Seek out opportunities before you feel ready for them. If someone at your school or company is working on something interesting, ask to get involved. The answer might be no, but enthusiastic curiosity is usually welcomed --and it's how you build skills that don't show up in a job description. :)

The loss of coworkers who made work meaningful. You don't always notice how much those daily interactions mattered until they're gone --a restructure, people leaving, a shift to remote. The work itself might be fine, but the absence of those connections can make everything feel heavier than it should.

Reminding myself that my worth isn't my job title. No matter what happens in my career, my pets will still love me, my spouse will still be there, and the sun will come up tomorrow. Sounds simple, but when you're spiraling about a decision, sometimes you need to zoom out and remember what actually matters.

I don't have specific automotive/aerospace advice, but here's what matters for any career pivot: control the narrative.

When you interview, their first instinct is "You did X for years... why switch to Y?" That framing puts you on defense, implying something was wrong with your old path.

Flip it. In your cover letter and interviews, lead with the story: what sparked your interest in aerospace, what you've done to prepare, and why your automotive background is an asset (systems thinking, safety-critical design, manufacturing constraints -- these transfer).

Don't justify why you're leaving. Explain why you're arriving.