How this Former Engineer Quit a Job she Hated and Designed her Dream Career
Photo courtesy of Pooja Mittra
From the very beginning of my own career transition, I’ve wanted to share real-life stories of people who have pivoted to do work that is more meaningful, fulfilling and fun for them.
By sharing these stories, I hope to:
Show you that it is 100% possible to do work that you love,
Inspire your own creative thinking, and
Share specific, concrete steps that others have taken.
For the first story in this series, meet Pooja Mittra. Pooja’s post-college job as an engineer left her feeling suffocated, and she dreaded going to work.
Today, she’s a Virginia-based wedding and interior designer, entrepreneur and a mom of three. Her company, Amoda Decor, specializes in custom design services for weddings, birthdays and corporate events. Read on to learn how she engineered a path to her dream career and business.
Q: What were you doing before?
I studied engineering in college, and worked as an engineer for about three years. It's a very typical, standard position within our South Asian culture. You go into medicine, law or engineering.
Q: How did you know you were ready for a change?
I felt like I was not growing, and I had no desire to be better. I didn’t feel like I was myself. I’d be looking at my watch thinking, “When is this day going to end?” I knew I didn’t want to live my life like this. A part of me was dying inside.
I know a lot of people feel that dread of getting up and going to someplace that they hate. That was what did it for me.
Q: How did you start to pivot?
Paying attention to what peaked my interest was key. Once I was aware of what that was, it was much easier to narrow down options and move into the right direction. I think that everyone has an interest; something that sparks you and gets you excited. For me, it was interior design. I always gravitated towards design and decor, putting rooms together. I got excited looking at pretty rooms in magazines. So I thought, why not explore this interest? I started taking classes at the community college for interior design.
I was required to have 120 hours of internships, and started to intern at the D.C. Design Center. I loved it. I spent more money on the bus getting there than I actually earned. But it was so worth it. I was a different person. When I walked in, I felt the energy—I'm not exaggerating. I was happy to be there.
Q: How did you manage the transition from a full time engineering salary to an unpaid internship?
I had an advantage because I lived at home with my parents at the time. I was 27. I took the classes for me to understand, is this really what I want before I leave my job ? It ended up being something I enjoyed doing, so I left my job and made the transition. Even though there was not the typical financial distress that is experienced when making the leap, as I was living with my parents, there was definitely a social stigma associated with the decision. My fellow peers were already established in their professions, and I was starting from scratch, as an intern, in the design field … the POLAR opposite of the more standard professions.
While I was interning, a company hired me as a sales rep for their showroom. That's how I got my foot into the door for interior design.
Q: How did you know it was time to launch your own company?
After three years of working at the showroom, I worked for a designer for about six years and learned everything about interior design that I could. Until it was time for him to say, “OK, now’s the point where either you become my partner and buy into the business, or we have to separate.”
I was also doing wedding design on the side when I was working with them, and I really got into that. I realized that my expertise had shifted. So that's when I decided to start my wedding decor business, and I still use my interior design skills to take on residential interior work as well.
Q: What do you love about your business?
It gives me a deep sense of satisfaction to know that this entire venture started off an idea in my mind. And with the support of my family and close friends, I was able to bring it to life, even though I had three children in diapers!
I don't care what people think, but when I left engineering I was told, “Why are you doing this? This is crazy.” It just feels good to know inside that I did it and it’s possible. Especially for my daughters. I want to be a role model for my daughters and show them that they don’t have to water down any dreams they have.
Q: What was the most surprising thing you learned from making the leap from engineer to interior designer, and then to entrepreneur?
It’s cheesy, but you can really do anything. If you like it and you enjoy it, there is nothing you can’t do. You just have to know what it is. If the first obstacle that comes your way knocks you down, then it’s probably something you are not very passionate about to begin with. Keep going. Keep perfecting yourself and your skill, and keep making meaningful connections along the way.
Always keep your success at the front of your mind and use it as your torch to guide you to your goal. We have the option to think about all of the obstacles that can come our way, or we can focus on the feeling we have when we achieve what we are meant to do, and take the necessary steps to get there. Let it be easy.
I feel like we make things too complicated for ourselves. Push forward, with faith and confidence, and your goals will unfold before you.