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Special Advertising Section | Sunday, September 28, 2025 21Alittle while back, my newspaper career led me into the tech industry, where I spent several years crafting and supervising content for an assortment of online businesses. I appreciated my job, but the work seemed increasingly far removed from my journalistic roots. In 2014, I decided to leave the tech world and start fresh.By that point, though, journalism jobs were a lot harder to come by than they had been just a few years earlier. I also had a toddler by then, and I wasn%u2019t eager to leave her home while working long hours. But I had always loved working with kids, and after months of self-reflection and logistical discussions with my husband, I decided to return to school and become a teacher.A year later, after completing a few prerequisites, I enrolled in Seattle University%u2019s Master of Teaching program. Graduating in 2016 with a teaching certificate promptly secured me a job teaching middle-school language arts and social studies in Bellevue. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. No one will ever claim that teaching middle-schoolers is easy %u2014 and, as evidenced by the article you%u2019re reading, I haven%u2019t left journalism entirely and hopefully never will %u2014 but working with those youngsters has been one of the great privileges of my life. %u00a0Maybe you%u2019re in a similar situation to the one I found myself in, itching to pivot to something different. Maybe you%u2019re out of a job %u2014 or an entire field %u2014 or your life circumstances have changed, necessitating a move in a new direction. There%u2019s no shortage of ways we can find ourselves needing a fresh start with our careers. Fortunately, when we do, there%u2019s a plethora of educational options to launch us on our way.Freshening your educationThe right educational options for you depend on what industry and what job you%u2019re hoping to work in. A graduate degree might be your best option, as it was for me when I went into teaching. However, there are also certificates, continuingeducation programs, one-off classes and more that can all help you transition to the next phase of your career.The possibilities are almost endless. Local universities, including the University of Washington, Seattle University and City University of Seattle, offer certificates in fields ranging from data analytics, public administration and marketing to palliative care, crime analysis, audio production and animal behavior %u2014 all in addition to full academic degrees in myriad subjects. Seattle Colleges, Bellevue College and Renton Technical College offer courses and programs in everything from residential construction and project management to anthropology, technical writing and the culinary arts.Many of these courses and programs are offered in the evening, online and sometimes even for free, providing valuable flexibility.There is also no shortage of specialty institutions in the area. To name a fe the Pima Medical Institute has locations in Seattle and Renton, providing training in numerous health care pathways; Evergreen Beauty College, with several locations across the state, features programs in cosmetology, esthetics and more; and Bastyr University in Kenmore focuses on natural health and has programs like Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture and midwifery.Charting a courseThe wide-ranging options can be overwhelming to contemplate, especially if you know you need a career change but aren%u2019t yet sure what sort of change that should be. How can you cut through the noise and start charting a course forward?%u201cSeeking clarity is the first step,%u201d says Carol Lwali, director of Seattle University%u2019s Career Engagement. She urges people considering a fresh start to reflect on their past experiences, especially recent ones. Ask yourself, %u201cWhy am I feeling this way in this moment?%u201dUnderstand your personal strengths, values and goals, she says: %u201cWhat is it they really like, and what is it they don%u2019t want to continue? What does success look like?%u201dSimilarly, Briana Randall, executive director at the Career & Internship Center on the University of Washington%u2019s Seattle campus, suggests starting with a look inward. Your past jobs may have already earned you transferable skills for a totally new career path. (Courtesy of UW Continuum College)Continued on next page Carol Lwali, director of Seattle University%u2019s Career Engagement. (Courtesy of Carol Lwali)