Where Should I Start? Navigating a Career Transition

Square Circle Coach Divya Ramachandran addresses questions received from the Indian Women in Computing community, all related to making a new career transition

From Anonymous Analyst: I am a Business Analyst with with 10 years of experience in consulting industry. I am interested in making a transition into Product Management but concerned that I do not have skill set specific to that except a Product Owner certification. How should I start my transition?

From Latha, Dallas: I was working as team lead in Accenture in SAP domain . I left that in February of 2018 and now I am trying to join back workforce. Reason was I was waiting for my employment authorization in US. Now I’m not sure where to start , how to update my skill set and how to justify career break to recruiters . And obviously I have no US experience. Basically where and how to start my job search again?

From Anonymous Student: I’m planning to pursue further studies in Canada. I need guidance for the same, as I’m unable to decide whether should I gain experience and then apply for universities as I’m a fresher or apply right for the Fall 2021 semester. Also, if I stay back to gain experience, how should I improve my profile to get admitted to good universities?

I’m addressing all three questions together because of two striking similarities. First, fundamentally they are all three asking the same question:

I know I want to take a big step in my career. Where should I start?

And second, they all express the same underlying fear:

I know I’m not qualified for this next step.

Let me start by saying this: there’s no magic formula to land the right job or university program for you. There are numerous factors that have to align before the right match is made. But there are two tools that can propel you in your search: (1) more clarity on your goal: what you want, and why you want it, and (2) a strong commitment to that goal.

Our first instinct when making a transition is usually to research online — gather all the information we can, visit job boards, start networking on LinkedIn, find relevant courses. Those are all important, but they are not always the best place to start. Rather than narrow your decision tree, they often broaden it, making it even harder to make progress.

Instead, the best place to start is inside yourself. Once you’ve taken the time to ask yourself these hard questions and answered them thoughtfully, you’ll have both clarity and confidence to navigate your career transition.

What are your Must-Haves?

You’ve likely already spent some hours poring over the requirements lists on job postings, but what are your requirements? What values of yours must be served in your new job? As in most things in life, understanding the problem you’re trying to solve is 80% of the solution.

Career growth, financial stability and flexibility might be on your list. But be more specific. What impact or experiences will you be having 5 years from now? What is your minimum salary requirement? What kind of lifestyle must you have to thrive rather than simply survive? Visualize your dream scenario and find the courage to put it down on paper. No one else needs to see this! But you deserve to.

Here are some questions for the community members who wrote in:

Anonymous Analyst: What attracts you to this new career in product management?

Latha, Dallas: What would your ideal day look like once you have this new job?

Anonymous Student: What will you have gained when you have completed your higher studies?

It’s easy to get overwhelmed and influenced by all of the information you collect from online resources, colleagues, friends, etc. Reflecting within yourself allows you to filter through all that noise and get more clarity on what your next step is.

What’s on Your Inverse-Resume?

Transitioning careers is scary. It’s natural to focus on all that is going against you. Latha mentions a gap in her resume, Anonymous Analyst and Anonymous Student mention a lack of skills and work experience.

Focusing our lens on our shortcomings leads us to neediness and desperation. We’re motivated to “just get any job” or “just get my foot in the door.” These broad statements do nothing to help us narrow our search. And they get in the way of our commitment to the must-haves we just listed.

So list them out — your inverse-resume. What are all the qualities you have going against you? What are all the reasons someone shouldn’t hire you? What are all the stories you’re telling yourself about why you are not qualified for the job? Write out the story and tell it to yourself with excruciating detail. Recognizing our deepest fears is the first step to getting past them.

But here’s the thing: no one is telling that story but you. So it’s up to you to write an alternative version. For each of the disadvantages you have written down, think about an alternative narrative that is still true.

Some ideas for the community members who wrote in:

Anonymous Analyst: Replace “I don’t have Product Management experience” with “I have 10 years experience as a consultant and know what makes products succeed and fail.” As a product management leader myself, I am certain that there are numerous qualities in leadership and analytics that you have gained in your last 10 years that will help you thrive as a PM. Lean into them.

Latha, Dallas: Replace “I have no work experience in the US” with “I was a team lead in India for X years” and “I haven’t worked since 2018” with “I’ve been taking SAP classes online while waiting for my work authorization to process.”

Anonymous Student: Replace “I’m a fresher” with “I’m a new graduate who is passionate about furthering my studies in order to start a career in X”

You get the picture. From now on, let this new narrative drive you.

What’s on Your Interview Guide?

So now you know what your requirements are, and you know what advantages you have going for you. All that’s left is for you to decide what questions you have for your interviewers.

Yes, you heard me right. What questions are you going to ask?

When you walk into an interview anxious and desperate for a job, it immediately raises a red flag to the interviewer. Of course, any generic advice to be confident is much easier said than done. Instead, here’s a suggestion that’s more in reach: be curious. Start nurturing this mindset well before you begin the interview process, right from the online research and networking stage.

What thoughtful, open-ended questions can you ask to assess whether this role/company/program is a mutual fit for your requirements and strengths? What information, not listed in the job description, will give you a clearer picture of what your day-to-day looks like in this role?

This mindset will help you both narrow down your online search, as well as put you in the driver’s seat for any networking conversations you set up in the future. Remember, it’s not just about you being the right fit for the position. The position needs to be the right fit for you too.

In Summary…

• Spend time with yourself to get clarity on what you want, and then commit to your goal
• Get cozy with your fears about what might hold you back. Then write a narrative that drives you forward not back
• Level the playing field by focusing on the questions you will ask to assess mutual fit

Transitions aren’t easy but the three of you who wrote in have already taken the bold step of expressing that you’re ready for one. Best wishes on your journey!