What I’d do if I had to start all over again
My 8-step plan to get out of square one
A blank slate can be terrifying.
I know it felt that way when I quit my dead-end job and finally tried to live life “on my own terms.”
After years of daydreaming of what I’d do once I got out of the dreaded rat race, I suddenly found myself at a loss, asking:
Okay, now what?
Nothing really prepares us for the reality of blank slates and career shifts. How do you even start a new journey when there’s no map to follow?
That’s what I’m attempting to document in this edition of Current Thoughts.
After years of confused meandering, lots of trials and errors, false starts and hard stops, I think I have a clearer idea of what to do should I encounter another blank slate.
Hopefully this helps you, too.
Reader, here’s what I’d do if I had to start all over again:
1. First, keep calm
Take a deep breath and be confident in the knowledge that you’re not starting from scratch — you’re starting from experience. I know it sounds hokey, but it’s also true. There is no such thing as sayang. Everything you’ve learned and experienced so far has a purpose, so bank on that.
Trust that you can figure things out as you go along.
2. Next, I’ll audit my skills
After (hopefully) averting an existential crisis, I’ll take time to list down my skills and unfair advantages.
Let’s break this down into three categories:
My technical abilities. These are also known as hard skills. (e.g content writing, project management, analytics, etc.). What are you good at? What skills have people paid you to do in the past?
My interpersonal traits. “Soft skills” like self-awareness, communication, eagerness to learn, and emotional intelligence transcend industries and career paths — vital when you are starting over.
My unfair advantages - These could be things that I do exceptionally well, things I enjoy doing that others don’t, lived experiences, unique qualities, access to resources, connections — anything that gives me an edge. This book with the same title goes over the whole concept in more detail.
3. Who do I want to work with?
Next, I’ll think about the people I want to work with AKA my dream clients.
Having a list of dream clients sounds super indulgent, but you’ve already taken huge risks to go on this path. It just makes sense to shape it according to your goals and ideal lifestyle, no?
Having criteria from the get-go also helps you filter out opportunities that don’t match your goals and allows you to gain clarity on the services that you could offer.
When I was starting out, my criteria were simple and naive:
I wanted to write but did not want to work at a content mill
I did not want to take calls
I did not want to work nights
That’s it.
This list has now evolved into something more specific and sophisticated (I’ve developed clearer ICPs now, thank the Lord) but the thought remains the same: think about who you want to work with.
What are their values? Goals? Work styles?
You can even think of an industry or specific companies or individuals.
This part can feel overwhelming, but like many things, action will always lead to clarity. Give it a try.
4. What I’m good at and what people would pay me for
Now, your answers on steps 2 and 3 can give you enough information to figure out a service or skill that people might pay for.
If you’ve proven that people can — and will — pay for your services, good for you. Get that ball rolling.
If not, start testing your offer ASAP.
The safest route is to start with part-time work.
Career-shifting doesn’t have to happen in one fell swoop. Test the waters before diving in — especially if others depend on your income. Part time work is also a great way to learn the ropes while getting paid and to see if the job is feasible.
Another way? Tell people in your network that you’re open to work. You’ll never know if a friend of a friend knows someone who might need your services. DM a few people. As we say in the Philippines: you can never can tell. 😉
5. Finding community
Career shifts can be incredibly lonely. Often, it means leaving the safe harbor of your old industry and setting sail for careers unknown. I felt like I was on the outside looking in when I was starting out.
Enter: communities.
Communities — online or IRL — offer expertise, resources, and kinship. I highly recommend joining one.
If you’re a Filipino writer, I recommend:
For a wider network of content marketing professionals, Superpath has a thriving community of experts that you can learn from.
6. Leveraging the internet
If I had to start all over again, I’d prioritize leveraging my social media presence.
LinkedIn may be cringe, but it’s opened a lot of opportunities for me — so I’ll be there. I’ll clean up my header, optimize my bio, and put on a nice profile picture. I’ll talk about my services, put relevant links, and publish content to attract clients. Why?
Because potential employers and clients will look you up whether you like it or not. Make sure they like what they see.
Not comfy posting on social?
Interact with people genuinely.
Here’s a low-lift strategy that you can do in 30 minutes:
✅ Spend 10 minutes connecting with warm leads (your connections)
✅ 10 minutes with cold ones (people you’ve never interacted with before)
✅ and another 10 minutes adding new connections.
Blocking off just 30 minutes a day can already have a positive impact, even if you feel shy about showing up on social.
7. Build your body of work
Here’s a classic dilemma for career-shifters:
Clients wanna hire someone experienced - but you can’t gain experience because nobody wants to hire the newbie.
It’s an annoying chicken and egg loop — and one you can easily break by creating opportunities for yourself.
I’ve always dreamed of writing for magazines, but editors-in-chief weren’t exactly hiring nurses to write for their publications. 🥲 So I took matters into my own hands and started a blog. The rest is history.
Today, you’ve got all the tools to create a body of work, regardless of the job market.
Can’t book writing gigs? Show off your chops on social. Start a newsletter. Create ads for imaginary products.
The same principle can be applied to any job online e.g. video editing, content creation, web design, etc.
Your work is your resume. Start building it ASAP.
8. Prove it
And if you already have a body of work? Start collecting social proof:
testimonials
stats
screenshots (with permission!)
These are 100x better than a traditional resume.
To recap
Here’s what I’d do if I had to start from square one:
Keep calm
Audit marketable and transferrable skills
Figure out who I want to work with
Pick an offer
Find community
Maximize my online presence
Build my body of work
Gather social proof
That’s it, really.
I can’t guarantee that things will be easy or straightforward — many of the “steps” I’ve mentioned here overlap and blend in. Sometimes you have to double back, other times, you might skip ahead. But I hope that it makes the blank slate less terrifying.
Starting over is rarely glamorous, but it’s rich with possibility.
It’s disorienting to begin again, but I also know how powerful it is to realize you’re not actually starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. You’ve figured things out before and you can do it again.
Your next step now is to take action. Take it from a professional procrastinator and overthinker: it’s easier than you think. You got this. 💪🏽
Good luck — and if you found this useful, send it to a friend who might need it, too.
Sana masarap ulam mo today,
K