How to Switch Careers Successfully

Thinking about a career change? Here’s how to actually make it happen, step by step. I’ve spoken with hundreds of people stuck between “I don’t want to do this anymore” and “But where do I even start?” Here’s the truth: Changing careers isn’t about starting over. It’s about repackaging what you already know, and proving you can solve a new set of problems. Here’s how to do it (with examples): 1. Start with your story. What’s pulling you away from your current path—and what’s pulling you forward? ✅ Example: “I’ve spent 6 years in education, but what I really loved was designing systems and learning tools. I’m now pivoting into UX design for edtech.” Make the shift clear and intentional. 2. Identify your transferable skills. You’ve built real value, name it. ✅ Example: Sales → Relationship-building, persuasion, handling objections Ops → Process design, cross-functional collaboration, execution List your strongest 4–6 skills and align them with your new target role. 3. Learn the language of the new industry. Every field has its own lingo. Start speaking it. ✅ Tip: Search 10 job listings in your target role. Write down the top 5 repeated words/phrases. Mirror those in your LinkedIn, resume, and pitch. 4. Rewrite your resume to match the direction, not the past. Lead with relevance, not chronology. ✅ Example: Add a “Career Summary” section: “Operations leader transitioning into product management, with 7+ years leading cross-functional teams, driving process improvements, and delivering results.” 5. Build proof fast. Don’t wait to get hired to show your skills. ✅ Options: Freelance Volunteer Build your own project Take a short course and create a case study Demonstrate that you’re not just interested, but also taking action. 6. Apply smart, not just often. Instead of applying everywhere, focus on quality roles in flexible environments. ✅ Pro tip: Use DailyRemote to find legit, remote-friendly roles across industries. It’s especially helpful for career changers who want fresh opportunities and a bit more breathing room. 7. Network with purpose. Start with conversations, not asks. ✅ DM example: “Hi Alex, I saw your post about transitioning into UX. I’m making a similar shift from content strategy. Would love to hear about your journey, no pressure at all.” Career changes take courage. But they’re absolutely possible. You’re not starting from scratch. You’re starting from experience. Now package it with purpose, and go get what’s next.

How I transitioned from a career in Higher Education to Veteran Services Nonprofit... 1. Leveraged LinkedIn to make connections with folks in my target field. (Hint: all I did was search "veteran" and lots of people came up who work with veterans in various capacities.) 2. Sent those connections a custom message explaining why I wanted to connect and remained engaged with them online: a network full of people in your target field is a gold mine for learning about job opportunities. 3. Volunteered in the Veteran Service Organization space. (Gained valuable experience working for a Veteran Nonprofit which I could list on my resume and talk about with hiring managers, and confirmed that my target industry was definitely the path I wanted to take.) 4. Took a side hustle of working with veterans at the VFW as a Marketing Manager: it didn't pay the bills, and it was definitely a time-consuming portion of my "plate," but it was more experience working in my target industry. 5. Ensured my resume told the story of me as a helping professional, rather than a higher ed coordinator. 6. Crafted my "why." Interviewers were curious about why I wanted to get into the nonprofit space. I had my answers ready. It really can be that simple when you're wanting to change careers. If you're going for something very different from what you currently do, it may be useful to complete some professional development courses to illustrate that you are aware of industry standards and trends. What would you add? Have you successfully completed a career transition?

“I’m trying to change careers. What advice do you have?” I get this question in my inbox almost daily. The time has come to put all my advice in one post. (Quick context for credibility: I pivoted from teacher to #ProjectManager this year. Before teaching, I worked in several roles, including in non-profits, as a Program Director and hiring manager). Here’s my advice to #JobSeekers: ✔ Always check out the Featured Content of someone you reach out to. They may have already answered your questions there. For example, here’s what I include in my Featured Content: -Link to my TopMate site and calendar for calls  -Link to my PMP ebook and free #CareerPivot resources (resume, template) -Long list of resources and who to follow if you are pivoting careers -List of successfully #transitionedteachers to several different industries -Carousel on how to career pivot your resume -Link to PM-Mastery podcast episode where I share my #PMP story -Posts where I share how I pivoted from #teaching to #ProjectManagement -Steps on how to tailor your resume -11.5 things I wish I knew when I first joined LinkedIn -Viral post on 3 resume changes I made that led to multiple interviews After perusing Featured Content and doing research, Here’s the rest of my advice: ✔ Get clarity on the role you want. It’s hard to do next steps without this. ✔ Don’t expect anyone to “take a chance” on you.  ✔ It’s on you to spell out your value and connect the dots. ✔ Start now and give yourself time. Transitions can take months. ✔Check out Teal. They offer fabulous resources for job seekers, like an application tracker and tools for tailoring your resume to a job description. ✔ Check out Better Career. They share resources for your job search and especially tech pivots. (Message me for more info and links to a Free Workshop and Job Accelerator Program). ✔ Optimize LinkedIn and know how to use it.  (Hint: it’s not Facebook. Don't underestimate your headline.) ✔ Ed Herzog, Scott Hinson, NCDF, and Yuji Higashi have helpful resources ✔ Remember: every post, every comment, every like, can be seen.  Use your presence wisely. ✔ Update your resume/LI to the language of your desired role/industry ✔ Start networking. And never stop. -Find people who post valuable content. -Interact in comments and provide meaningful contributions. ✔Make a plan (this may include upskilling). (I offer 1:1 calls to go over all of the above and/or help you make a plan!) ✔ Don’t pay hundreds of $ for content you can get for free/cheap ✔ Research your resources!!! And finally: 💡 Take breaks. 💡 Don’t give up. 💡 Know your non-negotiables. 💡 Know your worth and your “why.” 💡 Give yourself grace; career pivots are not easy. 💡 Don’t compare your journey to others; everyone has a different story. ✔ Reach out for help! A 30-minute chat might be what you need to get clarity and motivation. 🎤 To my LinkedIn Network: What advice would you add? Share below!

The moment you realize a career transition is calling your name: A flood of emotions. Fear, stress, anxiety, uncertainty... All flowing in suddenly, feeling so very real it seems they’ll never go away. But with some effort you can make them temporary. The first step: Shift your mindset from reactive to proactive. The key now is to maintain your composure and chart a deliberate path forward: 1. Buy yourself time and space to strategize This doesn’t mean checking out, failing to do your job, or becoming the toxic colleague. This means carving out time to make a plan, check your behavior, and think about your legacy at this company. 2. Start documenting your accomplishments Outline your: → major projects, → performance metrics, → the outcomes you and your team achieved, → the tools and systems you used, → your lessons learned along the way. This will help you build an inventory of information that will make it easier for you to update your resume and your LinkedIn profile. 3. Reflect on your values and desires for your next role Answer 3 questions here: - What do I really want? - What am I excited about working on? - What does the world need and want from me? This will help you define your path forward, and narrow the scope of your search to roles that objectively meet your needs and desires. 4. Lean on your support system Your mentors, and perhaps a career coach. Finding a great new job is not easy, it will take time, and there will be bumps along the way. The people around you can be instrumental in helping you see this through. If you’re going to hire a coach, doing so several months before you plan to leave your current role can give you the best return on your investment. Remember, how you handle this transition will leave a lasting impression on your colleagues (your network) and your own sense of professional integrity. Navigating a career inflection point can feel overwhelming. But you don't have to do it alone. If you're ready for a thought partner to help you clarify your goals and make a plan, let's set up a time to have a conversation.

I helped my client pivot from the classroom to a Fortune 25 company. Turned 20 years of teaching experience into a 6-figure salary. Here’s how they did it: → Made the decision to leave → Networked, networked, networked → Researched roles, joined FB groups → Narrowed focus down to 2 job profiles and 1 industry → Upskilled strategically to see if the work was actually interesting → Picked 1 and created a clear, focused resume and LinkedIn profile → Leaned on coaching sessions (search strategy, interview prep, negotiation, onboarding) and family for support And here’s what they didn’t do. → Feel pressured to have it all figured out → Quit after the first or second or third rejection Mindset + Strategy + Timing = Success #transitioningteachers #careercoach #processimprovement #resume #careerchange

Networking can help you make ANY career transition ↔️ I've made a handful of small/minor career pivots myself, and I have friends & family who have made even BIGGER career pivots. There is one common element that helped each career pivot/transition story, and that is NETWORKING ✨. This Forbes article by career expert Caroline Castrillon captures this element perfectly and discusses how strategic networking efforts can help you make a career change or pivot! Remember, networking should be a consistent effort, almost like a habit. Don't just start when you need a job or when you have some obvious agenda. When you try to network with an alternative or hidden agenda, it comes across as inauthentic and disingenuous. With that said, here are the high-level of Caroline's five tips for networking for a career transition and my take on them + real stories of how they actually work 💁🏻♀️ ~ 1️⃣ Give contacts a chance to help. Reach out to people you already know and let them know that you're transitioning, or even make a post about it on LinkedIn! Let the world and the universe know your status and what you're up to! You'd be amazed at the people that come out of the woodwork and want to help you. When I started putting it out into the world that I wanted to do more speaking engagements, opportunities started coming my way! Just try it and see what happens! 2️⃣ Get valuable career advice. When my Dad realized that law school was something of interest, after a full engineering career (30+ years, 2x PE & MBA), he talked to lawyers he knew, including one of his former colleagues at his previous job. A good question to ask, specifically if you're making a career change, is, "If you were just starting out, what actions would you take to kickstart your career?" 3️⃣ Meet other career changers. Talk to other people who have transitioned into your target career, and if you can, find someone with a similar path/trajectory i.e SWE ➡️ PM. This way, you can learn about proven, tested strategies that have actually worked for people. 4️⃣ Practice your transition statement. I like to think of this as an edited, curated version of your "elevator speech," and remember to frame it as a story. Storytelling is crucial in interviews, and when you're making a career change, it's important to tell that story in a compelling way. 5️⃣ Build confidence. I think Caroline captured it perfectly when she said, "...confidence is not an innate, fixed characteristic. It’s a skill that can be developed." When my mom was transitioning from civil engineering to real estate sales, she built her confidence by working under another broker and building her resume. I built my confidence through a product fellowship and 2 product management internships! TL;DR Build confidence through experience and projects! https://lnkd.in/gA8ihBtu

Before you enroll in that degree/certificate program for that new role or industry that you're thinking of #pivoting in, do the following: 1) 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠. I know too many people who immediately enroll in a program because they were told that the need a certificate or degree for their line of work. They enroll, invest their time and money, only to find out that it's not really their jam. So, before you do this, talk to people in the role. Ask them, "what they did to get in their role? Do they enjoy their role? Did they have formal training in the role? What skills - both the hard and soft - do they use the most?" 2) 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟-𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐭. After speaking to those that are actually in the field, along with conducting your own research, conduct an audit on your skills. You may already have many or some of the skills that are needed for the targeted role. Identify what you have and what you need. 3) 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. You may need additional skills. You may already have the skills that you need. Wherever you are on the skills bank, you now need a plan. Your plan may require you to learn new skill; it may not. Maybe you just need to learn how to communicate the skill set that you have and meet people. This is what I recommend. Don't skip or jump any steps. Know where you are and what you have in relation to what you want. For those that have successfully pivoted, would you recommend any other steps? #thecareergem #ExecutiveCoach #careertips

I've only applied for a job after I got the offer. This is how I did it. By networking. Over the last 10+ years, I've made 5 successful career changes. Networking has allowed me to skip the job boards and get hired. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐲: 𝐍𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: -Your application -The interview -Negotiation -The job itself 𝐃𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐲, 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫? Networking lets you connect with others and have a conversation in a way that puts you in control. Conversations turn into opportunities. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝟑 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐛: ✅ 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞. This doesn't mean talking about how much you hate your boss or your job.  It means getting really clear on WHY you want to make a move in the first place. Networking can help you do that. Talking to other professionals provides a ton of insight into the inner workings of that job and industry. ✅ 𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞. It’s a golden opportunity to understand how your skills transfer and translate into a new role. Example: I went from working in education as a career advisor to an HR business partner in healthcare. One of my strongest skill sets is relationship building. I talked to a number of HR professionals so that I could understand how they used that specific skill to stand out and get recognized for their work. Networking is an invaluable case study! 🔍 ✅ 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Whether you’ve made up your mind about making a career change or not, networking will offer a ton of insight to inform your decisions. People make the mistake of all or nothing when it comes to networking. They either don’t do it, or they network too much too fast. Networking is an amazing way to test-drive the job before you buy it! Make sure you know why you’re networking so that you can get the most out of it, and make it work for you. ----------------------------------------------------------------- 👉 𝐆𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.𝐜𝐤.𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞/𝟐𝐜𝐞𝟐𝐟𝟓𝟔𝟓𝐚𝐚 👉 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 "𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐢𝐭" 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐰 -𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰. #networkingtips #jobsearchstrategy #networking #careerchange #authenticitywithandrea

Know your target role, target location, target industries, and target companies of interest within those industries of interest, and let the people you trust know what you are looking for. Ask for support. Networking doesn't have to be cold, but even cold networking with people from those companies you like whom you don't know or networking with second-degree connections of those people and asking for an introduction creates much better odds than applying online. What I've found is that career changers continue to apply online because it helps tick the box that something has been done to drive forward momentum in their job search, when in reality the likelihood is that it was .2% (2/100ths of a percent) effective. What's actually beneath the surface are some inner voice "gremlins" saying things like, "Are you even good enough for this job?", "Why would someone there want to talk to you, they are too busy.", "There are already 400 applicants, why would they choose me.", etc. You need to check this inner dialogue and assess your goal/timeframe of changing careers vs. the actual percentage of difference you are making with your activities that are actually helping you make a meaningful change. This is what we support our clients in doing and hold them accountable to push outside of their comfort zone, and shift the inner dialogue to build them up until those goals are met. You can do it, it's within you to make these changes, don't hold yourself back with ineffective job search activities in an effort to keep your ego safe. #toughlove #yougotthis