Thinking of Transitioning Careers? Here's How I Made the Move from Education to Tech.

So, you’re thinking of transitioning into a new career? 

Well, you’re not the only one considering the transition. According to a recent study by Bankrate, around 55% of adults are considering making the switch. 

Now, before you start veering off on another path, there are a few things I’d like to share with you from my experience that will help you thrive in your transition and next role. Here’s where I started:

• Identifying my skills 

• Leveraging the power of networking 

• Leaving fear completely behind me 

Identifying Your Skills

So, when it was time for me to inch closer to my tech dreams, I started making changes to my resume by honing in on the types of roles I thought my skills would be a good fit for. After working in Higher Education for 10 years, I knew my transition would either take me into learning and development, talent acquisition, or DE&I. 

Keeping this in mind, I was determined to create a functional resume highlighting my transferable skills that were applicable to the roles I was applying for.  Now, you’re probably thinking, “Why did you have to do all of that?” or “That sounds time-consuming.” Well, here’s the thing…

You won’t have the recruiter’s attention very long in the initial screening phase.

If someone only has a few seconds to look at your resume to gauge your qualifications and experience, they don’t have time to translate your work experience into the current needs of the team or the role. And this is just one reason why I condensed my 4-page CV into a one page functional resume. 

Seriously…Only one page. 

I eliminated a lot of my academic affiliations, academic jargon that did not translate, and any irrelevant examples. Remember, the main goal with your resume is to get recruiters to clearly understand how applicable your experience is to the job. Unfortunately, I believe the most overlooked step for job seekers and career changers is carefully reading job descriptions in a way that helps them to position their experience on the resume. The job description is the blueprint, and will tell you everything you need to know about the role and ideal candidate. This is critical because you can’t simply go from being a director in higher ed - serving students and faculty to a director of “xyz” serving cross-functional partners and developing strategy for a large pharmaceutical company. It’s not apples to apples, therefore your process should include: 

• Identifying your transferable skills (e.g. highlighting your top two to three most transferable skills)

• Researching your desired industry and roles that you qualify for and interest you

• Removing experience or examples that are not applicable to the role

• Understanding the job description (e.g. what they’re looking for in a candidate and any industry-specific language)

Leveraging the Power of Networking 

Reaching your career goals doesn’t always depend on what you know, the school you attended, or even your experience in some cases. All of these matter, but to a certain extent and can be weighted very differently depending on the role.  

A key component in career advancement is also about who you know or who can advocate for you when you’re not in the room. 

This is just one reason why I love LinkedIn. And before you start thinking that LinkedIn is useless, think again. It’s not the same platform from several years ago…

When I knew I wanted to transition into tech, I started adding people who were in roles that I aspired to be in one day. I started being intentional about engaging with my connections by liking and commenting on their posts. As a result, my LinkedIn feed started to change based on the algorithm of who I was engaging with. I started to find more information about workshops, free conferences, downloadable resources, and relevant professional development opportunities with associations like SHRM, Resources for Humans, AfroTech, and AnitaB.org Grace Hopper Celebration.

And of course, sending messages to people was also a high priority for me on LinkedIn. I’d usually send executives or senior leaders a message with a short intro and a brief spill about my aspirations. These messages would usually end with a request to schedule a 20-minute call with them to discuss more about the industry. Sometimes, I’d receive responses from those messages, but there were a lot of times that I didn’t. However, I didn’t give up…And I don’t want you to either. 

The right person will respond with a message that could indeed change your life. 

I’m now on the other side of those messages, receiving 20-30 messages a day. 

Besides LinkedIn, another great way to network is by joining Facebook groups in your industry. I’m in quite a few groups, but my favorite is the Black Women in Tech group. There are over 9,000 ladies in this group who aren’t only networking, but they’re also sharing tons of resources with everyone. Additionally, I love that community members are willing to genuinely answer questions about career moves and salary. 

So whether you’re in engineering, sales, marketing or any other field, I recommend finding communities where you can thrive and feel connected. 

Leaving the Fear Behind 

Imposter syndrome is so real. Not knowing what possibilities lay beyond your industry is nerve-wracking, and the idea of “starting over” can feel scary. Sure, you’re going to have to put in the work to land your dream job or next role but there are people and resources out there to help you navigate these unfamiliar terrains. 

I know first-hand how powerful mindset, networking, and grit is in this journey. All of which have helped me thrive in tech for the past three years. I’ve learned to move fast, take risks, innovate, and learn quickly.

My first role was with Lyft as a program manager of talent operations and programs, where I led critical talent and recruiting programs that enabled the talent team to do their best work by providing operational excellence in strategic program design, scalable processes, and data driven insights to cultivate a high performance environment. I was terrified, and even second guessed myself on if I had made the right decision. This was fear setting in, and I knew it. 

I had to leave fear behind in this moment, especially if I wanted to continue to grow in my new career. Once I settled into my role, I was able to hit the ground running and truly found joy in my new career and role. I had purpose again. 

While serving in that capacity, I was recruited by Coursera. After only being at Coursera for 9 months, I received an amazing opportunity to join the newly formed Employee Experience, Inclusion, and Development team as a Diversity Business Partner. 

It’s been quite the journey so far. 

Remember, everyone’s journey is different. It’s important not to get discouraged if it seems like your journey is taking longer than expected. Don’t compare your path to someone else’s. Instead, at every stage of your transition, remember that you’re where you need to be at that moment. Try to stay on course with a great action plan. 

Every “no” doesn’t mean you’ve failed. The “no” could be the re-direction you were looking for (or needed). Regardless, it’s important to keep going, because the possibilities are limitless in terms of what you can achieve. 

QUICK Recap: 

• Be intentional about identifying your transferable skills. Get comfortable with doing a lot of research for your desired industry and the roles that interest you. 

• Network. Network. Network. Find communities with professionals who have similar interests with you. 

• Fear can’t come with you on your journey. Sure, you’ll have doubts about some things. You’re human, but you can’t let fear overpower your road to success. 

One last note, remember not to box yourself in OR allow other people to box you in to a career that’s not quite right for you. Change is GOOD, and it’s ok to dream bigger! 

“It takes the same energy to think small as it does to think big. So dream big and think bigger.” – Daymond John

Picture yourself in your next role. Think about what it would look like or feel like it – and write it all down. If you’re willing and open to share, pop in the comments below. You may find that you have similar interests and goals as others.