Sometime in the last quarter of 2023, I decided it was time for my career to take a new direction. As someone who had worked in Content for most of her career journey, I had spent most of my career self-learning and holding quite a number of roles as a freelancer and contract staff. Now, I knew without a doubt that I wanted to build a career in content design and SEO.
Transitioning wasn’t entirely new for me, but this time, I would go about it in a structured way. I wanted to learn all I could while making this pivot and make sure I did it thoughtfully. I considered why I wanted to pivot and what it would entail.
Herminia Ibarra at London Business School described the two main drivers for career pivots as
- Situational (external) drivers: external market forces, such as the economy or the talent landscape; organisational changes, such as restructuring; and emerging opportunities, usually seen as “pull” factors.
- Personal (internal) drivers: internal factors include the “skills, talents, preferences, past experiences, developmental stage and self-conceptions that individuals bring to their work role and career,” personal networks and “triggers,” and opportunities that mobilise people towards the pursuit of new pathways.
Transitioning could be making a whole move from one career direction to another, or it could be switching roles in the same sector/industry. Mine was the latter, and my reason was more of a personal/internal driver.
I’ll be sharing some things that helped me on this journey with the hope that it helps you as well;
- Evaluate your current skill set
- Set goals and draw up a plan
- Choose a learning method/platforms
- Join communities
- Speak to professionals
- Have faith in yourself
Evaluate Your Current Skill Set
Contrary to what you might think, you’re never starting afresh. You have a quiver of skills you’ve developed over time; list them out and see what you can move with. For instance, my copywriting skill was a huge advantage for the roles I wanted to transition to Content Design and SEO. You also have some transferable skills to help you navigate whatever new career path you want to transition to. Action Point:
Draw up a list of all your current skills and the skills you’d need in your new career.
Set goals and draw up a plan.
You’ve evaluated your skills; chances are, you already know what career you’re looking to pivot to. What do you need to move your journey forward? What’s your knowledge level in this new career? Do you have a grasp of the basics? Are you a total newbie? These are some questions that can help you set up a plan.
Also, what are your goals? Do you want to learn more about this field and stay current? A good plan for this goal would be to subscribe to the top newsletters in this field and follow industry leaders. One of my goals was to build my portfolio, so this meant I had to work on more projects.
Action Point:
Write out your SMART goals and draw up a plan. SMART goals will ensure that your goals are attainable and not overwhelming.
Choose a learning method/platform
The biggest question to help you out here is, how do you learn? For some, it’s boot camps; they enjoy how fast-paced and hands-on those are. For others, it’s courses that run at their pace. This phase requires some research; you might need to scour the internet until you find a course, platform or programme that fits your needs.
Whatever you do, don’t make the mistake I made, signing up for a lot of courses. I was so overwhelmed, and I’m still taking some courses (mama didn’t give birth to no quitter). It’s great to have a rhythm to your learning and time for rest and practice what you learn.
Personally, I like courses/programs that are part of a community. I love listening to others’ stories and being able to ask questions, and hearing from different perspectives. Also, if your new career is one that’s big on certifications, you might need to factor that in.
Action Point
Research and put together a list with 4-5 courses/programmes that suit your goals. You can draw up the pros and cons for each and choose the ones that best suit you.
Join communities
Right from time, communities have been an important foundation in our lives, and it’s the same for our careers. As someone who made the transition to Content Design and SEO, communities have helped me greatly, from helping me navigate sticky situations to sharing the best tools for the practice.
Communities are like finding an online home. Good communities are a safe space for people to share what’s going on with them.
The communities I joined helped me get mentorship programmes, scholarships and tickets to conferences. This is one of my favourite things about being a member of a community. You get access to resources and some member benefits.
Action Point:
Find relevant communities in the field you hope to transition to, join them and be as active as you feel confident being. Start small by just introducing yourself.
Speak to professionals
There are some things you can only learn by speaking to people in the field. And that’s why this is one of my favourite steps. SEO seemed so large and overwhelming to me at first till I signed up for a mentorship program and spoke to an SEO professional. She gave me tips that made my journey easier and less overwhelming.
Sometimes, you don’t even know the questions to ask till you hear a professional speak. This is a reason why I enjoy attending conferences. You can get access to professionals by signing up to mentorships like on the adp list, attending conferences, sending messages on LinkedIn or the communities you’ve joined. Please, always be respectful.
Action Point:
Start a conversation with someone who you admire in your new career field.
Have faith in yourself
Nothing anyone says will be helpful if you don’t have faith in yourself. Everyone was once a novice at something before they became experts. Also, never feel ashamed to tweak and discard whatever isn’t helping your plan. If you discover any new information that can help you, feel free to implement it.
You’ve got this!
Action Point
Go do what you need to do.
Transitioning can be filled with uncertainties, but it’s also exciting. Despite all the necessary intentionality and strategy it requires, I hope that you venture in with the awe of a child. Remember, this isn’t a one-fits-all rule; they’re just steps that helped me transition and might help you, too. You can make changes where required to fit your unique journey. The key is to be flexible and trust your process.
Mirabella-Paulcia Peach
Passionate about culture, creativity, and tech, Mirabella-Paulcia thrives at the intersection of content and design, crafting narratives that connect brands with their users.