HOW I PIVOTED MY CAREER (TWICE!)
How to Pivot Your Career 🚀
Are you feeling stuck in your current career or dreaming of a big change? Maybe you, like me, want to relocate across the globe or completely switch career paths. The good news? It's possible!
My Story: A Double Pivot
I've personally pivoted my career twice:
Location: I relocated from Hong Kong to Seattle, transitioning from a program manager role in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) at a bank. ✈️ Function: I pivoted from program management in fraud prevention to product management.
• Location: I relocated from Hong Kong to Seattle, transitioning from a program manager role in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) at a bank. ✈️
• Function: I pivoted from program management in fraud prevention to product management.
No MBA Needed: My 4-Step Framework for Career Pivoting
While I don't have an MBA, I've developed a framework that helped me navigate these career changes ranging 6 months to 1 year each. Here's how you can use it too:
Step 1: Identify Your Transferable Skills
Every job requires a unique skill set, but you likely have more transferable skills than you think. Ask yourself:
What hard and soft skills have I honed in my current role? How have these skills evolved? For example, have my communication skills improved from being an individual contributor to a people manager?
• What hard and soft skills have I honed in my current role?
• How have these skills evolved? For example, have my communication skills improved from being an individual contributor to a people manager?
Action Tip: Write down these skills. They'll be crucial for crafting a compelling career story and identifying areas for growth.
Step 2: Define the "Delta" to Your Target Role
Let's explore the skills needed for your dream job. Here are some resources:
Interview Questions: Read books specific to your target role (e.g., "Cracking the PM Interview" for product management). Identify knowledge gaps based on the skills and interview questions asked. Job Descriptions: Analyze 10-30 job postings for your target role. Look for common skills and experience requirements. Feeling overwhelmed? Use a tool like ChatGPT to identify keyword frequency in job descriptions, making the process faster.
• Interview Questions: Read books specific to your target role (e.g., "Cracking the PM Interview" for product management). Identify knowledge gaps based on the skills and interview questions asked.
• Job Descriptions: Analyze 10-30 job postings for your target role. Look for common skills and experience requirements. Feeling overwhelmed? Use a tool like ChatGPT to identify keyword frequency in job descriptions, making the process faster.
Pro Tip 1:Copy and paste all the job descriptions into one document, then use this prompt (credit to Jeff Su's video):
"I am a job seeker applying to [target job role] positions. Your task is to analyze the [x] job descriptions I will paste below. Identify the top 10 keywords that appear by frequency. Clearly show the number of times that keyword appears in the job descriptions (i.e., show numerical value next to the keywords). Here are the [x] job descriptions."
Pro Tip 2:Create a table to track your knowledge level: Strong, Needs Improvement, or Unknown. This will guide your learning focus.
Step 3: Find Your Job Market Fit
Knowing your skill set and the target role's requirements allows you to explore your "job market fit." Here are some strategies:
Internal Transfer: Leverage your existing network and reputation within your company to explore internal opportunities. Move to Competitors: Utilize your domain and industry knowledge while transitioning to your target role within a competitor company. This might require a title adjustment but provides valuable experience. Adjacent Roles: Consider entry-level positions related to your target role and work your way up. For example, if aiming for Product Manager, explore Product Owner, Product Operations, or Business Development roles. Go Upstream/Downstream: Analyze your industry's workflow. Can you identify upstream or downstream processes related to your current role? Use these keywords to search for relevant job titles. (e.g., AML processes involve risk assessment – search for "Fraud Prevention" roles).
• Internal Transfer: Leverage your existing network and reputation within your company to explore internal opportunities.
• Move to Competitors: Utilize your domain and industry knowledge while transitioning to your target role within a competitor company. This might require a title adjustment but provides valuable experience.
• Adjacent Roles: Consider entry-level positions related to your target role and work your way up. For example, if aiming for Product Manager, explore Product Owner, Product Operations, or Business Development roles.
• Go Upstream/Downstream: Analyze your industry's workflow. Can you identify upstream or downstream processes related to your current role? Use these keywords to search for relevant job titles. (e.g., AML processes involve risk assessment – search for "Fraud Prevention" roles).
Pro Tip: Use ChatGPT to explore job titles based on your desired skill set. This can help you identify relevant opportunities you might not have considered. Here's the prompt:
"I am a job seeker trying to find a list of job titles available in the United States. The job is mid-senior level and has the following key skill sets: [skill1], [skill2], [skill3], [skill4], [skill5]. Please suggest 2-3 job titles that require these skills. Rank them from the title with the most skill overlap to the one with the least."
Step 4: Network Like a Pro
Now that you know your target role, build your network! Here's how:
Identify Target Companies & Professionals: As you consume resources from books, YouTube, or job descriptions, note the professionals and companies you encounter. Look them up on LinkedIn and create a list of 50+ contacts to begin your networking. Network & Learn: Schedule coffee chats or attend industry events to connect with these individuals. Explore areas where you need to strengthen your knowledge and seek their advice on pivoting with your background. Remember, good relationships can open doors.
• Identify Target Companies & Professionals: As you consume resources from books, YouTube, or job descriptions, note the professionals and companies you encounter. Look them up on LinkedIn and create a list of 50+ contacts to begin your networking.
• Network & Learn: Schedule coffee chats or attend industry events to connect with these individuals. Explore areas where you need to strengthen your knowledge and seek their advice on pivoting with your background. Remember, good relationships can open doors.
Stay Focused and Keep Going!
Pivoting takes time and discipline. Depending on the gap between your current and target role, it could take months or even years. Stay focused, keep learning, and don't give up!
By taking action with this framework, you're one step closer to achieving your career goals. Now go out there and make it happen! I'm here to help.
I will host two live group sessions to elevate Your Job Search in Jul 8 & 11th: Sign up now.
#CareerAdvice #CareerPivot #ProductManagement #JobSearch #Networking #GrowthMindset 🚀📈💼
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