There may come a time in your life when you feel like you have outgrown your current job. Perhaps you have realized that your current position is no longer giving you the satisfaction it once did. This is completely normal and can happen to anyone. However, making a professional pivot at any point in your career can be scary. Without advance preparation and planning, it could even be considered reckless.
So how does one successfully make a career pivot?
If you are thinking of switching careers, there are some important steps that you need to go through to successfully transition to a new job. Here we will discuss key considerations when making a career pivot and where to look when searching for new jobs in the service, retail, and travel industries.
What is a Career Pivot?
Before we discuss the steps, it is important to understand what this term means. A career pivot is a shift to a different
but related job where you can apply the same set of skills and experience. Unlike a total career change where you may need to learn new skills, a career pivot allows you to switch to a new position and still utilize what you already know.
Signs That You Need a Career Pivot
If you are looking for a sign as to whether you should make this pivot or not, try to do some self-evaluation and see if you are currently experiencing the following:
- You are staying in your current job mainly because it is your comfort zone (this can include pay, benefits, friends at work, etc.)
- Going to work no longer excites you. In fact, you may even dread getting up every day to go to work.
- You are mostly on autopilot when at work and merely going through the motions.
- You no longer feel motivated or challenged.
If you answered yes to these statements, then a shift might be for you.
Action Steps Before Making a Career Pivot
Take the time to evaluate your options and make sure that this is what you want to do. Once you are 100 percent certain about this change, you should slowly work your way through these steps to ensure a smooth transition:
- Identify your transferable skills. Find out what you can do with your knowledge and expertise. This will help you identify jobs that you can possibly pivot toward.
- Zero in on the types of jobs that you wish to apply for and start your research. Learn as much as you can about the companies’ hiring processes, background, and if you can, connect with people from these companies on social media and LinkedIn.
- Update your personal branding. This includes social media profiles and cover letters. Most importantly, update and add your resume on LinkedIn.
- Create a timeline and do your best to accomplish your action plans within that window. This includes creating your financial safety net, conducting research, tying up loose ends in your current work, and submitting new applications.
- Take a leap. Change can be scary, but being stuck in a job that no longer challenges you, nor gives you joy is far more fearsome.
Where to Look for Work in the Service, Retail, and Travel industry
Now that you have an idea on some of the types of jobs in these different industries, let us talk about where to go to find open positions. The great thing about career pivots and career changes in the present time is that job searches can be done online and from the comfort of your own home.
Thanks to technology, you can do most of the searching and research online. In fact, 79% of job hunters use social media platforms to look for work. You just need to be creative and think outside of the box if you want a high success rate in your job search. Here are some of the ways on how you can find jobs for your career pivot.
Social Media – According to this survey, 84% of hiring companies use social media to hire people. Most organizations these days broadcast their open positions on their social media accounts. If you want to be one of the first to know when they are hiring, make sure you are following companies you want to work with on their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn Accounts.
LinkedIn– A post on how to add your resume on LinkedIn said that LinkedIn is one of the best platforms where you can showcase your work history and skills to stand out from competition. In addition to being a professional networking site, LinkedIn has implemented several ways to make job searching easier for applicants. Did you know that you can use hashtags to search for your ideal job on LinkedIn? You can also use their filters to sift through job openings to find ones that are relevant to you.
Referrals – A referral is another recruitment favorite because it is cost effective for the employer and it provides reassurance on a candidate from someone that they know. How can you go about getting referred? Ask former colleagues, friends, and mentors to submit your name for open positions in their organizations. This is a circumstance where LinkedIn connections come in very handy.
Create your own portfolio– A portfolio of your work is especially great for those who are interested in offering freelance services. Having your own website that showcases what you do and work you have already done makes you look more professional and significantly more hirable.
Job Boards – This classic form of advertisement never goes out of style. Organizations still use job boards to post positions they are hiring for. Job boards allow you to see and filter jobs relevant to you with just a few clicks and contain job descriptions and other important details about the position. These virtual job boards are much more efficient than the traditional newspaper listings to quickly sort and apply for positions.
A career pivot may be daunting at first and potentially risky. Therefore, you need to have a solid plan before making any move. Keep in mind that there is no right or wrong time to pivot your career. The best time is when you are ready for the change.
Liza Smith is a writer and a contributor. She writes about career development and job hunting tips in hopes to provide helpful information about the industry.
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