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Olivia Alfrey

11/05/20 at 3:41PM UTC

Career

How to Make the Switch

Currently in a finance job on site but would like to branch out and switch to another field - marketing or project management seem up my ally - and I'd like to eventually be working remote in the next 2 years. Any tips on how to make those leaps? And should they happen independently of each other - if yes, which is the better one to do first?

6 Comments

Michelle Hinsvark

11/05/20 at 4:09PM UTC

First off, congratulations on deciding to make a change. I don't think they need to happen independently of each other but may end up that way. My suggestion is to start with the role itself - try to get remote built in up front but in-person may help bridge the gap. As far as switching functional areas, try to find something that has responsibilities that you are comfortable with and then some areas to stretch. This will allow you to confidently speak to a portion of the job and then learn new aspects. Perhaps there is an opportunity to transfer departments internally or work with a client that you're familiar with their business. If you want to change industries, companies, and roles completely - go big on networking both formally and informally to get as many intros and learn as much as possible. People look for ambition and a good attitude and will be more apt to hire someone without the "right background" if they think they will learn quick and work hard.

Leilani Chee

11/05/20 at 4:57PM UTC

Making a switch can be challenging but I love that you are thinking proactively! As a project manager, I made the leap from a customer service role and I found that there were a lot of skills I used in that role that transferred over. I would start off by making a list of skills you do in your current role that would transfer well and bring you a unique perspective/approach to project management. If you have the time, I would also recommend looking into getting your PMP certification if you want to go the project management route. This is something I am still looking to do but I find that when looking for project management roles, this is a huge plus to have :)

Erica Oliveira

Strategic Communications Leader

11/05/20 at 5:59PM UTC

Complete agree with the other responses thus far. A great transition role could be at an creative agenc as a project manager for Finance clients. These can even be internal to a large corporation where they often have in-house creative teams. In terms of how to position yourself, I'd look for ways to play up your Finance experience and projects you've successfully managed, ideally coordinating across other matrix partners to demonstrate you breadth. If you have some marketing experience, all the better but if not, even having some basic fundamentals could help you here (you might even be able to bridge the gap by reading some foundational marketing books/taking some online courses.) Ideally, you want to be able to demonstrate that thanks to your deep Finance business knowledge and ability to project manage, you speak the language of Finance clients and understand what can win/doesn't win with their stakeholders. Then in the future, you would have enough exposure to potentially move deeper into marketing or somewhere else. Good luck! You can totally make this happen.

Heather

206

Editorial Director

11/05/20 at 6:43PM UTC

I'd definitely focus on applying for roles in companies that already have a WFH structure in place. That way you don't have to be concerned with trying to turn an onsite role into WFH. Since you've got a finance background, look for big players in finance to start, many of them are looking for marketing roles right now.

User edited comment on 11/05/20 at 6:43PM UTC

Aly Brine

1.46k

a little corporate a little hippie alotta hustle

11/05/20 at 7:10PM UTC

Hi there, Career Alignment Coach here! Start networking now! Networking can be used for so much more than just getting a new job. You can use it to learn about different types of roles that you didn't know existed and gain insights into the skills you currently have that would make you a fit and the skills that you would need to develop. You've already started with crowdsourcing right here on FGB so that's awesome! The other suggestion I'd make is, if you went to a college or university, to tap into their network on LinkedIn through their alumni tool. I have a great, free short video that explains how you can utilize the tool to discover new careers. You can find it here: https://www.alybrine.com/LinkedInAlumniTool