Yes, you can change careers. At any stage in your life.
There are many reasons why you might be considering a pivot to a new career. And, they’re all worthy!
Perhaps…
- There’s a change in the economy and your former career is no longer in demand.
- You may be bored to tears with your job and need a BIG change.
- You want to contribute to society in a more meaningful way.
- You’ve decided now is the time to earn a better income.
- You went to school for a specific career, but now realize it just isn’t for you.
I get it. I’ve been there! My educational path is a bit of a zig-zag. Clerk typist, (yes, that was the actual title of the program), legal assistant, and the topper…my degree is in Law in the Liberal Arts, with a minor in East European Studies. Not quite the educational path for a business owner, recruiter, author, and speaker.
No matter what your educational background is, you’re not locked into a set career. Your education is just a springboard to launch your career in whatever direction you’d like. At any stage you’d like.
Whatever the reason, I’ve got a few steps to make your transition EASY.
4 Pivot Tips:
1. Education: In most cases, you’ll probably need to invest in a course or certification to make the switch to a new career. When you invest in education to bridge the pivot, your education needs to move to the top of your resume. It helps an employer make sense of your new career direction.
2. Volunteer work: Volunteering is a great strategy to help gain experience in your newly chosen field of work. Outline your role, and how many hours per week or month you’re volunteering, and don’t forget to highlight your key achievements!
3. Target position: This is an absolute must-have when you pivot. In my book, Hired! How To Get The Zippy Gig., I shared a stat that shocks most job seekers:
“80% of resumes are rejected in less than 11 seconds.” - Financial Post
Hiring managers SKIM. In those 11 seconds, a hiring manager is quickly looking at: the company name and title, education, where are you located, and a quick look at any #’s or %’s. That’s it. You’ve got one shot.
If you’re a geologist and you’ve applied for an event coordinator role— I’ll think you’ve goofed up and applied for the wrong role. So, I’ll quickly glance at the top of your resume to see your “target position”. If you have the exact title of the role you’re applying for, I’ll know it’s not a mistake. I then glance at the next section on your resume, which should be EDUCATION and I’ll see you’ve taken courses to segue to your new career. Without a target position or education at the top of your resume, the odds are I’ll just move on.
4. Yes, your previous background still matters. I still want to see your previous roles (with emphasis on your successes in each role). If you were successful in your previous work, of course you’re going to try to excel in your new career. You’ll take all sorts of transferrable skills from your old career to your new one. Often, it’s a BIG BONUS that you’ve had a previous career.
No matter what your previous career was, if you were successful in the past, you’ll pour that same work ethic and desire to do a great job into your new career.
Here’s some high-profile career pivoters to give some inspiration:
1. Vera Wang was a figure skater and journalist before becoming a gown designer.
2. Julia Child was in advertising before writing her first cookbook.
3. Brad Pitt was a limo driver and mascot before launching into acting.
If Brad Pitt can drive a limo and wear a chicken costume…
I’m pretty sure you’ve got an excellent chance of changing your career too!
