Practical Ways to Pivot Your Career

No one talked enough about how much work impacts life when I was growing up. There's the classic African family urge to pursue "white collar" jobs like lawyer, doctor, engineer, but I think the actual stress and toll work can take was severely understated. Is it just me?

As with most things, before you're 30 and that prefrontal cortex is underdeveloped, you may just start a career or job without much thought as to why you're doing it. At a certain point, however, full prefrontal et al, you may want to reinvent yourself, your career, or how you do your work, and fully pivot.

Here are some actionable tips for how to do so effectively. I've been there, I was in sales then recruiting then marketing and now lead operations for a start up. All this during multiple lay offs and 6+ months of unemployment.

The Art of the Pivot: steps to identify and choose a new career

1. Self-Assessment

Identify your strengths, skills, and passions.

Reflect on what aspects of your current role you enjoy or dislike.

This can be hard when you're head-down and focused on being "employee of the month" like I was. What really helped me was journaling daily or weekly about what I was grateful for in my role, what I looked forward to each day, and one thing - just ONE - that I would change. Over time there were some recurring themes. Sometimes it was people, sometimes it was pay, sometimes I was just bored and needed to be challenged (so I took on other projects), but starting with you is essential.

2. Research Your Target Field

Explore industries or roles that interest you.

Use online resources, informational interviews, and networking to gather insights.

The best way to learn what a job or field is truly like is to talk to people doing it (I know - cringe). You'll be surprised to learn how much people love to talk about themselves and their work - this is invaluable info. Last thing you want to do is move from a boring job to another, but keep in mind that one man's trash is another's treasure.

I highly recommend finding people on LinkedIn who are in the field you'd like to be in, and dropping a note to ask for a virtual coffee to learn about their work. Add some flattering words, and you'll be surprised at the response.

If you need more guidance here, there's a great audiobook I listened to by Molly Beck called "Reach Out."

Need even smaller baby steps? Search on TikTok and YouTube for "day in the life" videos of professionals in your field of interest. It's a POV of a very specific person, at a very specific time, so eventually you'll have to talk to people to get a fuller picture. This could even lead to an internship, apprenticeship or interviews.

3. Leverage Transferable Skills

Highlight skills that can apply across different fields, such as communication, problem-solving, and leadership.

Tailor your resume to emphasize these skills.

Easiest way to do this is ChatGPT or an AI tool of some sort to get you started. A prompt example is, "I am a Retail Sales Representative for Nestle and would like to move into a hybrid job in operations. Highlight the top 10 transferrable skills between retail sales and operations." After you get that response, "create a resume highlighting those skills and align it with a job description at {insert company you're interested in}.

4. Upskill and Reskill

I'm very passionate about this part.

The default thought when trying to pivot, is to get a certification or go back to school (looking at you, black woman). There is a plethora of options for online courses, workshops, or certifications to gain necessary skills for your new path.

Most certifications are a waste of time in getting you the actual skills you need, but they do help you learn the language of the industry. When I wanted to get some experience in marketing while I was still a recruiter, I took a UCLA Marketing Certification (cost nearly $6K, so there's the financial sink to consider, and I never finished the certification), but it helped me learn the verbiage of a new space - what is UTM, what is a CPA and how do I lower my CPA for the most conversions? etc.

Certificates are helpful to mostly ensure you don't feel stupid when people in the field are talking. You don't need a fancy one for that - take some courses on Coursera for $50/mo until you feel confident (and remember to cancel when you're done your course - it adds up).

The best way to upskill or reskill is to start small - start super part-time or if you have the time, volunteer in organizations that matter to you. This is where networking can also help, but if you're not ready for a corporation, start with actually volunteering.

There are tons of non-profits always looking for professional help, and start-ups that might pa a leeeeetle bit but you'll get invaluable experience.

Checkout wellfound.com for super small start-ups or founders who might be looking for help - if you can help it, don't work for free.

5. Network Strategically

Make a list of people kicking ass in the space you want to be in and ask for your current connections to connect you. I love to look for a "big sis" type of persona, and whether from afar or through messages, I make them my mentors. On my list are Thai Randolph (ex-CEO of Hartbeat among many other accomplishments), Bozoma Saint John (ex-CMO of Netflix, Exec at Uber and Beats, author, etc.) and Nyakio Grieco (Co-founder of Thirteen Lune, an omni-channel retailer of BIPOC beauty brands). Would I ever meet these women? Delusionally, yes - realistically maybe! Doesn't matter, I've slid into DMs to congratulate on a big launch or new job; they're too far removed for me to ask for favors, but I'm planting the seed.

Slide in as many DMs as you can - strategically - and ask for connections or intros to the people on your list. Message professionals in your target industry through LinkedIn, TikTok, IG, and even WhatsApp. Chances are, you already know people who are in your desired field, or you know someone who knows someone.

Seek mentors who can guide you through your transition. Offer to buy people coffee. It's hard to imagine being broke and asking someone with money out, but it'll show that you value their time (and in my experience they usually pay anyway).

Stay Resilient

Chin up, gorgeous. The urge to change everything can be exhilarating, but it can also feel overwhelming. It can be filled with disappointments. Another thing no one talked nearly enough about when I was growing up was the skill of managing disappointment. Someone I love and respect always says "All disappointment is a result of unmet expectations." Expect a lot of "no," expect that this is a difficult process and it is ok to go slowly. One of my best friend is a stay at home mom who after three kids wanted to go back into the office and it took her nearly four years to go land a customer service role. Take your time, don't take it personal when you don't get what your desire right away. We move.

Onward.