Opinion: How COVID Prompted My Unusual But Rewarding Career Change

By Elnaz Arman, Times of San Diego

December 14, 2021

A career change might seem daunting, especially when you’ve worked so hard and for so long to get to where you are. But, if you never take that first step, you will always be left wondering “what could have been?”

I came to California from Iran in 2015 after earning my master’s degree in petroleum engineering. Despite my prestigious title and role working at Tesla, I always thought of myself as an artist at heart.

For years I only pursued art as a part-time hobby. I never thought I could turn my passion into anything more given cultural and professional constraints.

All that changed when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and my life was flipped upside down. Sadly, I lost several friends to the virus, and it prompted me to reflect on my life.

I loved my work, but I knew I needed to be truer to who I am. So, I asked myself, “What do I want to do with my life?”

The answer: I wanted to combine my love of science with my love of art. I wanted to become a hairstylist. After all, in order to be good at hair color, you have to understand the chemistry behind it.

While the leap from engineer to hairstylist may seem unimaginable to some, this was an opportunity to finally have a career I was passionate about.

Before I enrolled in school, I did a lot of research. Looking at my options, it was clear that I needed a school that would cater to non-traditional students with diverse needs, like me, and provide the hands-on training required to enter this field. So, I selected Bellus Academy, a cosmetology school here in San Diego.

Once I enrolled in my program, any doubts about my career shift quickly disappeared. Although I was older than most of my peers and had to deal with a language barrier, I felt constantly uplifted by those around me. In fact, a few months into my program, with the encouragement of my instructors, I entered a national competition.

To my disbelief, I won the Beauty Envision Awards “Future Star Artist” 2021 Award. I was elated – as were my instructors and the President of my school, who was cheering me on from the front row of the competition. They helped me to unlock new talents I never knew I possessed.

I have since graduated from my program and am preparing to take the next steps in my new and exciting work. What once seemed an unimaginable leap, is now the best decision I could have ever made. I finally found a career path that empowers me to live the life I always wanted.

Thanks to programs at for-profit career education colleges like the one I attended, anyone, no matter the circumstances or the stage in life can make the change they have always wanted to. I went from engineer to artist all because of my hands-on training.

I encourage anyone who has questioned their career path and wanted to make a positive life change to seek out schools or programs where non-traditional students are embraced and can be equipped with the training necessary for a fulfilling career. It was the best decision I could have ever made.

Elnaz Arman is hair stylist and a graduate of Bellus Academy. She lives in San Diego.

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