Sometimes the Best Career Decision Is Admitting You Were Wrong
How Admitting You Were Wrong Can Lead You to Where You're Meant to Be
I don’t think we talk enough about the value of being wrong.
Not wrong in the sense that you made a bad decision, but wrong in the sense that you genuinely believed something was meant for you and then discovered it absolutely wasn’t.
Years ago, I was convinced I wanted to work in the medical field. Around age six, after seeing a family friend in her super cute uniform (one that looked just like my favorite doll’s clothes while she worked at the hospital), I decided I wanted to be a candy striper too.
Looking back, choosing a career path because the uniform matched my doll’s wardrobe may not have been my strongest decision making moment, but six-year-old me was fully committed to the vision!
Somewhere along the way, that vision evolved into wanting to become a nurse, and that, in turn, led me to school to become a Certified Medical Assistant and phlebotomist. At the time, it felt like a great decision. Healthcare was stable, meaningful, and full of opportunity, and I was excited to finally be pursuing something I had wanted for years. I truly believed I was chasing my dream and was excited for the future.
I graduated, got the job, put on the scrubs, and walked into urgent care fully prepared to begin my exciting new career. I was ready!
And then someone walked in with a wound.
A real wound.
It was not a tiny scrape or a boo-boo that just needed a Band-Aid and a sticker. No, this was a serious injury, with blood gushing through the patient’s fingers, chaos in the room, and pain that could not be ignored.
It was in that moment that I learned something important about myself: while I liked the idea of medicine, I did not equally enjoy the practice of medicine.
That realization came as quite a surprise to everyone involved, especially me.
There was absolutely nothing wrong with the job. In fact, it was exhilarating.
It was also fulfilling, fast paced, and the complete opposite of monotonous, which is exactly what many people are looking for, including me.
This just wasn't the right home for me, though.
At first, that realization felt disappointing and disheartening. I had invested time, money, and energy into a path I thought was right for me, and walking away felt a little like admitting defeat.
No one enjoys realizing they’ve spent months, much less years, heading in the wrong direction, but over time, I began to see it differently.
One of the most valuable skills I’ve developed throughout my career isn’t industry-specific at all; it’s self-awareness.
The ability to honestly evaluate what’s working, what isn’t, and where your strengths truly lie can completely change the trajectory of your life.
Growing up, I was surrounded by entrepreneurs and businesswomen. Naturally, even though it had nothing to do with my childhood dream of working in healthcare, my first jobs as a teenager were in business offices.
So, when I realized I had probably taken a wrong turn, I did what I thought was best with the information I had at the time, and I pivoted.
I didn’t have a grand plan. I didn’t know exactly where I was headed. But I knew where I wasn’t headed, and that was enough.
What followed was a career in procurement that has now spanned more than two decades.
I’ve had the opportunity to support major capital projects, negotiate contracts, build supplier relationships, and work alongside incredibly talented people across the oil and gas, chemical, and energy industries. None of that was part of the original plan, yet it turned out to be exactly where I was meant to be.
And in hindsight, maybe I should have seen it coming.
While other kids were playing teacher, chef, or parent, I was playing office filing manila folders in nightstands I had turned into filing cabinets and organizing supplies I found in my mom’s workspace.
And my doll in the candy-striped uniform wasn’t playing doctor or nurse with me; she was my coworker and sometimes my secretary. That probably should have been my first clue.
Hmm...
But all in all, that experience taught me something I still carry with me today: success doesn’t come from always making the right decision. It comes from being willing to adjust when you realize you haven’t.
We put so much pressure on ourselves to get everything right the first time—the perfect major, the perfect job, the perfect career path, the perfect everything. But real life rarely unfolds that way.
Careers are built through experiences, detours, lessons, and sometimes the realization that your calling lies anywhere except wound care.
So, if you’re questioning a path you’ve chosen, don’t automatically assume you’ve failed.
Sometimes what feels like a setback is actually a course correction. And sometimes, changing direction is the smartest decision you can make.
For me, everything that followed began with the willingness to admit I was wrong and the confidence to believe I could find something that was right.
Thankfully, that “something right” involved contracts and capital projects.
The only bleeding I deal with now is redlines... and I much prefer it that way.
