I have an undergrad degree in History from a redbrick University but within a couple of years of graduating I had fallen into a career in sales.
I spent some time in my late twenties working as a (still fairly junior) manager at a high-profile corporate in London and would probably call that the pinnacle of my career! Moved back to my hometown and now work in sales at a perfectly nice company nearby. I like my colleagues and my boss and I don’t dislike the work per se, but being honest few people graduate university with big dreams of climbing the career ladder all the way to…..Account Manager.
The thought of another 30-40 years in an industry which I have little interest in leaves me feeling flat. My professional self-confidence has also taken a beating recently and I’m wondering…is this IT? Is this all I’m capable of achieving? With every day that goes by I seem to feel less challenged but equally less on-top of my game.
I would like to apply to do a MSc part-time. I am determined to choose a field that genuinely interests me and am considering International Relations but is it ridiculous to choose a subject that I have no previous experience in, neither professionally nor by merit of my undergrad degree?
Am I going to feel completely out of my depth from day one?
Is it unrealistic to hope that a genuine interest in the area combined with a further decade of life-experience will equip me enough to at least get started?
Has anyone else completed post-grad courses in a field outside of their usual area of expertise?