Passage: The Unexpected Path
Julia always thought she would end up working in the fashion industry. From a young age, she was drawn to design and spent hours sketching dresses and imagining how her creations would look on a runway. But when it came time to choose a major in college, she hesitated. Worried about job security, she decided to pursue a degree in business, thinking it would offer a safer path. She always told herself she could go back to design school someday if she really wanted.
After college, Julia was offered a stable position at a marketing firm, and she quickly climbed the ladder. She was good at her job, but it wasn’t her passion. Years went by, and as her career in marketing progressed, her dream of working in fashion felt more distant. She often thought about what might have happened if she had taken a chance on design.
One day, Julia’s company assigned her to lead a campaign for a luxury fashion brand. As she worked on the project, she was reminded of her old passion, and she poured herself into the job with an enthusiasm she hadn’t felt in years. Her coworkers noticed the change in her, and for the first time, Julia felt like she was truly blending her skills with her passion.
By the end of the project, the fashion brand offered her a role in their design team. But the timing couldn’t have been worse; Julia had just accepted a promotion in her current company, and the new position came with more responsibilities. She knew it would be hard to transition to a different industry now.
Looking back, Julia wonders if her life would have turned out differently if she had followed her passion from the start. She often thinks about what kind of designs she would have created by now if she had gone to design school. At the same time, she appreciates the stability and accomplishments she has in her marketing career.
Sample Mixed Conditional Questions
- Present Result of a Past Condition
- If Julia had chosen to study design instead of business, where would she be working now?
- What kind of projects might Julia be working on today if she had gone to design school?
- Past Result of a Present or General Condition
- If Julia were more willing to take risks now, how might that have changed her career decisions in the past?
- How might Julia’s early career choices have differed if she were more confident in her passion for fashion?
