Let’s start by defining what we mean by a pivot. A career pivot is a purposeful change of direction into a new position, field, or industry. While it is sometimes used interchangeably with career change, a pivot usually isn’t a complete transformation; instead, it takes into account the skills, experiences, accomplishments, and knowledge you’ve gained in your professional life thus far and applies them to a new course.
People make career pivots for lots of reasons. Perhaps they’re feeling disenfranchised with their current job or just learned their position is being eliminated. Maybe there’s something they’ve always wanted to do but for whatever reason haven’t felt like it’s the right time. Or possibly they’ve found themselves in circumstances that now allow them to explore different career paths or re-evaluate the scope of their work. No matter the reason, changing course can be challenging. Simply getting started can feel overwhelming, but it can be done. To help, we’ve gathered some advice on how to take the necessary steps toward making the shift you may seek.
1. Consider your motivations.
Hating your current job probably isn’t enough reason to make an entire career change. You may just need to look for a similar job elsewhere. Think about why you dislike your job. Is it the role? The people? The environment? If you’ve been in your position for a long time and know it’s the work, not the company, then it may be time to consider looking toward something new.
Take some time to really reflect on what’s going wrong and what’s going right. The “right” part is just as important as the “wrong” part, because it will help you know what you might want in a new career. It’s a good idea to write down your likes and dislikes, too. This will help you understand what might be more fulfilling work and find something you really love.
2. Make a list of your strengths, skills, beliefs, and other qualities.
Make a list of your top skills, favorite activities, and other attributes. Be sure to account for soft skills, along with hard and technical skills. Then consider how these skills and attributes might be transferable. Someone with an executive background, for example, already understands human resources, the legal department, and marketing. Someone who helped scale a startup from 20 to 100 people, managed large consulting projects, or ran a research lab has a replicable skills that are valuable in all sectors and industries.
3. Create a picture of your dream job.
Think about what your ideal job looks like, even if you think it’s outside the realm of possibility. Right now, you should only be thinking about what you want, not the skills or additional education you’ll need to have to get there. If you have no idea, do some research into jobs that require the strengths you have, as per #2. Ultimately, before you make a change, you’ll need to have a clear idea of what you want to do.
4. Understand your weakness, identify your gaps, and make a plan to address them.
Ask yourself: What skills or knowledge are needed for the next step? Once you identify your weaknesses or gaps, determine how to improve. Maybe it’s as simple as learning new software. Maybe it will involve going to conferences, reading trade publications, or taking classes. Make a concrete action plan for acquiring necessary skills, connections to forge, and anything else that will be essential for achieving your goal.
5. Market your transferrable skills.
With a career pivot you’ll likely need to connect dots for people and show them how your skill set is transferable so think beyond the chronological resume. Highlight your more relevant experiences, and tailor your resume and cover letter toward what you’re looking to do, as opposed to what you’re doing now. Don’t forget about updating that LinkedIn profile, too!
Once you’ve updated your personal brand, start leveraging your network. Tell everyone you know about what you want to do next. Help them understand what you’re trying to do and how your skills translate. Spend time on informational interviews and connect with industry professionals on LinkedIn.
6. Take a test drive.
Before you fully invest in a new path, you may want to take on some freelance projects or volunteer activities in a related position to make sure it’s the one you want before jumping in with both feet.
7. Give it time.
While it’s never impossible to make a career pivot, you shouldn’t underestimate the work and time it will require to do so. You’ll likely experience plenty of setbacks and rejections, so be sure to give yourself grace and space. Be fluid and opportunistic, realistic and patient. And, perhaps most importantly, be willing to keep trying until you succeed.
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