It’s never easy pitching yourself.
That’s true whether you’re meeting new people at a backyard party or explaining who you are in a job interview. It also just happens to get exponentially harder when you’re trying to transition careers or industries. Making a major career (and life) change can feel daunting, and trust me, it’s not just you. Here at Career Contessa, we hear women describe it in words like “taking a step back” or “starting over.”
If you're feeling "stuck" at a "good job" that isn't fulfilling but does look great on your resume, you're not alone—not at all. It's terrifying to leave a job, especially when you're not necessarily unhappy, but you're looking for growth.
Here’s the thing: a job in a different industry isn't brand-new. It just might require you to repurpose your pre-existing skills in unexpected ways.
You don’t have to throw out all the work you’ve done so far in order to land the job you want. You can actually leverage your past experience to stand out as a candidate—one whose resume has more to it than many of the people who have been working in the same industry for years. Everything about you is fresh—fresh eyes, fresh perspectives, fresh approaches—and that’s a brilliant selling point that you can use everywhere from networking events to the About page on a Squarespace portfolio website (which you’ll want to have, but we’ll get to that in a second).
Here are the steps:
Step 1: Start With An Introduction Because You’re Human
When transitioning, you might be tempted to jump right to the elephant in the room, i.e. the fact that you’re not quite the right fit. Instead, start slow, keeping the focus on who you are, what you do, and something (in your desired field or job) that interests you.
Example: I'm [NAME] and I've spent the last [TIME PERIOD] working in [INDUSTRY + JOB TITLE] on [SKILL], [SKILL], and [SKILL].
Step 2: Outline Your Unique (+ Relatable) Experiences
Now’s your chance to highlight the accomplishments you’ve had that make you uniquely you. While they don’t all have to relate directly to the role you’re after, it helps to outline some patterns to prove the passion’s there—even if the traditional career route is not. This is also a great opportunity to infuse your story into your pitch. Do it.
Example: I've been very interested in [SKILL or INDUSTRY] and I realized this when [DETAIL OR STORY OF YOUR PERSONAL "AHA" MOMENT].
Step 3: Tie It All Together
This is your crescendo—the moment where you tie it all together and suddenly they’re like, “Oh! I see how this translates.” How does your previous experience make you uniquely qualified for your future role? This is a great place to work on a problem you can help solve. What’s a sticking point in your new industry that your listener might be struggling with, and how can your background help them fix it?
Example: My previous working experience dovetails perfectly with my passion for [GOAL, INDUSTRY, or SKILL] which is why I am so excited to discuss [OPPORTUNITY].
Step 4: Introduce Your Career Transition Goal
By now, you've dazzled your listener with your skills, your passions, and you've interwoven them together. You’re going to end by explaining exactly why you’re well-suited for your next move. Besides introducing your goal, detail the steps you've been taking and the steps you'd like to continue taking to get there.
Example: I've spent the last few months learning everything there is to know about [INDUSTRY or SKILL]. Today, I want to [IMMEDIATE GOAL] and, from there, [DEVELOP SKILL OR EXPERTISE].
Step 5: Make Room for Future Conversations
Anytime you’re job searching, regardless of whether you’re switching industries, you’ll want a portfolio site. Step 5 is about saying goodbye in a way that doesn’t close the door to future conversations. You’re going to do that by (organically!) sharing your portfolio site with your listener.
Building a website on Squarespace keeps things simple, allowing you to point everyone you meet to one centralized spot with all your experience. As you end your elevator pitch, hand your listener a business card with your website URL included and/or make sure your URL is included in your email signature. You can even mention that they can see examples of your work on your portfolio site if they ask you questions about your specific experience.
You can also take advantage of the opportunities a personal site affords: use your career transition pitch to write your About page when building a website. This is your chance to describe who you are, what you’re capable of, and the roles you’re after next. Think of it a bit like the concept of “manifesting”—just maybe a little less woo-woo, a little more self-empowered. If you know you can do it, and you outline how you can do it in a place potential employers can easily see, why wouldn’t they hire you? And if you want more step-by-step help on how to do this, we can help with our online course, Digital You.
