How to manage a career pivot
Over 60% of us would consider a complete change to our careers, but many people struggle to take the leap and put those dreams into action. How do we know when we should pivot? How should we go about pivoting our careers? What do we need to consider?
Jenny Blake had a successful career at Google as a Career Development Program Manager, before she left to launch her book, ‘Pivot; The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One.’
In this book, Jenny defines a career pivot as “doubling down on what is working to make a purposeful shift in a new related direction.” adding that “It’s an intentional, methodical process for nimbly navigating career changes.”
Basically, a career pivot isn’t necessarily as serious as starting your career from scratch. Still, instead, this could be where you use some of the skills and experience that you have developed in an alternative direction.
This kind of career pivot is very common within product management, as product roles are relatively new in comparison to others, which means that the roles are being filled by people who are transitioning across from related roles, such as software engineer, project manager, or marketing executive.
When is the time for a career pivot?
Usually, a career pivot is driven by a realization that something doesn't feel right in your current role, or there are external factors that influence your existing role (such as redundancy,
You may be frustrated to be dealing with the same tasks over and over again, or experiencing sadness at having to get up and head back into the office. You don't feel inspired by the work you are doing or you feel stressed and frustrated in your team or company.
Experiencing these kinds of feelings is a sign that you might want to undertake what could be termed 'a career audit'.
What is a career audit?
Like any audit, a career audit involves getting answers to a series of questions, such as:
What are the good and bad points of your current role / career?
What does your ideal career situation look like?
What do you enjoy about your current role and what elements do you want to continue with?
On the flip side, what bits are you happy to ditch?
What qualities/skills do you bring to work?
What skills are not being fully used?
What would you lose by leaving your current workplace?
What do you hope to gain by moving?
What could prevent you from pivoting? e.g. money, location, skills
How can you overcome these barriers?
How will you know when you’re on the right track?
(source: https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/bl...)
What next?
Once you've completed your audit you'll have the information that can allow you to develop a career vision and then develop a plan with which to progress towards your new goal.
Further resources
Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One
How To Change Careers, According To 50 People Who Made A Pivot
How To Make A Career Pivot During Challenging Times