When I taught my first etiquette class to a room full of squirmy 8- to 12-year olds, I felt like a fish out of water.

Nearly a year earlier I’d left a cushy, six-figure corporate job in human resources management. Now I was standing at the door of a function room in a fancy Hong Kong private club with wood-panelled walls, wearing a sheath dress, high heels and makeup, welcoming well-dressed children into my “classroom”. I’d gone from working with Harvard MBAs and venture capitalists to teaching children how to shake hands and introduce themselves.

I had received a certification as an etiquette consultant. 

But had zero experience teaching kids.

And yet, that moment became one of the most transformational (and oddly heartwarming) pivots of my career.

So, if you’re asking: How do I change careers with no experience? — I’ve done it several times, coached people through it, and I'm here to tell you: it can be done.

Why Career Changes Happen More Than You Think

First, let’s normalize the experience. According to a 2021 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average American worker will hold 12.4 jobs between the ages of 18 and 54. And a 2022 McKinsey study found that 48% of people who quit their jobs during the Great Resignation transitioned into new industries. Career reinvention isn’t the exception anymore—it’s the new normal.

But even though it's common, it doesn't feel easy. Especially if you feel like a complete beginner again.

Here’s how to navigate it with confidence and strategy.

Step 1: Mindset Before the Method

Before you send out your resume, you need to shift your thinking.

Many professionals sabotage their career change by focusing only on credentials, when the real obstacle is permission. Permission to be new. To be awkward. To try things before you feel ready.

You don’t need a decade of experience to move forward. You just need a small amount of proof—to yourself and others—that you can operate in the new space.

Think like a college-bound high schooler. No one expects a 17-year-old to be an expert in biomedical engineering. But they’ll intern. Volunteer. Join the robotics club. Adults can do the same—we just forget that we’re allowed to.

Career changes don’t start with applications. They start with experiments.

Step 2: Get Experience Without Getting Hired

If you don’t have experience yet, create it. Here are five smart, strategic ways to build credibility and confidence.

1. Volunteer Strategically

Donating your time doesn’t just help others—it helps you develop skills in a low-risk, high-learning environment.

A great example: one of my clients, a retired C-suite executive, wanted to move into coaching. She offered to run a free workshop at her church. No website, no brand, no testimonials. Just a willingness to help.

According to the Corporation for National & Community Service, volunteers are 27% more likely to find a job than non-volunteers. Even unpaid work creates pathways to paid work.

2. Do Job Shadowing

This is vastly underutilized by adults but very effective. Reach out to someone in the field and ask to shadow them for a day or a week. Many professionals will say yes, especially if you’re clear about what you want to observe and how long you’ll be there.

Jennifer Turliuk networked her way through Silicon Valley just by job shadowing startup CEOs for a day, week or a month. She learned more about their jobs, business models, and the different roles in their organizations, which informed her own career choices. She documents her journey in the book, How to Figure Out What to Do with Your Life (next), which is available in my Amazon store (commissions earned).

3. Freelance at Entry-Level Rates

Sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and Bark.com allow you to offer services with no long-term commitment. You can start small, gain reviews, and learn as you go.

That’s how I started teaching children: I was a freelance English tutor for practically nothing, just to see if I enjoyed working with kids, if I was any good at it, and to discover which groups were best for me. Once I confirmed I could, I raised my rates and pitched my children’s etiquette consulting services to schools and private clubs around Hong Kong.

For the 12 years that I was an etiquette consultant in Hong Kong, I singlehandedly taught 1000s of children and teenagers from grassroots, low-income neighborhoods to elite international schools. I was also a mainstay at a handful of the city’s most exclusive private members clubs.

If you want to change careers, offer your services at a beginner rate—with professional-quality effort.

4. Take a Course or Certification (But Use It Immediately)

Training is great, but only if you apply it quickly.

When I transitioned into coaching, I started seeing clients for free during Week 4 or 5 of my six-month certification. I didn’t wait to be fully certified or to feel ready—I practiced while learning. By the time I graduated, I already had a full roster of paying clients.

Pro tip: According to Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce, non-degree credentials boost employment outcomes by up to 10% for adults seeking career change—but only when paired with experience.

5. Cold Call with Heart

If you’re not getting traction through your warm contacts, reach out to new people. Research 20 organizations that align with your new direction. Send a message or email introducing yourself, explaining your interest, and offering help.

Will everyone respond? No. But if even one does, it could be the beginning of your next chapter.

Set realistic expectations: In sales, a 2% cold outreach success rate is considered good. That means for every 100 messages you send, 2 people may say yes. Don’t let the numbers discourage you—let them guide you.

Step 3: Plan a Personal Pilot Program

Think of your career change as an experiment.

What are you testing?

• Your interest: Do you like this work?

• Your fit: Do you have a natural aptitude for it?

• The market: Are people willing to pay you for it?

My personal pilot looked like this:

1. Teach everyday etiquette to kids for free

2. Teach it for a low fee to test the market

3. Marketed my paid programs to schools and private clubs

4. Grew that into a business

And when I pivoted to coaching? I used the same approach: free first, low cost next, then full-price when ready.

You can do the same. Just swap perfection for progress.

Step 4: Understand the Real Cost of Reinvention

Changing careers can come with a temporary income dip. That’s hard to accept when you’re used to being highly paid and highly respected.

But here’s the truth: status isn’t the same as satisfaction.

When I left corporate HR to teach children, my pride took a hit. I had two Ivy League degrees and a decent career—and suddenly I was managing classrooms where most kids were wonderful, but a small handful literally were complaining about how they don’t like the smell of mushroom soup or crawling under the dining table.

But the work lit me up. And over time, I made it financially viable.

Yes, it was humbling. But it was also freeing.

And if you’re strategic, the dip doesn’t have to last long. According to a 2023 Harris Poll for Fast Company, 67% of career changers report higher job satisfaction within a year of making the move.

Step 5: Learn From Every Pivot

I’ve changed careers four times:

1. Marketing → HR (with a master's degree)

2. HR → Etiquette Consultant (certification + volunteering + freelancing)

3. Etiquette Consultant → Corporate Trainer (used transferable domain knowledge + learned new skills in public speaking and teaching adults)

4. Corporate Training → Career & Life Coach (certification + fast action)

Each switch got easier because I understood what worked:

• Start before you feel ready

• Get real-world experience fast

• Build relationships in the new field

• Trust that your past skills are not wasted—they're repackaged

Final Thoughts: From Inexperienced to In-Demand

If you’re standing at the edge of a new career path, here’s what I want you to remember:

• You don’t need to know everything. You just need to start.

• Experience is something you create, not wait for.

• Your self-belief matters more than your resume.

You are more capable than you think. And this new chapter? It could be the most meaningful one yet.

So go volunteer. Shadow someone. Charge $25 an hour. Be a beginner again. Because that’s where all great stories start.

You’ve already done hard things. This is just the next one.

Sources:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics (2021)
  https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/nlsoy.pdf
  
  

• McKinsey & Company (2022)
  https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/great-attrition-or-great-attraction-the-choice-is-yours
  
  

• Corporation for National & Community Service (2013)
  https://americorps.gov/sites/default/files/evidenceexchange/FR_VolunteeringPathwayEmployment_ResearchBrief.pdf
  
  

• Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (2015)
  https://cew.georgetown.edu/cew-reports/certificates/
  
  

• Fast Company x Harris Poll (2023)
  https://www.fastcompany.com/90808328/the-great-resignation-career-changers-are-happier
  
  

• University of Pennsylvania / Behavioral Scientist (2019)
  https://behavioralscientist.org/the-psychology-of-entrepreneurs/

Ready to change careers? I administer the Harrison Assessment, which identifies the best careers for you based on your personality. Contact me at info@eli-asia.com for details.