision.
Now the days when Cinthia got home from work at 11pm to find that her boss had already emailed her blackberry are over. Of course, her new career is not magically perfect; like everything else in life, fragrances and beauty can also give you headaches from time to time. However, Cinthia is now able to leave the bad days at work, where they belong. She’s also working with a team of talented people that teach her something new everyday. And as for her investment banking skills, well, they have allowed her to always bring an innovative approach to every challenge she’s tackled. Happy with her work/life balance, Cinthia discovered that “when you have a job you enjoy, you never have to work a day in your life”.
Looking back at her career, Cinthia is very pleased with the way things turned out for her. She is also passionate about sharing her story and giving tips to others. When asked to give advice to those seeking a career change, Cinthia said: “It is not easy to change, but I just want people to know that there is something beyond. Pursue your passion.” Many of her friends and acquaintances approach her for advice about career transition and she loves being a role model for them. After all, not everyone is fortunate enough to have lots of support. As for her future, she looks forward to keep enjoying the benefits of her new balanced life and improved relationships, and plans on starting the family she has always wanted.
Have you changed careers? Tell us your story and help inspire others!
Edited by Ignacio Villanueva
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