With a successful career across international art design and property renovation, Kalamun Nehar discusses why she felt compelled to leave it all behind and start a new career, now working at the Maria Montessori Children’s House in Hampstead, London

I’ve always had a creative side and growing up in a dual nationality home with my parents going back and forward to Bangladesh, I always felt pressure to conform and fit into the structure of the traditional education system in the UK.  This triggered many emotional frustrations not just because of the language challenges, but whilst my peers appeared to be flourishing, I felt I was having to work doubly hard to find my own direction and commit to a career for life. Looking back, I now realise the career you choose post-studies doesn’t define you, indeed many people have multiple careers in their lifetime and that careers are an evolution of your interests as you grow aligned to your beliefs and values.  So, in 2020 I made a big change, I signed up for a Montessori teaching training course.

Finding a passion for early years

My foundation degree was in product design which led me to work as a designer and latterly in property renovation.  I stepped back and asked myself what I was passionate about.  I realised as a creative I wanted to be a role model to children, but I wasn’t sure if teaching in a secondary school was right for me.  I started to investigate Montessori and its alternative way of approaching learning and I realised that perhaps if I had had this form of education, I wouldn’t have had the same struggles. I also knew I wanted my new career to be a chance to inspire and guide children to nurture their own unique talents.  In 2022 I graduated as a Montessori educator motivated by the purpose of mentoring the next generation. 

Whilst daunting, a change of career can not only be reinvigorating, but good for your mental health.  Beginning a new chapter in your career often involves adding a layer of complexity to your life and whilst thinking of your next move, you’ll have financial obligations and daily juggles.  Studies show that when you are engaged in work that aligns with your passions and values, you are more likely to experience a sense of purpose, fulfilment, and satisfaction. This can lead to a boost in confidence, self-esteem, and overall well-being. This research was reinforced by a recent survey which asked 2,500 professionals aged 18-70 to rate how happy they were about these seven aspects at work: positive impact on others, career prospects, employee empowerment, work relationships, positive impact on mental health, salary and work culture.

I’ve loved my journey into Montessori so for me, the career change was the best decision. If you are contemplating a career change, yes it will be difficult and yes there will be inevitable lows, but breaking the inertia will bring so much contentment as a result. Here are my five steps to a successful career change:

1. Overcome the fear of changing careers – accept that successfully shifting careers won’t be easy, nor can it be done overnight. List your priorities and values and then find a role or even studies that fit these. Nowadays there’s no such thing as too many changes, so long as you can explain the move

• Identify your transferrable skills for a new role – identifying these will make your career transition easier and will help you to align your experience to your desired new role.  Start by making a list of your hard skills and soft skills (aka transferable) 

• Changing careers is a great opportunity to pursue your passions – working with three to six-year-olds I’ve got to understand the value of this age group.  As a role model and mentor, I feel I’m making an immense difference in their lives to inspire and guide the next generation. Choose a career where you feel you too can also make a difference

• Manifest your career transition on LinkedIn and your CV – It can be something simple and just a sentence or two. For example: “Creative with interested in transitioning into a teaching role” supported by your transferable skills

• Take a course – I undertook Montessori’s AMI Diploma 3-6 starting just before the pandemic.  It was a challenging course and period of my life, but it also gave me so much more than I expected complementing my design degree

Transitioning into a new career may seem impossible, but I can tell you first-hand that it isn’t. Just trust that doing a job you love, the rewards are immeasurable, and you may find that the positive impact you have on the lives of others will enrich your own life as well.