Recognizing Career Pivot Opportunities
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Over the last few weeks, I have posted articles that talked about building and managing M&A integration teams. For everyone involved, mergers create opportunities to refocus and reenergize careers. Recognizing the career pivot opportunity and taking advantage is essential as each of us plan our careers. As leaders, our job is to help our teams understand, recognize, and embark on new journeys. We also need to be ready to pivot for ourselves.
What is a Career Pivot?
A career pivot is an intentional and dramatic change in direction. You focus on your strengths and what works well and take the risk to leave the status quo behind. While it is the norm, a career pivot does not necessarily mean leaving your employer. It does mean leaving your job.
A career pivot is not normal job progression, even if you change employers. Moving from Engineer 1 to 2 to 3 or project manager to senior project manager to program manager is not a pivot.
Much as “art is in the eye of the beholder,” each person will see different and unique ways to change. Everyone has to decide what they want to be.
Career Pivot Planning
The first and most important step is acknowledging the need for and the desire to change. It would be best if you did an honest self-assessment of your strengths and weaknesses so you can choose a new direction. Get ready by reworking your personal story. You need to convince people that you are prepared for the move you are making. Make sure your plan focuses on a pivot that is both aggressive and realistic.
“The most dangerous strategy is to jump a chasm in two leaps.”
Timing the Jump
There are two variations for this step in the process.
If you are in control (a.k.a. – you have a job), start filling your gaps with training. Prepare your finances so you can manage the transition. Study the market and be prepared.
If you are not in control (a.k.a. – you are in transition), focus your search on what you want rather than replacing what you had. View the change as an opportunity to double down on the pivot. Keep your focus and don’t settle. What seems like a pivot could end up being just a horse of a different color.
My Personal Story
I have made three big pivots and 5 minor ones in my career, only half of these required changing employers.
My first big pivot was to move from working in industry to consulting. The next major pivot was the move from project consulting to IT management consulting. The last is the most recent, starting an independent consulting firm where I can guide people to become proficient on their own.
The minor pivots focused on expanding technical skillsets, gaining global delivery experience, and shifting my focus from hands-on delivery to leadership.
Various articles say that we will all have 5 to 7 careers and up to 12 employers in our working life. Most of us cut our teeth early in our careers on processes or platforms that will not exist in the second half.
Change is inevitable, response is a choice. You can let your boat drift with the tides and currents, or you can raise your sails, steer into the wind and chart your own course.
