5 Steps That Helped Me Pivot My Career in 2020

Job searching is not fun. In fact, it can be overwhelming, frustrating, and discouraging at times. I get it, and I’ve been there. I found myself job searching in the middle of a pandemic last year. Truthfully, I was scared to be looking to switch careers when so much was up in there air with the economy, like unemployment being at an all time high. I almost talked myself into staying in a position that didn’t serve me just to say I had a job. And because I was afraid of the unknown. However, I reminded myself of how much growth I had achieved, and that if I wanted to continue to grow, my position at the time was not the place for me. It was time to move on.

After only about two weeks of job searching, I realized that I needed a new approach. I wanted to make sure that I was not jumping from the pot to the frying pan. So I switched it up a bit. Here are the 5 steps I took that helped me pivot my career:

1. I defined my non-negotiables. I wrote down what was absolutely important to me in a new position, in graphic detail. Not only that, but I defined my own core values along the way. I wanted to be sure who I was as a person, what my values were, and what was important to me aligned with any new company and position I was going to consider. My list included things like a company who values integrity, encourages work-life balance with their employees, offered benefits, ability to working from home, etc. Any position/company that did not meet my non-negotiables I was willing to walk away from.
2. I skipped the job boards. Within only a couple weeks of searching, I was frustrated with job boards. I knew the specific industry I wanted to work in so I turned to Google. I decided to research the top companies in the industry I was interested in. Of course, Google did not disappoint with a plethora of companies, and thus, my research began. I dug into each companies website. I read up on their mission, values, company culture, and any news articles they were in. I also read employee reviews. Those companies that fit what I was looking for, I dug into their career section. What benefits were they offering? What positions were open? What qualifications were they looking for? There was a lot to consider.
3. I tailored my resume for each position. This seems like a no-brainer, but there are many who don’t do this. It’s beneficial to make sure your resume highlight skills and qualifications relevant to the position and company you’re applying to. In addition, I did a custom cover letter for each position I was applying to as well. Cover letters help you advocate for yourself, skills, strengths, etc. Since I was switching career paths, I felt it was essential that I included a cover letter that detailed how my experience translated into workable skills I could use in the position I was applying to.
4. I asked detailed questions during interviews and pre-screenings. Asking questions is standard, however, I asked very specific questions to better understand the company and what I would be getting myself into. For example, I asked “What policy or procedures does your company have that aligns with its stance on integrity?” I specifically asked this because I was coming from a place that I felt had integrity in it’s core values, but it’s policies contradicted this stance. I also asked things about how much their benefits cost, what programs did they offer to promote work-life balance, their policy on career advancement, and even requested to speak to fellow employees for additional insight. I was taking a risk by asking bold questions, but I knew what I wanted, and I was not going to settle ever again.
5. I took my time and remembered I was in control. When you’re miserable in a position, it can cause you to take the first offer that is attractive at times. There were several times I had to remind myself to take my time because I wanted out of my situation so bad. I also had to remind myself I was in control. I was the one looking for a new opportunity so there was no need to feel like I needed to be perfect in interviews, or stress over not hearing back from companies. Just as they had a choice, so did I. And I was determined to make the right one for me.

Today, I work for one of the top companies that offers HR services and EAP (employee assistance program) solutions. This is a new industry for me, but one I look forward to challenging me and helping me further my growth.  All the work I did upfront was well worth it. I have a career that I look forward to going into every day. I am part of a company that values its employees, whose employees want to see each other win and are always willing to help you out, and I’m doing meaningful work. While I know this isn’t the end goal for me, it feels pretty damn good being able to be apart of a 9 to 5 that aligns with my overall purpose.

Thanks for reading! Did you find this information useful? Leave a comment, like, and share!

Until next time loves …