What was your work situation before the Launch Pad?

I was working in the aerospace industry for an aircraft manufacturer as a process development engineer, outside Sao Paulo, Brazil.

How were you feeling about your work?

I liked my subject a lot – I’ve been into technology since I was young and academically.
 
However, the whole atmosphere of corporate work was a struggle for me.

In theory it was great – super resources and people – but the structure of big companies made me unhappy.

There was a fixated, limiting feel.

I didn't have much freedom.

I had this whole feeling of heaviness coming home after work and negative thoughts started flowing.

When you are in a bad place it's hard to focus on the step-by-step actions that you need to take, to move out of that situation.

Why did you decide to join the Launch Pad?

I started googling terms for changing my job, then I saw the word ‘shift’ for careers too, and then I found the Careershifters website. 

The whole website grabbed me.

It resonated very, very well with my situation. 
  
I knew I had a window for the Launch Pad and keeping pace with the program would help me.

What had you previously tried to do to make progress on your career change?

The classic – lots of chasing the same sorts of jobs, looking at LinkedIn a lot. 
 
I did some interviews, but the feeling was like I was changing from one place to a very similar place, even if it was a next phase job. 
 
I was also searching for ways to take care of my mental health.

I knew I needed that for a career change too. 

I started doing therapy to help me out, and meditation.

What were your reservations or skepticism about the Launch Pad?

A major reservation was the cost.

Would I get the results I wanted?

The currency exchange rate for me here in Brazil was considerable.
 
So I compared buying stuff that I wanted versus doing the Launch Pad.

I prioritized.  
 
My decision was helped because I was invited to a talk with Richard (Careershifters’ Founder) which showed me more of the value of the program.
 
They said you could get your money back too if you didn’t like it, within two weeks of the course commencing.

What was the experience like?

I love that there was a light, encouraging atmosphere. 

It was not heavy pressure, more ‘just do what you can do’. 

What were the highlights?

I believe while not everyone will be, a lot of people probably are doing this course in a pretty heavy mental state.
 
So the course encouragement, for me, made all the difference. 

As bad as I felt, I realised, ‘I am worth this effort. I can do this’.
 
The whole energy was very good.

What were the toughest moments?

English is not my native language and I’m not very social.

So I was more ‘can't I just do it by myself?’. 
 
But then I was speaking to people in English in the groups.

And I met people all over the world and even though we had such different backgrounds, our stories had similar issues. 
 
Like me, one lady I was listening to wanted to do more creative stuff, but thought she had no skills and I realised she wasn’t looking at that like it was a massive problem – that sounds nothing, but it was huge.

It gave me some ‘peer’ perspective. 

What was the impact on you? What on the course led to that impact?

I learned to go for what I really want. 

One of the most powerful moments came from a news article shared by someone in my cohort.

It featured a guy from England who'd started to do volunteer work with the elderly association in his neighborhood.

He made a very good friend, a senior lady.

He talked about how he'd helped her but then realised how much she'd helped him too. 

He said this one thing that made me cry: his friends had started to mock him a bit – 'oh, are you going to meet your old friend?' – and he said strongly: ‘She’s not my old friend. She’s just my friend.’

And he kept her as his friend even after he'd made his career shift.

That really opened my eyes, not just emotionally, but realising he had been able to make that his job too.

And I knew I wanted something like that too. That direct social impact.

Where are you now in your career?

I’m working in a startup (ISGAME) in Sao Paulo developing video games for the elderly to train their brains and also have fun.

It translates as ‘Active Brain’ in English.
 
I was able to connect my technology background (I’m their Chief Technology Officer now) with my desire to connect and have social impact in my job.  

Right now it's only in Portuguese but we will translate into English and get an English-first version as well.

How do you feel about your work?

Much, much better. 

Funnily enough the pace is even faster, but I have much more autonomy and everything we do counts. 

What’s been the impact of your shift on your wider life?

I’m not mentally tired now.
 
Even on the tough days, I usually feel ‘I did my best with all the time I had today’.

How did the Launch Pad help you get clear on and move into your new career?

The Launch Pad helped me to consider other points of view about my career and possible opportunities. 

This was important to shift my mindset from traditional job hunting to a wider scenario of considerations. 

In addition, I used to procrastinate and blame myself a lot while thinking about my career.

So having a supportive group and an organized method during the program was really great.

What would you recommend to anyone considering the Launch Pad?

The ‘light touch’ and step-by-step process of the Launch Pad structure really helped me change my view of myself. 

You can find full details about the course on our dedicated Launch Pad page.