A few years ago, I found myself in a pretty unpleasant situation. After having left my “dream-job-that-wasn’t-a-dream-job” right after college, I was unemployed and lacking the experience I needed to enter the field I wanted to be in. In my desperation, I accepted a position close to home and hoped for a positive experience in my new role. Instead, that year ended up being the worst year of my life.

I’ll spare you the drama of the narcissistic, unstable boss and leave it at this- I was miserable. Cry-every-day miserable. Gain-20-pounds miserable. My life had become centered around how desperately I needed to be anywhere but there, so I did a thing.

I started a blog.

It wasn’t fancy. I learned the tiniest bit of code and customized my site more than a simple WordPress theme would allow me to. I moved some old posts from previous blogs onto it and started writing. Though I had no niche, no special talents, or even strong writing skills, I wrote because I needed a way to distract myself. All I knew was that I loved writing and creating pretty places and things.

My readership was small but sweet. I wrote pieces I was really excited about and shared my heart often. I learned the basics of Photoshop to use for my blog but ended up also doing some freelance work for a makeup company on the side. My blog developed slightly over the next few months, ranging from food blog to home decor blog, but my overall goal for the whole thing was simply to encourage.

Kinda like I want to do right now.

New chances.

I stayed at my terrible job for a year until my husband graduated. With a few awkward months before our move to another state, I needed to find something to help support us through the summer. I applied to jobs constantly and almost took a store team lead position for only $10 an hour. But one day, in a Facebook group for bloggers, someone made a post looking for a “social media savvy intern” and my heart leapt.

I immediately sent her a message and filled out the application. Within a few days, I had two phone interviews and was soon offered the position of Content Manager.

Going from my previous roles in roles where I felt deeply out of place, this new job title was everything I could have wanted. How did I get this job, with little to no formal marketing experience?

My blog. She took a chance on me despite my lack of education in this field because I had spent the last 9 months learning skills I knew I would need for my future. What began as a form of distraction from an unhealthy atmosphere became my road out of it.

I’ve since moved on to a more formal position as a Social Media Coordinator where I manage the social media pages of several colleges and find them partnerships with micro-influencers to promote their online degrees. My future in the marketing world is all thanks to this meager, little blog.

Don’t have experience? Make your own.

I’m not telling you to start a blog or even to start any new venture right now. But if you’re considering a change of industries and find yourself without the necessary skills, it’s never too late. You don’t have to go back to school for a new degree. Sit down tonight and make a list of the skills you need for your next opportunity. Read specific books, learn about skill acquisition, watch dozens of YouTube videos, find a mentor in your field and then get down to business. You’ll be where you want to be in no time.

For more articles on career and job searching: Finding Fulfillment in a Temporary Season, The Job Hunt