How To Shift Your Personal Pitch To Make A Major Career Transition
Making a major career (and life) change can feel daunting, and trust me, it’s not just you. Funny story, a few years ago, I was personally guilty of that same way of thinking. Stuck in a stable job that looked great on my resume, I was calculating the hours until the weekend, starting at around 11 am on Monday morning. It wasn’t a good look, but I was terrified of what it would mean to walk away from my “successful” job to something brand new.
Here’s what I realized: a job in a different industry wasn’t brand new. It just required me to repurpose my skills in unexpected ways. You don’t have to throw out all the work you’ve done so far in order to land the job you want. You can actually leverage your past experience to stand out as a candidate—one whose resume has more to it than many of the people who have been working in the same industry for years.
When transitioning, you might be tempted to jump right to the elephant in the room, i.e. the fact that you’re not quite the right fit. Instead, start slow, keeping the focus on who you are, what you do, and something (in your desired field or job) that interests you. Example: Hello, I’m Kit Warchol.
Now’s your chance to highlight the accomplishments you’ve had that make you uniquely you. While they don’t all have to relate directly to the role you’re after, it helps to outline some patterns to prove the passion’s there—even if the traditional career route is not. Example: Over the past few years, I’ve worked in web design for both startups and large corporations (I’m now at the University of Southern California’s in-house design firm).
I also work as a copywriter for fashion brands like Current/Elliott and Equipment, and write for magazines and blogs. Those may seem disparate, but in the digital era, I’ve discovered they’re not. Mostly, I love telling stories through visuals and content, particularly the ones that speak emotionally to whoever’s visiting a website or reading an article. I like that feeling of connection.
This is your crescendo—the moment where you tie it all together and suddenly they’re like, “Oh! I see how this translates.” How does your previous experience make you uniquely qualified for your future role, This is a great place to work in a problem you can help solve. What’s a sticking point in your new industry that your listener might be struggling with, and how can your background help them fix it,
Example: The biggest problem I’ve seen clients run into is content. Smart writing is hard. People want to read words that inspire and intrigue them even if it’s just copy about denim or summer dresses (I always think about Madewell’s or Reformation’s emails—they make you smile), and especially if they’re reading articles. But too often, writing lacks creative edge.
You’re going to end by explaining exactly why you’re well-suited for your next move. Example: Right now, I help clients take a content-first approach, and I’m writing constantly which I never get sick of. But with clients, you have to hand off the project and move on. I’m always left feeling like I could do more if I committed to the voice of one brand or publication.
That’s why I want to pivot and commit to editorial work full-time. I want to explore all the ways we can tell stories from traditional formats to social media campaigns to video, and I want to do it with a brand that excites me and believes in taking risks. Because content should be innovative. Anytime you’re job searching, regardless of whether you’re switching industries, you’ll want a portfolio site. Step 5 is about saying goodbye in a way that doesn’t close the door on future conversations.
