I shared my late-twenties career change on Instagram and it went viral. A few reasons why I think this particular video performed the way it did:
Why my career change went viral
1. Concise & shareable
It’s short and gets straight to the point. No waiting around for the punch line.
The quick storytelling is easy to grasp and relate to. Too many details can weigh down the narrative and overcomplicate the plot. Sticking to one main point helps increase a post’s shareability and relatability.
2. Niche subject
Fewer than 7% of professional pilots are women. Being a woman in a male-dominated field does attract attention, for better or worse.
My face is not the typical one you see in this industry, and some people even tell me I’m the first female pilot they’ve ever seen. My circumstances are somewhat unusual, which piques curiosity.
3. inspirational
I got a lot of comments & DMs from people who had thought about changing careers but were worried they were too late. Most were between the ages of 24 and 35. Yes, there are 24-year-olds who believe they are in too deep to change careers!
People want to see themselves in a piece of content and are more likely to interact with content they relate to or are inspired by. They aren’t just excited for me and my life; they can understand wanting to change careers or wanting to become a pilot, and it’s exciting to see someone else modeling what is possible for them.
Am I too late?
Was it scary to leave a job I loved at age 28 and start over in a new career? 100%
Given the chance, would I do it all again? Not a doubt in my mind, I would.
I can’t begin to count the number of flight attendants and pilots I’ve met who came to aviation from a wildly unrelated background. If you’ve ever felt like you’re too late to start now, this is for you:
Airline pilot retirement age is 65.
Private pilots fly as long as they can hold an aviation medical certificate.
Flight attendant retirement age is whatever you want it to be.
It took me 21 months to go from zero experience to flight instructor, and many do it much faster. I’m on a slower path, but I have friends who have gone from zero to airline pilot in under three years.
At 31, I have 34+ years of flying ahead of me. An entire second life.
You are not too late. You’re only beginning!
