Career Pivot? 3 Things to Think About to Speed Up Your Search

Who are you? Who are you outside of the box that is your current job? I’ve done multiple career pivots. Things I’ve heard about my experience: “How did you wind up here if you have a PhD?” I’ve also heard “Interesting experience,” or “Hmmm.” I’ve been interviewed and hired for different jobs in different industries (recruiting in the non-profit and financial services industries; higher education; business process outsourcing, and now, Software as a Service (SaaS).

Here are the top 3 things I want you to know about pivoting and your experience.

1. Know your “Why” and Be Able To Explain It

Why are you working on a career pivot? What are the important factors driving your change? Most people change careers because they are unhappy. If frustration and unhappiness are the major factors in your career pivot, think about how you want to explain these reasons to potential employers and craft your story before you need to share it in an informational interview or a job interview. When I pivoted from higher education in 2021, I was frustrated by the low salary options and lack of opportunities to grow. For me, career growth and salary were connected. In job interviews, I talked about wanting more opportunities to deepen my skill set and take on new challenges, which were true. My new job as a Sr. Customer Success Manager in the BPO/tech-adjacent industry came with a 26% salary increase and a huge opportunity to build new skills. Think about what you want to learn next, do next, and how you want to do that as you craft your “Why” story.

2. Networking is not a Just In Time Solution

People changing careers or seeking new jobs in industries where they do not have a network of connections are told “talk with people” to get job referrals, advice, and to learn more about specific companies or jobs. The problem with this advice is that it oversimplifies what is typically a longer term process of getting to know people and having multiple conversations before you are in a position to get a referral to a hiring manager. Successful networking requires patience and an understanding of what stage in the job search process you are in and what information you’re looking for. Earlier in my career, I was interested in executive search firms that specialized in higher education. I had eight conversations with various professionals in the industry to explore what it was like to work in the field. I did receive referrals to speak about job opportunities, but the referrals only came after three or four conversations, after I had a better understanding of the industry and more context to explain my skills and experience. To have stronger networking conversations, do two things: 1. Know whether you are gathering information about an industry, making connections, or are ready to pitch your experience to a hiring manager and 2. Be curious and ask questions of a variety of people in your circles. You never know who is in someone else’s network.

3. Don’t Just focus on Resume Keywords. Think “Contextual Skills” not “Transferable Skills.”

Context is everything in a job search. If you work in a different industry than you are applying to, make sure that you understand how your skills and experience align with the new roles and industries you want to work in. This goes beyond using job description keywords on your resume. You need to be able to explain how what you did previously or what you do now is like the work in the industry where you want to go. For me this has meant rethinking my previous work in higher education. In my last job in higher education, I created a twelve-month career program for students in a specialty master’s program to help them land jobs by graduation. I’ve had to rethink how this work has built skills that I use in my current work doing customer support and sales in the Software as a Service (SaaS) industry. It has meant more than using keywords like “customer journey” on my resume. I’ve had to think more about how that work I did creating programming and coaching students created value for the institution and what measurable results I could share. This is very different than thinking about things through the lens of student-centered actions and outcomes. If you want a way to get started doing this, check out my exercise on how to build a Throughline.