Question From Job Seeker:

I am a 30 year old graduate with a BS in accounting and have been working as an accountant for the same company for 7 years now. The perks are fair, the people are nice, but I always have this voice in the back of my mind, urging me to get out of here. You see, I always had a thing for advertising- am more of an ad addict really, always have been- and if I were to go back in time now, I would undoubtedly choose my college education differently. Would it be totally insane to make a move now? Is it too late?

Answer from Bayt HR Guru:

Allow us to first praise your boldness to mull over an absolute career shift, despite the current global economic uncertainty, in the pursuit of your long time passion and ideal career path. It is definitely not insane- as a matter of fact, 94% of Middle Eastern professionals have recently stated in Bayt’s “Career Reinvention” poll they would like to change their careers completely- 32% of which confirmed the main reason was to pursue a dream or passion.

At 30 years old, it is not too late to set your foot in the advertising business and grow exponentially, should you prove yourself determined and capable! We would recommend however you do not rush into it right away, as the effects of the economic downturn have not yet fully waned and you need to acclimatize yourself to the needs and nature of a very different industry.

Taking baby steps towards that transition instead is highly advisable at this stage: get active and keep yourself updated with the industry’s latest trends, check what are the industry positions mostly in demand by employers online right now (P.S: Bayt’s job search by sector can prove to be very helpful), and if you need to develop any specific skills in order for you to build on your advertising knowledge.

Talk to people in the industry and learn from their experiences, understand what the true nature of the advertising jobs are and which particular area in advertising you would best fit into as the industry is broad and multi-faceted. Only once you are truly in the know of what the demands are and certain that you could, and would, want to master the art of advertising completely, should you start seriously targeting your companies of choice in search for that dream job of yours! Best of luck from the Bayt team!