For a long time, I thought my experience was “just cleaning.”

I cleaned a school throughout high school alongside my twin sister. From there, I went on to clean in rest homes and later worked as a packer and cleaner.

For years, those experiences gave me evidence of what I was good at.

I knew I could work hard. I knew how to work as part of a team. I knew how to communicate with different people and adapt to different environments.

I also learned empathy, emotional intelligence and how much I enjoyed connecting with people, especially the elderly.

But because those jobs were physical, I think I became comfortable seeing myself in that way.

I was good at cleaning. I was good at physical work. That was where I had confidence.

Then I injured my knee and had to rethink what I wanted my future to look like.

I went back to study and started exploring a different path.

That was harder than I expected.

Not because I suddenly had no skills, but because I didn't have years of experience giving me the same confidence.

When you've done something for years, your brain has plenty of evidence that you can do it. You've had the practice. You've made mistakes. You've figured things out. You've had people tell you, “You're good at this.”

But when you step into something new, your brain doesn't have that evidence yet.

Even now, as I build my experience in social media and marketing, there are times when I still feel like I'm finding my feet. I'm learning, practising and building confidence through actually doing the work.

And I think that's something important to remember when you're considering a career change.

Just because you don't have years of experience in something doesn't mean you don't have valuable skills or the ability to do it.

Sometimes, you need to look beyond the tasks you've done and recognise everything those experiences have taught you.

Sometimes, you need to give yourself the opportunity to build new evidence.

Volunteer. Take a course. Start a small project. Apply for the role. Practise the skill.

It doesn't have to be a huge leap.

Every opportunity, however small, gives your brain another piece of evidence:

“I've done this before. I can learn. I can do this.”

Because confidence doesn't always come before experience.

Sometimes, experience is what gives us the confidence to believe in ourselves.

At Careerfit46, that's why looking beyond a job title matters. You're more than what you've done. Your experiences have given you skills, and with the right opportunities, you can continue building the experience for where you want to go next.