Preparing for a career pivot

A career pivot involves making a significant change in your career trajectory, often shifting to a different field or industry that may require a new skill set or different experiences. It's a deliberate and strategic move aimed at exploring a new professional direction that differs from your current path.

This is quite different from changing jobs, where you might smoothly transition from one role to another within the same field or industry, often with some similarities in skills or responsibilities.

Shelley Kendrick, Managing Director, Kendrick Rose, said: “When you pivot, you might be moving from, say, banking to marketing, or Information Technology to Compliance. It often requires additional learning, training, or acquiring new qualifications to succeed in the new field, whereas changing jobs within the same area may rely more on your existing skill set and experience. Pivoting can be a more significant and transformative change compared to merely changing jobs. It involves redefining your career path and may require more adjustment and adaptation to a new environment or industry norms.”

If you’ve reached a good salary level in a job you quite enjoy, where you like your colleagues and get on well with your boss, it might seem odd to want to change careers, especially at a time when job vacancies might be softening.

In Jersey the number of people registered as Actively Seeking Work has declined steadily since the pandemic, to just 700 in Q3 2023. However, in the UK, the picture is changing with data from the Office for National Statistics indicating vacancies fell by 58,000 from August to October 2023, 5.7% down on May to July.

Shelley said: “Success in one career doesn't necessarily mean fulfilment, and sometimes, the desire for a more fulfilling, challenging, or aligned career path leads individuals to consider pivoting to something entirely different. It’s vital to do your research first and be confident you are moving into an area where there is strong demand. This is even more important in a small jurisdiction like Jersey, where the number of openings for specific jobs is limited.”

Here are seven reasons why you might want to pivot your career no matter how successful you are:

Passion and Interest: Discovering a new passion or interest that aligns more closely with a different career path. Sometimes, people realize their current career doesn't fulfil them personally or intellectually.

Career Growth: Hitting a plateau in your current field, feeling that there are limited opportunities for further advancement or personal development. Pivoting could offer a chance for new challenges and growth.

Market Trends: Changes in the job market or industry trends might make your current career less promising or lucrative. Pivoting could offer better prospects in a growing field.

Work-Life Balance: Sometimes, a career change is motivated by a desire for better work-life balance, seeking a career that allows more flexibility or aligns better with personal values and lifestyle preferences.

Adapting to Change: In a rapidly evolving world, some individuals may pivot to stay relevant or adapt to emerging technologies, new ways of working, or societal shifts that impact their current career.

Skills Transferability: Realisation that the skills you’ve developed in your current career are transferable to a different field, allowing you to excel in a new area.

Personal Development: Wanting new challenges that encourage personal growth or allow you to explore different aspects of your abilities and strengths.