It is never too late to start a new beginning

Ani retired to take care of her husband, a former army officer severely injured in the war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) in 2020.

It wasn’t easy to resign after 30 years of service in law enforcement, but she did it because no one else would support her. State allowance and pension barely cover their expenses, and there were no savings to help a family of five.

To stay home permanently with her husband meant almost excluding any job opportunity, but she also knew she had to do something to change her situation.

She began searching for remote work but quickly understood that her chances as a legal expert were slim and that it would be a dead-end if she didn’t acquire new skills.

It is always interesting to evaluate others, but when you need to do it for yourself, it becomes a real challenge because you need to be critical of yourself and see your limits. She dug deeper to find out what she could have as a talent to materialize.

Stumbling across several job announcements for graphic designers and having a refined taste of aesthetics, she thought maybe it was worth exploring and testing her capacities in this field. Her two elder children, who are still students in programming, encouraged her to follow this path.

With timid successes, she began to advance step by step. When she learned that the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development supported women in becoming self-sufficient, she applied to this program.

The project allowed her to attend an accelerated graphic design certification course to excel in graphic design skills and purchase a powerful computer that could handle graphic design software and tools.

Her confidence grew when she began to master technical skills and realize assignments without external help. She learned a lot from video tutorials and her mistakes.

A lot remains to know to build a thriving remote career in this field, but she is sure she will overcome all hurdles, and word-of-mouth referrals will add names to her list of clients.

Very soon, in March 2024, she will finish the last training session and design her first brochures that she promised her friends, who are waiting for her success.

When we interviewed her, she made a small confession.

“Of course, I can do as many would, wait until my children work and request their aid, but it is not my choice, and I don’t want to stay assisted all my life.

She paused for a moment and continued.

“Who can imagine that one day I would become a graphic designer? It was unimaginable a few years ago. But now, I am about to become one. I took the risk and made the change. I understood that I needed to adapt and grow. I know that I should practice and learn constantly, but I also know that it is a world full of possibilities, so I need to grab my chance! “.