As I reflect on the journey of conducting this research project, I am filled with a profound sense of growth and discovery. This journey has been a transformative experience that has shaped my perspective on education, career transitions, and the pathways of immigrants. I am extremely grateful to my research advisor, Dr. Jenna Myers, who provided me with invaluable insights and was an inspiring mentor throughout the project.

Some of my key learnings are highlighted in the following sections:

 Passion and purpose

I am originally from Peru, where I had the opportunity to teach immigrant children and learn about their struggles adapting to a new country. Since then, I have been driven by a genuine desire to make a meaningful contribution to understanding the pathways immigrants go through when adapting to a new country. Throughout the research project, this passion provided the motivation to overcome various challenges and obstacles.

One of the biggest challenges was securing the agreement with an upskilling program. However, thanks to the help of my supervisor, I was able to get permission from the Ethics Board for the last date of research, allowing us to start planning for interviews.

Empathy and Understanding

Interviewing participants gave me a great sense of empathy and understanding. Hearing their personal experiences, struggles, and aspirations confirmed the value of research in providing marginalized communities a voice. It reinforced my commitment to pursue a career in research and global development.

Interdisciplinary Exploration

Through my study, I was able to cross over into a number of academic fields, including industrial relations, organizational behaviour and immigration studies. This interdisciplinary approach broadened my views and emphasized how crucial it is to approach complicated problems from several perspectives.

Intersectionality

One of the most striking realizations was the concept of intersectionality, where participants often belonged to multiple transition groups simultaneously. This emphasized the idea that a variety of circumstances shapes people's ( both immigrants and non-immigrants) motivations and goals. It reaffirmed the necessity for different methods for understanding and identifying the different types of career transitions. That is why, in the methodology, I added an extra bucket on "intersections," which further illustrates this point.

Policy and Impact

Understanding the practical implications of the research findings was one of the parts I was most grateful for. Throughout the project, I sought ways to connect the findings to an action-based approach. The upskilling program was successful in various ways, inspiring me to continue pursuing research that has practical, real-world applications.

As I move forward, I carry the lessons and experiences from this journey, knowing that they will continue to inform and enrich my future endeavours.