How to Make a Mid-Career Change During Covid

Twenty years ago, Karen D. parlayed an early interest in art and photography into a career in retail merchandising. Organized and collaborative, she excelled in project management and enjoyed a close relationship with product development teams -- setting price points, negotiating with factories, and working with warehouses to prioritize shipments.

Over time she climbed the ladder at some of the most iconic mid-priced fashion retail companies in the U.S.

When Karen lost her job in a downsizing at the end of 2018, she took some time off to be with her toddler daughter. But when she looked up, a year had gone by and then Covid struck, and traditional retail was in a terrible state. After months of fruitless searching in 2020, she began to worry about her ability to get hired again.

When we began working together, I suggested to Karen that she enroll in a certificate program in omni-channel management that would ground her in e-commerce and data analytics skills to make her more attractive to a broader range of retailers. We worked on developing her network and leveraging her relationships. We designed cover letters that would help her stand out and get through the dreaded applicant tracking systems.

In July of 2021, Karen finally got her big break. After leveraging her college network, a C-level executive at a top law firm suggested Karen meet her team. She assured Karen that the firm hires for the person, not for a particular background. After an interview process she actually enjoyed, she was hired as a Digital Project Manager, creating tools for lawyers to do their jobs more efficiently. And she advocated for herself confidently, negotiating an excellent salary.

Karen describes her job as the best of what she was doing in her career in merchandising with a focus on digital. The certificate she earned in omni-channel management was helpful in building both skills and confidence, and she’s able to share her tech abilities with attorneys. Her job involves making technology more accessible, and teaching users technological tools to bring in new business and reach their target audience at different levels.

What are the universal takeaways from Karen’s experience? There are many:

·       Know that companies hire people they trust and know. Leverage your relationships and present yourself honestly and confidently, and trust that those who know the organization and the job may see something in you that you may not be aware of.

·       Be open to another career path. Look for an opportunity where an organization is investing, expanding and growing the team. And know that your existing experience will help you pivot to a new career.

·       Overcome your fears. Starting something new is hard enough, but starting a new job in a remote environment is extremely challenging. Working remotely means you have a lot of company, and organizations are highly motivated to provide the tools to help you succeed. Make sure you meet your boss and co-workers “in real life” as soon as you can and stay abreast of all the advice focused on building relationships remotely.

·       Acquire new skills while you’re looking. Karen had taken an Intro to Product Management course when she began her search, and it created awareness about things she did and didn’t know. She then retook that course in addition to the Omni-channel Management course while she was interviewing. There’s so much that’s free or inexpensive online that can spark something, give you a vocabulary, validate what you’re doing with your time, and help you feel more proactive, and it’s a tangible thing to put on your resume and discuss in interviews.

·       If you’re not particularly tech-savvy, this is an opportunity. Review job descriptions that appeal to you and take note of software requirements. Many jobs are looking for experience with tools beyond Microsoft Office. Common ones are Customer Relationship Management software like Salesforce, project management software like Trello or Asana, email marketing tools like Mailchimp or HubSpot, and data analytics tools like Tableau and Python. You can take courses on LinkedIn Learning for free with a premium membership, and there are other inexpensive alternatives as well. Make sure you add your new skills to your resume and LinkedIn profile.

·       Be aware that those out of work during Covid get a pass. In the end, Karen was out of work for two and a half years. And because much of her job search occurred at the height of Covid when hiring was on hold, not one person asked why she had been out for so long.

Today we are in a much different job market, with companies struggling to find the right talent. It’s an ideal time to leverage your transferable skills into a new career. Let me know if I can help!