This is the last guest episode of the year, and I wanted to close out with a conversation that tells the truth about career transition, the parts that rarely make it into the highlight reel. Jen Tran takes us back to her first General Assembly UX class where she looked left, looked right, and realized most people in the room would not make the switch. Out of about 20 classmates, she saw only three successfully transition.

Jen shares what it felt like to bet on herself in her mid thirties, with doubt, limited support, and the pressure of who you think you are supposed to be at that age. We talk about rejection, endurance over talent, and the messy middle after a boot camp ends, when confidence drops and the real work begins. We also get into her path from HR and learning and development to UX, how anthropology shaped her empathy as a designer, and why something as simple as a workplace potluck can be a real signal of belonging and community.

If you are in the middle of a change, this episode is for you, not because it is polished, because it is honest.

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