Tips for Successful Career Pivots

“You’re too late to switch careers now.” If you’re still hearing this, you’re listening to people who’ve never dared to pivot. Every week, I meet candidates who believe career pivots are for the lucky, the well-connected, or the endlessly brave. The truth? Career pivots are for those who know how to translate their value. Let me tell you about my student — a finance analyst who wanted to break into a data science role. She didn’t have the perfect resume. She didn’t have “traditional” credentials. But she had the right strategy which helped her land her dream job of 13 LPA in data science. Here’s how we made the impossible possible: 1️⃣ We Mapped Skills, Not Job Titles We moved beyond job titles and highlighted the relevant, transferable skills she developed: ➡ Data visualization in Excel = Tableau dashboards ➡ Financial modeling = Predictive analytics ➡ Stakeholder presentations = Data storytelling We drew clear connections between her past achievements and the demands of her new target field, proving she already had much of the expertise needed. 2️⃣ Told a Story of Growth, not Escape Instead of apologizing for her pivot, she owned her journey: “After streamlining reporting processes for two years, I became obsessed with uncovering data insights at scale, which led me to master Python, SQL, and ML models for real business challenges.” 3️⃣ Built a Bridge with Projects On her resume and LinkedIn, we stacked her portfolio with hands-on proof: ➡ Kaggle challenges ➡ Volunteer projects for a local NGO ➡ A data dashboard analyzing customer churn for a side business She highlighted impact, not just participation. 4️⃣ Networked with Precision She stopped spamming “open to work” and instead: ➡ Attended data meetups and hackathons ➡ Sent targeted LinkedIn messages: “Hi [Name], I saw your team at Capgemini recently launched a new analytics suite. I ran a similar project, would love to hear your insights!” This opened doors to referrals before jobs even hit the portals. 5️⃣ Reframed Her CV and Interview Pitch ➡ Instead of using generic finance descriptions, she drew a direct line to data science skills and their real business value. For example, rather than simply stating, “Prepared monthly financial reports,” her resume read: “Developed automated reporting dashboards with Excel VBA and Power BI, cutting data processing time by 40% and equipping leadership with real-time analytics for faster decisions.” ➡ In her interview pitch, she didn’t just say she was “good with numbers.” She gave a precise, relevant narrative: “When my team struggled with manual forecasting, I designed a predictive model in Python that improved revenue forecast accuracy by 25%, enabling us to optimize inventory and save costs. That solution is still used today.” #careerpivot #dreamjob #growth #interviewtips #transferableskills #careerswitch

Career transitions aren't about finding a new train track to ride to career advancement—they're about mastering the rock climb. Here's the framework I use with clients to help them pivot successfully: Step 1: Identify Your True Pain Point Before making any move, ask yourself: Is it your boss you dislike or the actual work? Is it the industry or just your company culture? One client was ready to leave her entire field until we discovered she only needed an internal transfer away from a toxic boss—saving months of job searching while keeping her seniority. Step 2: Apply the W.I.S.E. Framework Don't jump straight to job applications. First, analyze: Workplace needs: What motivates you at work? Industries: Which sectors will you thrive in? Skills/Roles: What work uses your skills/strengths? Experience: What experience can you leverage in your transition? Step 3: Become the Entrepreneur of Your Career The ultimate goal? Complete ownership of your professional destiny. This mindset shift is everything. Your experience is your product, and you must position it differently for different opportunities. Feeling stuck? Successful job seekers prioritize and compromise.  Use “forced choice” to help you prioritize what’s most important to you and narrow down your options. Here's a question for deeper reflection... How does your past experience prepare you for the roles you're targeting now? #Careers #JobSearch #LinkedInTopVoices

Don’t begin the job search thinking you must take a pay cut. Even if you’re switching to a new role, industry or region. Pivoting your career doesn’t mean you have to take a pay cut, if you: ✅ Show you can bring value ✅ Stay clear of a self-limiting mindset ✅ Repackage your skills and market them well ✅ Look for roles that value your past experiences All this may take some time, but it's not impossible. I worked with a client who was running training programs in the preschool industry. He has been there for 5 years, wanted a change and was “ready to take a pay cut”. He eventually landed an operations manager role in a fintech firm, with a 15% salary increase. Role change? Yes. Industry change? Mhm-hmm. How did that happen? He stopped seeing himself as only ‘running training programs in the preschool industry’. He realised his skills and expertise were more than that. He was pitching new initiatives to management, designing workflows, securing budgets, training staff to deliver new programs, enhancing processes and negotiating with stakeholders to get stuff done. All that made him a perfect fit for his new target role. It’s natural to box ourselves into a specific role or industry, especially if we’ve been in it for some time. And think that pivoting careers = entering a new field with no experience = pay cut. This may be true for some specialised roles (eg. mid-career pivot to a doctor and having to attend medical school + start off as a house officer), but is definitely not true for all roles. Highlight the skills and experiences that make you a winner for your next role. Double down on them. No need to sell yourself short too quickly. (Of course, there are some roles which may be a step-down in current compensation but offer huge future upside - probably a topic for another day!)

50+ and considering a career pivot? Let me tell you what I've seen work after 25 years of placing executives. The professionals who successfully pivot at this stage don't try to out-hustle people half their age. They play a different game entirely. 1. Your network is the shortcut. You've spent decades building relationships most people can only dream of. Former colleagues, clients, industry contacts, this is your unfair advantage. Stop mass-applying online and start having conversations. One warm introduction beats 100 cold applications. 2. Reframe your experience as the asset it is. You're not overqualified. You've navigated recessions, managed through uncertainty, and built teams that delivered. Companies dealing with volatility right now don't need someone learning on the job. They need steady hands. Position yourself accordingly. 3. Consider the sideways move. Not every pivot is vertical. Sometimes the smartest play is moving into an adjacent industry, a board seat, an advisory role, or a smaller company where your expertise creates immediate impact. The goal isn't the biggest title. It's the best fit. 4. Visibility matters more than ever. Your resume isn't your first impression anymore, your LinkedIn is. Update it. Engage with content in your space. Share your perspective. Hiring managers and recruiters notice who's active and who's invisible. You're not starting from scratch. You're starting from 25+ years of experience, relationships, and credibility. That's not a disadvantage. That's leverage. For more insights, check my newsletter here: https://vist.ly/4pkse #eliterecruiter #corporatetruths #over50 #careerpivot #careerchange #executivesearch #careeradvice #networking #jobsearch #linkedintips #experiencedprofessionals #hiring #midlifecareer #professionalgrowth #careerstrategy

One of the most overlooked ways to break into data is by pivoting within your current company. Last month, my client successfully made this transition—from a grocery store manager to a Data Analyst. Are they exactly where they want to be as a data scientist? Not yet. But they’re a whole lot closer. And that’s okay—breaking into data often requires humility. You might not land your dream role right away, but every step forward gets you closer. Being humble and recognizing the value of incremental progress is key to long-term success. But why is this approach so effective? Because pivoting within your company is a win-win: - Trust: Your current company already trusts you. - Cost Efficiency: Hiring and training new employees is costly for the company, and job searching is costly for you. - Simplicity: No need to send 100s of applications, tweak your resume endlessly, or struggle through interviews. Leverage the relationships you already have. So, how can you make this pivot effectively? Here are 7 action steps to help you pivot within your company: 1) Ignore the Job Title, Focus on Skills Identify the skills and key responsibilities of the role you want. These can be leveraged later if you choose to switch companies. 2) Ask Your Manager to Build a Plan Propose a plan that shows how your new role will help the company grow. Suggest dedicating a fraction of your hours to learning and building those skills. 3) Automate and Innovate Look for ways to automate your current job or optimize processes. This can demonstrate your value in a data role. 4) Internal Networking Talk to other departments, explore internal positions, and make connections. Sometimes, a simple conversation can open doors to new opportunities. 5) Volunteer and Take Initiative Offer to take on data-related tasks or projects, even if they’re outside your current role. It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. 6) Review and Analyze Current Data Use the data available in your current role to drive improvements. This shows initiative and builds your data skills. Every company uses data, so find it. 7) Look for Internal Positions Regularly check for internal openings that align with your goals. Applying within your company can often be a faster route to a new role. Remember: The Easiest Change is Optimizing Your Current Situation Before you start looking externally, consider how you can leverage your current position to move closer to your dream data role. It might be simpler than you think. Have you successfully pivoted within your company or are you planning to? Let’s discuss your experience and ideas in the comments! --------- ➕ Follow Jaret André for more actionable tips on breaking into data and accelerating your career. ♻ Repost this if you found it helpful.

Considering a Career Transition? Doing this one thing can make the difference between being overlooked or being selected for an interview and landing an offer. ✅ Be the obvious choice – Don’t assume recruiters will connect the dots. They’re often scanning for an exact title match. Your job? Bridge the gap for them. Translate your past experience into the language of your target role so they see you as a natural fit. Example:  Transition from a Project Manager → Product Manager Let’s say you’ve been a Project Manager for years but want to move into a Product Manager role. A recruiter or hiring manager might not immediately see the connection because they’re looking for candidates with direct Product Management titles. Instead of listing: ❌ “Managed project timelines, budgets, and stakeholder communications.” Reframe it to match Product Management language: ✅ “Led cross-functional teams to deliver customer-focused solutions, prioritizing features based on business impact and user needs.” Why this works: “Led cross-functional teams” aligns with how product managers work across engineering, design, and marketing. “Customer-focused solutions” signals an understanding of product development, not just project execution. “Prioritizing features based on business impact and user needs” shows a product mindset—something critical for a PM role. ✨ Bonus: 📎📄 Attached is an in-depth example of how to identify your transferable skills and effectively highlight them as relevant experience. This can be a tool that assists you with your resume, interviewing and negotiating. 💡 Need guidance? Assisting clients with career pivots and transitions is something I excel at. Plus - I’ve successfully navigated several transitions in my own career, so I’ve lived it. Let’s connect! #CareerChange #CareerAdvice #JobSearch #CareerTransition #Laidoff #CareerDevelopment #CareerGrowth #JobSeeker #CareerPivot

In 2017, I left my job as a TV news anchor to build my own business. Today, I coach Fortune 500 women who are at an inflection point in their careers. 5 lessons for women going through a transition: For some context, back in 2010, my contract at ABC was up. I was forced to ask myself if my legacy was really going to be waking up at 2:30 AM to report other people’s stories. The answer was a resounding no. So I left TV and launched my own business. The early days were brutal. But over time, I figured it out — I built meetups that sold out, retreats that transformed women’s lives, and eventually a boutique year-long mastermind. Today, the systems I built back then allow me to earn my previous entire year's salary in just a single month. And they're the same systems any woman going through a career change can implement to enter into their next chapter: 1. Transfer your skills: Everything I did on TV, from writing to interviewing to timing, translated directly into selling out events and building my brand. Identify your top skills and leverage them to land your next thing. 2. Leverage your unfair advantages: My video experience landed me my highest-paying keynote at the San Diego Convention Center. Think about what your own unfair advantage is and find a way to use it. 3. Protect your mindset daily: Success starts here. Meditate, journal, move your body. It'll set you up for success in the long run. 4. Hire before you’re ready: My bookkeeper and second-in-command freed me up to grow. Once you've built some initial momentum, identify your highest-leverage tasks and find ways to outsource them. 5. Write about your systems: My “Engage and Convert Framework” turned into my IP and brought in several clients. Build your own systems and leverage them for future opportunities. At the end of the day, just because you're going through a pivot doesn't mean you should stand still. Find your advantages, continue learning, and leverage them for future opportunities.

I switched careers 3x in 5 years (+ took an 80% pay cut along the way). Now I help high-achieving professionals do the same (minus the painful detours). Here are 5 lessons I learned the hard way: 1. You have to learn to sell yourself Nobody's coming to knock on your door. You have to put yourself out there & ensure that people know who you are and what you can do. Even as an extrovert, I had to learn how to network → Craft a compelling elevator pitch → Explain my pivot in a way that made sense → Convince people to take a chance on me - even without a big brand behind me 2. Collect NOs like badges of honour Rejection is inevitable. Rather than shy from it, make it your goal to acquire as many NOs as possible. But don’t collect them blindly. Take the time to step back & analyse the NOs.  → Why did they say no? → What didn’t land? → What would I do differently next time? 3. Reframe your skills from a different angle Most people downplay or mislabel their experience. The key? Learn to narrate your past through the lens of your future. Even seemingly irrelevant experiences can be narrated differently to show relevance. ❌ “I was a project manager.” ✅ “I was leading complex operational workflows across multiple stakeholders.” ❌ “I run a small side hustle.” ✅ “I’ve built and scaled a business from scratch — wearing every hat from marketing to finance.” Get creative. Your career story is yours to shape — don’t wait for someone else to connect the dots. 4. MBAs are the biggest scam You don’t need to go to school to make a successful career pivot. Not when you can take on a job that teaches you everything you know in real time while being paid to do so (without forking out $200k!) I did the same thing & have never regretted it. Back when I first left Wall Street, I decided to join a fashion startup rather than pursue an MBA. I set clear goals for myself (aka built a personalised MBA curriculum for myself) to ensure that I learned everything I needed to learn to eventually launch my own fashion line.    5. Don’t let society’s narrative hold you back  It’s hard to walk away from something “prestigious.” I get it. People thought I was crazy. Colleagues laughed behind my back. Well-meaning friends warned: → “You’re throwing away your career.” → “You’ll regret this.” But guess what? They were wrong. Because “perfect-on-paper” doesn’t mean perfect for you. My decision to pivot gave me something no traditional path ever did: → A career aligned with my ikigai → Work that plays to my strengths, passions, and purpose → Flexibility, joy & financial upside - success on my terms * Are you a high-performing professional stuck in a "perfect on paper" job that doesn't feel perfect for you? I help people like us pivot from perfect-on-paper to perfect-for-you. DM me "MASTERCLASS” to get my free training on how to pivot into a career you love.

When you're transitioning into a new industry whether it's from retail to biotech, bedside to corporate, or academia to clinical research there's one thing that must go with you: A clear, compelling personal brand. When your experience doesn't check every box, your brand fills the gap. It tells people: I may be coming from a different world, but here's the unique value I bring. So how do you build a brand that opens doors during a pivot? 1. Own Your Narrative Don’t hide your pivot position it. → I bring a patient-first mindset into clinical research. → I translate scientific complexity into actionable insight. → I’ve led under pressure now I’m ready to lead with purpose. 2. Lead With Transferable Strengths Not the job titles the skills behind them: → Communication. Strategy. Adaptability. Data interpretation. These are your assets. Make them loud and clear. 3. Align Your Messaging Make sure your LinkedIn profile, resume, and even how you introduce yourself all tell the same story: I’m pivoting with intention and I’m bringing results with me. 4. Show Your Work Post. Comment. Engage. Share what you're learning, thinking, and building. Let people see your transition in real time not just read about it on a resume. If you’re in the middle of a pivot, you’re not starting over you’re starting strategically. Your experience is an asset. Your voice is your differentiator. And your brand? It’s the bridge between where you’ve been and where you’re going. Own it. Shape it. Share it. #CareerPivot #PersonalBranding #CareerChange #TransferableSkills #CareerGrowth 

Career pivots can be daunting but rewarding. Here's how to make it work... 👉 Find your Why Do some work on your values, narrow it down to 5 core values. Write down why you want to pivot, be honest here. What do you expect to find in the new career? I faced my pivotal point at 28, after a successful decade in telecoms. Despite career progression at a relatively young age, I wanted out. I saw the industry's decline - intense price competition, thinner margins, not much value differentiation for the customer. Back then, the career direction wasn't clear. I knew I needed a new challenge. 👉 Embrace the Advice The best piece of advice I got was straightforward: "Get to work, network!"  Assess your transferable skills. Are there any? If new qualifications are needed, pursue them. During the MBA years, I realised telco was in my past. A headhunter's candid feedback during a career session was a game-changer for me: "You need to rethink your approach. Banking after 10 years in telco? Why start from scratch? Find an adjacent industry, where your skills and experience matter." 👉 Put in the Effort Do the inner work first, be clear on your intentions. Dream Big, and stay realistic on the next step. Remember: where you are today is the start. I followed her advice, connecting with tech recruiters and shifting the job search from management back to an Account Executive role. I wanted to learn how to sell tech, be credible, be the best at it before I could confidently lead teams again. It turned out to be the best decision of my career! P.S. I hope my story encourages others to share their career pivot experiences and offer guidance through mentoring others. #linkedinnewsuk #careertransition