#32: How to Transition Careers

4 Killer Tips for a Meaningful Transition

Holla! Been a minute.

For the most of May, I got stuck in a rut and had writer’s block. I’ll tell you why.

Launching my career coaching service took a much bigger toll on me than I imagined - the constant ideation, tweaking and retweaking, website design, webinar, content creation alongside managing my worklife, personal life, nonprofit, and so much more.

I’m not sure where I’m headed with everything yet, but I know there’d be a few changes on here (cue in, transition). First, I’m thinking of starting a new column focused on career advice particularly for those looking to switch jobs or industries. Let me know if this would interest you.

Since I’ve been creating a lot of content on career transitioning, I figured I’d share one of my best ones with you (This is the kind of solid content I intend to create for the career column), I hope you find it useful.

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In my last post, I mentioned that I've pivoted career paths five times in 10 years. The TLDR: is that I started off in frontend development, switched to tech consulting, business operations, strategy/business transformation, and now I’m in product partnerships in tech.

At first, it was confusing, I thought I always needed to start over or that I could never thrive in certain fields since I hadn't been working directly in those fields. But 5 years into my career, I had an epiphany. I noticed that with each career move, I felt a better sense of professional fulfilment, so I started getting comfortable in navigating unknowns and making seemingly unpopular decisions. 

In fact, before settling on my current role in product partnerships, I had to decline offers from 2 companies — a major e-commerce startup and one of the Big 4's because it just wasn't the best way I wanted to use my skills.

It's 100% possible to pivot in your career (at any time), without having to start over. There's no age barrier or experience barrier, but there's a right way to make a career transition. 

If you are thinking about making a career switch, here are my 4 killer tips for transitioning careers successfully and find career fulfilment:

1. Know your Why, i.e. your “ideal” end goal

When it comes to transitioning, you're not always sure whether you're making the right decision, and that's okay. The most important thing is about starting from the inside out, and focusing on you. 

To switch to a career path you like/enjoy/want, it's a no-brainer that you would need to be able to identify where you want to go. The question, Why do you want a change is a key question you've got to be able to answer. It could be something as simple as wanting more freedom, or more opportunities for exposure, and it could be something like becoming a manager.

2. Identify your current skills and gaps (if any)

Take some time to conduct a skill self-assessment, think of technical skills and soft skills. List out what you currently do well, the current skills you have that are relevant to the new role you want (these are your transferable skills).

What kind of upskilling or reskilling do you need to make your transition possible? Is it a training, more education (Postgraduate, MBA, etc), or a certification/qualification? List out the skills you need to learn to break into this new career path. Then, identify how this learning gap will be filled.

3.  Create your active growth plan

It might take a month, 3 months, or 6 months to acquire the skills you need to transition. Don't get overwhelmed about it, just try to follow through as everyone's path is different.

Sometimes, you might also need to put what you've learned into action. Even though potential is great, every employer wants to see evidence that you can do it. Build projects, volunteer, learn with project-based resources, explore, experiment, be visible, document a portfolio/body of work. Focus on your end goal, and keep doing what needs to be done to fill this gap including creating proof of your work.

4. Apply for Jobs non-traditionally

Research shows that 70% of all jobs are not published publicly on jobs sites and as much as 80% of jobs are filled through personal and professional connections.

The phrase "your network is your net worth" couldn't be any truer! When job searching, don't put all your efforts into applying just on job boards. Leverage your network (family, friends, past colleagues, old bosses) to share your recent career aspirations. You can also reach out to recruiters on LinkedIn, it helps when you have a solid profile, so they keep you in mind for current or future roles.

Your career move is yours to make!

P.S: If you're feeling stuck or unfulfilled in your current role, and looking to transition, I can guide you through. We'll have a deep dive call to identify your strengths, interests, and help you move from confusion to clarity. Book a call here.