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In 2021, I quit a 15-year career as a tech executive in the finance industry and pursued content marketing and journalism. When I tell this story, Im often met with, You did what? People cant wrap their heads around such an unexpected career shift. While I quit my tech job, it wasnt an overnight decision. In fact, it was something Id been considering for a long time. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/04\/workbetter-logo.png","headline":"Work Better","description":"Thoughts on the future of work, career pivots, and why work shouldn't suck, by Anna Burgess Yang. To learn more visit workbetter.media.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.workbetter.media","colorTheme":"blue","redirectUrl":""}} A career pivot is much different than simply finding a new job in the same industry. If youve contemplated the same, youve probably asked yourself, Can I do this? Will it be worth the change? What if it doesnt work out? As someone whos pivoted not once, but twice, in the past four years (first, I changed industries, and then I became self-employed), I can tell you yes, its worth it. But you need to be ready for the impact such a change will have on your career. Heres how to tell if a major career change is right for you. You cant stop thinking about it The first sign that youre ready for a career pivot is that you cant stop thinking about it. You dream not only of finding a new job, but doing something completely different. You start to explore new skills you might need to acquire, or how to prepare your résumé so its attractive to hiring managers in a new field. Once you start thinking nonstop about a career change, those feelings never go away. Trust me. Theyll only expand over time. You start to plan Your dreams become more concrete when you start to consider a timeline. For me, it was, Can I make this change within five years? The more I thought about it, the shorter my timeline became. Staying in my current job instead of pursuing something different became unbearable. Youll start to think about a financial plan. A career pivot may involve a lower salary (at least in the beginning) if youre starting in a new industry with little experience. Suddenly, my five-year timeline turned into six months. Then I quit without another job lined up (though I was at the end stages of several interviews and an offer came in a few days later). Youre comfortable with unknowns Changing careers can be uncomfortable, especially once you start a new job. The saying You dont know what you dont know is particularly apt. All the research in the world cant fully prepare you for your first day doing something completely different. As a longtime employee at my previous job, I went from being the most knowledgeable person in the room to one of the least. I went from being the boss to having a boss. I had no idea how long it would take me to catch on to the nuances of my new career. There were times I felt inadequate due to my lack of knowledge. But I also knew that my previous careerthough far differenthad given me skills others in my peer group didnt have. I understood contract negotiation, project management, and resource planning. I leaned into those, which helped me move past my discomfort. Youre willing to pivot again (if needed) As you plan to pivot to a new career, you have to ask yourself, What if it doesnt work out? Maybe you end up hating the work. Maybe moving from a senior role to a junior role bothers you too much. Maybe its not the work itself, but you land at a company that isnt a good fit, and now have to continue the job search. Im here to tell you: Its okay to pivot again. Trashing your résumé is an outdated concept. After I pivoted to a new career and joined a marketing agency, I left within eight months and joined a different agency. One year after that, I pivoted again. Now Im self-employed. As it turns out, that itch I felt to try something different was really a drive to strike out on my own. I didnt know it at the time. I had to make a few stops along the way to figure out exactly what I wanted to do. What you think you want and what you actually want might be two different things. But chances are, if youre willing to make the leap once, youll be willing to do it again. Anna Burgess Yang is part of the Creator Network at Fast Company, covering topics like work culture and the intersection of technology and work (including the impacts of AI). Anna is a former tech executive who spent more than 15 years at a financial technology company, including roles as a product manager and the director of customer success. In 2021, she joined the Great Resignation and quit her job to pursue content marketing and journalism. Today, she is a freelance writer who works with prominent B2B SaaS companies, specializing in fintech, automation, and AI. Additionally, her work has appeared in The Chicago Tribune, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and several banking publications. You can learn more about Anna at annabyang.com. You can also follow her on LinkedIn, Threads, and Bluesky. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/04\/workbetter-logo.png","headline":"Work Better","description":"Thoughts on the future of work, career pivots, and why work shouldn't suck, by Anna Burgess Yang. To learn more visit workbetter.media.","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.workbetter.media","colorTheme":"blue","redirectUrl":""}}
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E-Commerce
Cloud storage services conveniently let you store and access documents, photos, videos, and more from any device. The best part? Many top providers offer free plans that are surprisingly capable. But with so many options, how do you choose the right free cloud storage service? Let’s take a look at some of the leading free online storage services available today. Google Drive Google Drive offers 15 GB of storage, shared across Google Drive, Gmail, and Google Photos. Thats one of the most generous free storage amounts, and the service offers seamless integration with Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Slides). Its also got a user-friendly interface and solid search capabilities. The 15 GB is shared with other Google services, however, so heavy Gmail users or those backing up high-quality photos might find it fills up quickly. And Google being a large tech company, some users have privacy concerns regarding data handling. Mega At 20 GB, Mega provides the most generous permanent free storage tier among major providers. Theres a strong focus on privacy and security with user-controlled end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption on all plans, including the free one. The company cant see your files, in other words. However, free accounts have transfer limits (you can download or upload a certain amount of data over a set period), and its unique encryption means if you lose your password or recovery key, your data is unrecoverable. pCloud pCloud gives you up to 10 GB of storage space, which is a decent amount of free space. It also features excellent built-in media players for streaming audio and video directly from the cloud. And it offers unique “Lifetime” paid plans, starting at a one-time $199 payment for 500 GB of storage. However, to reach 10 GB on the free plan, youll need to perform certain actions like verifying your email address and installing mobile apps. Encryption and sharing options are also limited on the free tier. Microsoft OneDrive Although Microsoft OneDrive offers only 5 GB of storage on the free plan, its got excellent integration with Windows and Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint). Files can often be accessed directly from Windows File Explorer and theres a “Personal Vault” folder for extra security on sensitive files. 5 GB of free storage might not be enough for all your stuff, however, and there can be similar privacy considerations as Google Drive for some users. Apple iCloud Drive Like Microsoft, Apple iCloud Drive offers a meager 5 GB of storage. This storage is shared across iCloud Drive, device backups, Photos, and Mail. That being said, its got unbeatable integration with Apple devices, making it essential for backing up iOS devices and syncing photos across the Apple ecosystem. Those five gigabytes get consumed quickly by device backups and photos, though. Paid plans start at just a buck a month for 50 GB, making it kind of a no-brainer. Dropbox At a lowly 2 GB, Dropbox offers the least amount of free storage of the providers on our list here. It is, however, a pioneer in cloud storage, known for its reliable and fast file syncing, simple user interface, excellent compatibility across platforms, and good third-party app integrations. Sync.com Sync.com offers 5 GB of free storage and boasts excellent security and privacy features, including end-to-end zero-knowledge encryption and compliance with features. Theres also 30-day file versioning and recovery, no file size limits when using desktop or mobile apps, and you can earn more free space through referrals. However, there are limited sharing capabilities on the free plan (number of links and daily downloads per link), and it lacks built-in document editing tools, instead relying on Office 365 integration.
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E-Commerce
Its inevitable that youll experience a slow period as a freelancer. No matter how long you’ve been at it, youll be faced with lulls from time to time where opportunities are coming in less frequently or not at all. Sometimes its not about you: Certain types of projects are impacted by seasonality, budget cycles, and economic conditions. But other times, you could be the reason the engagements are starting to taper off, whether youve not staying up to date in your field or the competition is outpacing you. To get out of these slumps, and prevent them from happening often, be intentional about what youre doing during these slow stretches. Reframe your mindset Ive experienced dips in work at numerous points throughout the 12 years Ive been freelancing. When it would happen initially, Id feel frustrated, embarrassed, nervous, and disengaged when a slow period started to happen beyond a week into a month. Through a mix of strategic maneuvering from me and new opportunities arising from long-term investments in marketing myself and building relationships, these periods didnt last long. Its more than okay to experience all the feelings during these freelance slumps, but try not to spend too much time being distraught and instead take action based on whats in your control. As Barbara Corcoran famously said, The difference between successful people and others is how long they spend time feeling sorry for themselves. When things begin to slow down, acknowledge what youre feeling but recognize its an opportunity to reset and take action. Prioritize continuous progress To move past these moments, I usually focus on making continuous progress on meaningful tasks for my business since I have more time to do soand it feels good. Im not alone in this: Professionals have reported more positive emotions on workdays where they made progress on meaningful work, and most often its small wins, according to a survey of 238 professionals by HBR authors Teresa M. Amabile and Steven J. Kramer. For me, this might include small tasks like updating my website, reconnecting with a colleague, writing an article, taking a course, or whatever feels genuinely productive. Youre not just aiming to be busy but looking for work that helps generate momentum, improves upon your skill sets, attracts more projects, or simply provides creative fulfillment. Ive found that this forward momentum helps me move past that stuck feeling and keeps me motivated to forge ahead. I recommend identifying up to five tasks youll work on everyday and aim for small ones that are possible to achieve in as little as a few hours or a couple of days. The hope is that the continued progress becomes ingrained as a lasting habit. Expand your freelance offerings and income sources In the midst of a dip, it might be time to reassess how youre reaching new customers and whether theres an opportunity to increase your visibility in a sustainable way. This could entail building a presence on another destination to reach your ideal like creating a Substack, being a guest on industry podcasts, or speaking at conferences. Similarly, you might expand your platform as a freelancer to reach a different, complementary customer base with a service you may not have offered previously. During slow periods in my business, I try my best to treat it as a strategic opportunity to reflect and iterate, says, Gigi Robinson, a New York City-based creator, speaker, and author. Instead of spiraling or stressing about the lull, I dive into my analyticswhats working, whats underperforming, and how my audience is responding across platforms. I revisit my goals, experiment with new formats, and map out long-term ideas that dont rely on external brand campaigns or speaking invites. For example, in 2023, she experienced a slowdown in inbound brand deals and speaking gigs. Rather than panic, I leaned into building something biggerand thats when I conceptualized Host of Influence, my new educational platform for creators, whether youre a newbie or a creator veteran, says Robinson. Its proof that sometimes the most impactful ideas are born when things get quiet. You just have to give yourself the space to listen and come up with a strategic game plan. Chart a similar path for yourself by assessing where theres opportunity to market your services differently and provide new offerings that meet customer demands. Network with other freelancers Youre not the only professional to experience a period of stagnation. One of the most impactful things you can do at this point is reach out for help. Thats why it’s important that you use this time to connect with other freelancers to share how youre handling it and hear how theyve dealt with similar circumstances. Both parties can learn from each other about how to overcome these challenges, brainstorm new opportunities, and provide a fresh perspective on their career trajectory. You can find other professionals on freelancer marketplaces like MarketerHire and Behance, focused networking groups like ones for independent contractors in HR or engineering, and on Reddit, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Whats worked for me is building relationships with colleagues that are ahead of me in their career or Id like to emulate aspects of what theyve accomplished professionally. Through their support, Ive been able to better anticipate some of the common challenges as a freelancer and get inspiration from how they’ve navigated their career over the years. The same can be said for fostering connections with new freelancers in their early days of self-employment as I have a lot of advice and support to offer them. Plus, these peers often give me exposure to a new viewpoint on the world of self-employment, helping me stay modern, adaptable, and motivated. Pitch yourself The loss of income is the scariest when youre in a work slump, and it could have a substantial impact on your day-to-day. One upside of not earning the income you expected is that it can be extremely motivating and drive you to put yourself out there in ways you hadnt anticipated. “During a slow period, I reach out to past clients, prospects, collaborators, and peers with one question: Whats keeping you up at night right now? Their answers help me spot patterns and spark ideas I can quickly testwhether its a new workshop, course, or consulting offer, says, Hussain Bandukwala, a PMO and project management consultant, trainer, coach, and LinkedIn Learning Instructor. I also experiment with different outreach strategies, from lead magnets to paid ads, adds Bandukwala. Its not filler workits targeted R&D to evolve and optimize the business. Dont become overly reliant on the right people and clients finding you, as attention youre generating for yourself professionally will ebb and flow due to a variety of factors. As an alternative, pitch yourself directly to existing clients who you already have a rapport with and to new organizationsand individuals as a chance to introduce yourself. Sometimes, the right nudge can make all the differenceyou never know who could benefit from your contributions, as long as your outreach is aligned to their needs.
Category:
E-Commerce
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