The job market is tough right now. People across all industries are getting laid off and starting their job search. If this includes you, you may have found that each job you apply for is highly competitive. You might think that finding another job in your current field is a struggle. Or maybe you feel like you are stuck and there are limited or no growth opportunities available to you. One way that you can increase your opportunities is to consider a career pivot.

A pivot point is a fixed point around which something rotates. It's a strong, anchoring point. A career pivot isn't a case of completely changing your career; it's a strategic change leveraging the anchor of your current career. In this case, you are leveraging you existing skills to pivot towards a similar or related career that may have more opportunities than your current one.

Before you can pivot, the first thing you need to do is take an inventory of the skills that you have and how they might apply to other fields. If you use my Individual Development Plan template, you've already got a leg up. If not, review Episode 038 (https://www.managingacareer.com/38) which covers the Assessment and Next Role sections of the IDP. You can also request a copy of the template by reaching out via the Contact Form on ManagingACareer.com (https://managingacareer.com/contact) to request one.

Consider grouping the skills into those that have broader applicability such as communication and leadership and then a group for those that are more specialized such as project management or data analysis. I would still note those skills that you have that are highly technical, because even if they seem to apply primarily to your current career, there may be parallels in other careers.

With your list of transferrable skills in hand, brainstorm job families that are adjacent to your current position. Consider other roles that you interacted with frequently that may have parallels to what you do now. If your company has recently had a layoff, look at the positions that were least impacted that fit with your abilities. If you're having difficulty coming up with related careers, look at the Occupational Information Network at https://www.ONetCenter.org or the Career Explorer at https://linkedin.github.io/career-explorer (links will be in the episode notes). Both of these sites have tools where you can compare different careers and which skills are common between them.

As you explore pivot options, determine if there are any skills that you need to refresh or skills that may benefit from additional training. For example, project management is a skill that would be useful in many industries, however, project management in the software development industry is different than project management in the construction industry. This is a good time to look for supplemental training to strengthen your ability to pivot.

Lastly, reach out to your network. If you know someone in the adjacent role, they can explain the day to day duties that they have and they can help you understand how your skills will translate to the new role. Your network may also have leads on openings in this related field.

Now that you understand why you might want to pivot and how to approach the change, let's look at some real world pivots that may be options for you to explore.

Career

Key transferable skills

Potential pivots

Teaching

Classroom management

Lesson planning

Explaining complex ideas in simple terms

Creating classroom resources for other teachers

Curriculum planning

Creating online courses in other areas

Nursing

Medical knowledge

Patient care

Healthcare Case Management

Patient Advocacy

Accounting

Skills with spreadsheets

Understanding of financial drivers

Regulatory knowledge

Financial Analyst

Financial Planner

Lawyer

Understanding of the law

Negotiation

Compliance officer

Sports or Entertainment Agent

Chef

Food handling

Coordinating a team

Resource planning

Food Safety Inspector

Inventory Management

Construction

Knowledge of building codes and regulations

Project Management

Building Inspector

Project Management in another industry

Real Estate

Sales and Contracts

Relationship Management

Market Analysis

Property Management

Sales in another industry

Loan Officer

Journalism

Research and Investigation

Writing and Editing

Writing website copy

Corporate Communications

So, if a pivot seems like the path forward for you, how do you approach it? First, review your resume and reframe it to showcase transferable experiences. Next look for supplemental trainings or certificates that can jump-start a shift. Next, leverage your network to find contacts in the related field.

A career coach can help you build the skills you need in order to implement these strategies. If you need a career coach, reach out to me via the Contact Form at Mana...