In this week’s episode of Promoted, Merit America alumna Andrea Hopson shares her journey of transitioning from the insurance industry to data analytics in pursuit of work-life balance. Reconnecting with her former coach, Maurice Davis, she discusses the vital role of her family’s support in navigating this new career path and delves into the ongoing challenges of balancing work and home responsibilities while striving to break into tech.
Key Takeaways
Picture this: you come home after a long day at work, planning to catch up on your studies. Suddenly, two of your kids are sick, another has a school play, and your partner is stuck working late. Your carefully planned schedule quickly unravels as life’s demands pile up.
You’re not alone in this struggle. Nearly 48% of the U.S. workforce identifies as “workaholics,” and 60% feel their work and personal lives lack boundaries.
For many Americans, the desire for better work-life balance has become a primary reason for changing careers, outweighing the pursuit of higher pay. People want to protect their personal time and create meaningful family moments by setting clear boundaries, prioritizing sleep, exercise, and mental health. However, achieving true balance can be challenging, as life is always in flux.
In this week’s episode, Andrea, a Merit America learner and mother of four, discusses with Career Coach Maurice how she balances family responsibilities and a full-time job while staying on track in Merit America’s Data Analytics program.
Tune in to learn:
- Why Andrea made her move into data analytics
- The value of support systems at work and at home
- How she balanced work and family responsibilities
- The role of mindset in achieving work/life balance
Check out the latest episode!
Listen to Andrea and Maurice’s full conversation for valuable insights and practical tips on achieving work-life balance while navigating a career transition.
Podcast Transcript
Andrea: Hi, I’m Andrea, and I’m currently transitioning from the insurance industry to a new career in data analytics. Today, we’re going to talk about how I did it while balancing work, family, and career training with the help of my Merit America coach, Maurice.
Maurice: You just heard the voice of Andrea, an alum of Merit America’s data analytics program. Welcome to another episode of Promoted, a podcast about leaving low-wage work for good. I’m Maurice Davis, today’s host and a Merit America coach. In this episode, we’ll explore how to navigate the challenges of balancing a demanding job, continuous learning through programs like Merit America, and your personal life. Andrea, welcome to the show.
Andrea: Thank you for having me, Maurice.
Maurice: Of course! Let’s start with your background. Can you tell us about where you were professionally before Merit America?
Andrea: I was working in the insurance industry in subrogation, where I enjoyed my job but not the responsibilities for the pay I was getting. I felt like there was something more I needed to do. In my job, I dealt a lot with data. So I just felt like a data analytics certification was my next step.
Maurice: What were some other obstacles that you faced in your career that prompted you to look for a program like Merit America?
Andrea: Not feeling respected at my job, just feeling like a cog in the wheel. In data analytics, there are so many different industries that need data analysts. I just knew that I needed to enhance my data knowledge to get a better paying job.
Maurice: You said you tried college. How did that work out for you?
Andrea: Costly. Even with loans and financial aid, there were still a lot of out-of-pocket costs that I couldn’t always come up with. I mean, I got close. I have 99 credit hours, but they were more interested in getting the payment than seeing the end result. That was one of the great things about Merit America. You could get in, and they would help you pay for it or wait until you got a job before they asked for payment. That takes some of the stress off.
Maurice: It’s like you’re reading my mind because that was my next question. What led you to finally apply to Merit America? What were you hoping this program would do to change your life?
Andrea: It was so funny. I kept seeing the Merit America ads and ignoring them. But every time they popped up whenever I thought about enhancing my career, it was kind of like a nudge—like, hey, you need this. So one day I said, “You know what? I’m going to do it.” The video interview was a little scary, telling them why I chose to go to Merit America. So I said it was because my time’s worth more than I’m getting paid for it. And I’m hoping that Merit America is going to train me so that I know what I’m talking about when I apply for positions.
Maurice: Wonderful. Work-life balance means dividing your time and energy between your job, your personal life, your studies, and other responsibilities to keep yourself healthy and productive and feeling good. It’s essential so you don’t end up burning out. During your time at Merit America, what other commitments were you juggling?
Andrea: Oh, my gosh. So I’m a mom of four.
Maurice: My goodness.
Andrea: I’m a wife, and the kids have school and events, and I was just trying to keep up with my 40 hours. At one point I was working two jobs, going to Merit America, and juggling life. But I think it’s mindset that helps your work-life balance. I knew that this was for a better chance at more opportunities. So I had to get through it. My family made it easy. I just let them know, hey, this is what I’m doing, and it’s going to require a lot of my time. So we have to write stuff down. If we have to be somewhere, I need to know. If I go to the grocery store on the way home, I need to know if we don’t have milk.
Maurice: So it sounds like you had a really good support system in the midst of the mindset coaching and practicing. But we don’t live in a perfect world, right? So I’m sure there were times when you had competing priorities. Can you share how you dealt with scheduling conflicts and the importance of communication in managing your time effectively?
Andrea: Oh my god. Communication is key. We talk about the weekly schedule on Sunday night. But like you said, conflicts come up. You still have to make arrangements for them. Like, I call my husband, “Hey, can you do this? Can we do this?” And it worked out. I was tired, exhausted. So take vitamins, drink plenty of water, eat healthy. All of that is key. You can’t burn out. You have to regenerate, basically.
Maurice: If we had to give an MVP award, who would you say was the biggest supporter on your team? And what did they do that helped carry you through the program?
Andrea: My husband’s supportive, but he works too. So I had my oldest daughter and my youngest son. They helped prepare dinners. I can’t single one person out because I basically told them, hey, this is like life or death. I’ve got to get through this because I want something better, not just for myself, but for all of us.
Maurice: I love that. It’s one of the main reasons I was so excited to talk to you today because as your coach, I saw your resilience throughout the entire program. So, what were some of the strategies for someone struggling to balance their current job and family responsibilities while transitioning to a new career?
Andrea: Rip the Band-Aid off. I wasn’t happy where I was working. It seems like when you get hired at a job, your job description says one thing, but then they add more work, but never add more dollars. I knew somebody was getting paid better money to do this. Sometimes you have to choose yourself. And it’s not always comfortable. Merit America is not an easy journey, but it gives you resources to be successful. I had a great coach named Maurice. The biggest part of that is having faith in yourself—having faith that you are in it for something bigger.
Maurice: I love that. It’s always so exciting to hear our learner stories and hear about career growth and the changes that have taken place since their time in the program. So I just want to hear a little bit more about what you’re doing now. How has your life or your outlook on life changed since Merit America?
Andrea: I’m not interviewing for $17/hr. jobs now. Now I’m interviewing for jobs that are paying what I feel I’m worth. When I bring the transferable skills and the skills I learned at Merit America, I feel like people can see me now.
Maurice: Yes! One more question. Thinking about the future, what’s next? Are there any specific goals or aspirations you’re aiming for?
Andrea: Yes. Currently, I’m in a project management course, and I felt like project management goes along with data analytics. I’m excited because I’m interviewing for both. Limitless options, and I’m not stressed. I prepared taxes for 20 years and just came off tax season. I’m still working on taxes, but I’m looking forward to getting a position in what I have trained on recently—data analytics, project management, keeping the faith.
Maurice: Thank you. And thank you so much for sharing the insights on the skills you needed to maintain work-life balance. Your experiences and advice will help so many people looking for future career prospects. To our listeners, if you want to learn more about how Merit America can help you find your way to a better job, visit our website at meritamerica.org.