Pivoting Careers
Stop me if you’ve heard someone tell you this before: pivoting careers is hard.
And while they are right, a career pivot usually looks cleaner in hindsight than it feels while you are doing it. Later, you get to say: “I moved from organizing into development. From campaigns into philanthropy. From communications into operations. From the private sector into nonprofits.”
But while you’re in it? The story sounds more like: “I know I can do this job. I just cannot figure out how to get somebody else to see it.”
The real question: can somebody understand your pivot without you in the room to explain it.
If the answer is no, that is where I would start.
Figure out why you are actually pivoting
Before you rewrite your resume or start applying, get specific about what is changing.
Maybe you want the same function in a different kind of organization. Maybe you want to stay in the same movement but do completely different work. Maybe the function and the sector are both changing. Those are three different searches.
Do not ask: Do I meet every qualification?
Ask: What problems are these organizations hiring someone to solve?
That question will tell you much more about whether your experience transfers.
Translate your experience
This is where I see a lot of career pivoters stumble.
They describe their old work accurately instead of describing it usefully. That’s the key.
Let’s take Bob as an example: Bob spent five years managing field programs, but actually may have managed budgets, hired and trained staff, built systems, handled competing deadlines, worked across departments, and made decisions with incomplete information. Bob is pretty talented and a dang good worker! He could fit in multiple places.
Here’s a trick: A pivot resume is not a complete record of your career. It is an argument for what comes next.
Go through your resume and ask of every bullet: does this help someone hiring for my next role understand why I could be good at it? If it does not, rewrite it, move it down, or take it out.
Small steps generate big results
Pivoting successfully often means taking small steps. You’re not going to, for example, jump from a Field Organizer to a Development Director for a Reproductive organization in one jump.
Consider going from Field Organizer, to Development Organizer to Develop Director. This will help you apply your relevant skills to start on the path to getting the job of your dreams.
Make the story make sense
“I want to work on climate or stop big AI.” might be the reason you started thinking about a pivot, but it cannot be the whole story you tell in an interview.
Hiring managers want to know why you are moving toward their work, not only why you are moving away from yours.
Try explaining your pivot in three sentences. Where you have been. What that experience taught you about the work you want to do. Why this particular direction is the logical next step.
If it takes ten minutes to explain, keep working on it.
And don’t forget the importance of networking. Your community is often who can not only help you find a job, but also support you through the darkest times.
Happy job searching!
Naomi
PS: If you’re looking for a community while you look for a job, you should join our Networking Hour.
VP of Programs, Climate & Biodiversity @ Friends Of The Earth | Remote | $165,000-$200,000
Senior Director of Power Building @ (TN Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition - TIRRC) | Nashville, TN | $90,000-$118,000
Distributed Organizers @ Riverside Organizing (LCV GreenRoots) | Remote (U.S.) | $3,475/month
Executive Director @ Jobs with Justice San Francisco | Bay Area, CA | $120,000-$145,000
Director of Policy and Research @ (National Institute for Reproductive Health - NIRH) | Remote | $115,000-$125,000
Vice President, Corporate and Foundation Relations @ Active Minds | Remote (preference for NY, DC, Bay Area, or LA) | $130,200–$162,750
Vice President, Finance and Operations @ Active Minds | Washington, DC preferred (Remote available) | $130,200-$151,900
Field Organizers @ Riverside Organizing (LCV GreenRoots) | Various locations | $3,475/month
Civic Engagement Director @ (East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy - EBASE) | Oakland, CA | $100,000-$110,000
That's not all! We're hiring for additional jobs and you can see all of them on the NRG website.
NRG Networking Hour
Join us September 10th for our next NRG Networking Hour — a Pay-What-You-Can event for mission-driven job seekers to connect in small, facilitated breakout groups
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Over four weeks, starting September 16, you'll have an opportunity to join a small group led by NRG's career coach to work through every stage of the job search: organizing your strategy, refining your materials, building your network, and telling your story with confidence.
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Let’s move,
Naomi
P.S. If you’d like a partner to help you with your job search strategy, learn how NRG’s coaching programs can help you.