Background on my work history
I got a Sociology degree because I had no clue what career I wanted. Looking back, I wish I had picked something more practical like Accounting or Finance, but math was never my strong suit. After finishing college, I spent around 2 years doing market research work. Then I decided to get a master’s in CS/IT Management hoping to break into the tech industry.
Current situation
Turns out coding isn’t for me at all and I struggled through that degree program. Through networking, I managed to get into pre-sales consulting for real estate project management. By pure chance, I landed my current position in tech pre-sales about 18 months ago.
The good news is my job has decent pay (enough to qualify for a home loan), flexible schedule, and great coworkers and boss. But I constantly feel overwhelmed and inadequate because I lack both technical expertise and solid transferable abilities. My social anxiety makes client interactions really challenging too.
My main concerns
- What happens if I get laid off? Without strong technical skills, finding another position seems impossible and I could lose my home
- Career advancement feels unrealistic when I feel so far behind my coworkers intellectually
- I still have no idea what I actually want to pursue long-term, and even if I figured it out, I don’t have the hard skills needed to make a successful career change
Looking for guidance
Should I just keep my head down in this role until they eventually realize I’m not qualified and let me go? Or should I actively search for something where I can actually build a solid foundation for growth? Time feels like it’s running out. My friends all have clear career trajectories in fields like banking, healthcare, and design, which makes me feel even more lost. Going back to school isn’t financially feasible right now either.
Sounds like classic imposter syndrome. They’ve kept you around for 18 months - that’s not an accident! Instead of trying to tackle everything, pick one skill and focus on that. Don’t forget the flexible schedule and good pay matter too.
This video helped when I was questioning my entire career.
Girl, you’re being way too hard on yourself! Eighteen months means you’re GOOD at this job. Your sociology background is actually perfect for understanding clients and building relationships in pre-sales.
you’re overthinking this. you’ve lasted 18 months in a job you didn’t think you could handle - that says something. comparing yourself to friends with “clear career paths” is pointless. half of them will switch directions in a few years anyway. you’re making good money with decent work-life balance and nobody’s firing you. stop creating problems that don’t exist. if you get laid off, you’ll find another pre-sales job. you’re not unemployable.
Your sociology background is way more valuable in pre-sales than you think. Understanding people, market dynamics, and communication directly translates to client relationships and closing deals. You’ve been there 18 months - that shows you’re adding real value beyond just tech knowledge. Don’t see your background as scattered. Think of it as cross-functional expertise. Plenty of successful tech people combine domain knowledge with people skills rather than hardcore coding chops. I’d focus on getting better at pre-sales methodology and learning your industry instead of stressing about programming you’ll probably never use. The layoff anxiety makes sense, but staying put for 18 months means you’re doing something right.
I’ve been there - comparing yourself to friends constantly screws with your head. But you’re 27, not 47! I switched careers twice in my twenties and survived just fine. That combo of sociology + market research + tech consulting? That’s actually pretty unique to employers. Stop worrying about getting fired and start tracking your wins instead. What deals have you closed? What problems have you solved? I kept a folder of positive feedback and realized I wasn’t nearly as useless as I thought lol.
You’re looking at this all wrong. What you call “career confusion” is actually you building expertise across multiple areas. Going from sociology to market research to tech management to pre-sales? That’s valuable cross-functional knowledge employers want.
Stop worrying about lacking technical depth. Pre-sales isn’t about coding—it’s about understanding customers, explaining technical stuff in plain English, and building trust. You’ve been doing this for 18 months successfully. That’s not luck.
Layoffs aren’t the end of the world with your background. You’ve got multiple career paths open. Document what you’ve accomplished, put numbers on the deals you’ve helped close, and keep networking in your industry.
You’re financially stable now, so use that breathing room to strategically build skills instead of panicking and switching careers again. Your friends’ careers might look straightforward from outside, but nobody’s path actually goes as planned.
Your mix of analytical thinking and people skills is exactly what today’s market values. You’re in a better spot than you think.
