Hello! I made a huge career transition in January after taking a planned travel sabbatical from wall st fin services.

20 Comments

1. AnonymousDecember 1,2025 at 12:36AM UTC

   Pls consider working with a career coach to help you craft your narrative. Should you land an interview back in a corporate setting, the absolute first question you should expect to be asked is why you jumped ship from your cushy wall street position, took a 60% pay cut to work for a nonprofit, and now want to return to corporate. Unless you also have a background in comms, I can't encourage you strongly enough to have someone help you with messaging.

2. AnonymousDecember 1,2025 at 2:37AM UTC

   Thank you for the advice! I certainly won’t advertise the pay cut :) I actually made a similar transition much earlier in my career and went back to finance for about 10yrs before making this pivot. So my plan is to spin it as one-year of service that was inspired by my international travel to third world countries during sabbatical. But ideally if I can land a corporate social responsibility job I won’t need to do any explaining and the pivot will only strengthen my profile. Overall my goal is to be viewed as a cross-sector professional who can work in either sector. And keep both doors open as I’d still love to work in nonprofit at a more stable time.

3. Tami CannizzaroDecember 1,2025 at 5:11PM UTC

   That's a great start. Remember, though, that hiring managers are only interested in how we can solve their problems. Meaning, it's great that your narrative may be that you were inspired by travel to pivot into something more socially responsible, and now you want to use these skills in a new corporate role. That works when you focus less on your travel/pivot and more on your success/wins during that pivotal year - and how that, combined with your previous experience, will bring success to this new company/organization. They want to see results.

4. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:43PM UTC

   Thank you! This is where I have a story to tell because I feel like I’ve been doing the job of 2-3 individuals in a corp setting. Appreciate the advice.

5. AnonymousDecember 3,2025 at 2:18PM UTC

   Please don't call your time in nonprofit work "a year of service." Do you think your colleagues consider their jobs "service" instead of a career? Nonprofit employees are professionals who have built careers doing things that matter to them. Yes, nonprofit workplaces can be as toxic as any other, it's not a utopia, but the industry is not someplace you work for "fun" because you left your "real" job or career.

6. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:42PM UTC

   Certainly didn’t mean to imply that. Having made this transition in the past, unfortunately large corporations don’t take nonprofit work as seriously, unless you’re in CSR. All of my jobs didn’t like me mentioning my prior nonprofit experience because they felt it wasn’t as rigorous. So that’s why I’m being strategic with how I frame, I certainly don’t personally feel that way about nonprofit work or professionals.

7. AnonymousDecember 1,2025 at 2:42PM UTC

   Having done 90 and 180-degree pivots before, I understand the dilemma and the issue with the pay cut. I went from IT to ministry to chaplaincy to non-profit, so the challenge is real. The biggest question is, since you mentioned in a comment that you want to frame it as a "year of service," that makes perfect sense if you are applying to a company with a social conscience. Ensure that your finance skills remain relevant in light of AI and other innovations that are transforming the workplace. Have you pursued further education, attended conferences to stay updated, or obtained an advanced degree? These actions can help you stand out. I have been out of the IT field for 22 years and would not consider returning. Therefore, since you are only one year out of the industry, if you still have a network in finance, that would be a great place to begin.

8. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:39PM UTC

   Thank you very much, agree with all of the above. Good for you for making that transition, it isn’t for the faint of heart.

9. AnonymousDecember 2,2025 at 4:04PM UTC

   I would work your network without badmouthing the non-profit. If folks ask why be prepared to talk about why you stepped back after taking time to travel.

10. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:33PM UTC

    This is helpful, thank you. Yes I have no intention to share anything negative because I also realize how much power I have to do reputation damage.

11. BarbaraDecember 2,2025 at 4:48PM UTC

    Network!!

12. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:32PM UTC

    You’re absolutely right, thank you!

13. GirlBossanova934974December 2,2025 at 5:03PM UTC

    I would just be clear with your next company.....You went into the non profit to bolster your skillsets in CSR. Now you wish to get back in to other areas of Finance such as Fintech or Investment banking or mergers/acquisitions. I myself ran a non profit for several years. It was very challenging getting people to go after objectives like we would in a for profit enterprise. The motivation was missing. However, I was able to turn a large profit aka fund raising aka ran huge trade shows for 4 years which kept the organization going for the next decade.

14. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:31PM UTC

    Thank you very much! And I observe the same with my peers, that’s exactly why I’m being pushed so hard. There’s this unrealistic expectation that I should be able to immediately turn this around because of my background.

15. GirlBossanova934974December 7,2025 at 4:54PM UTC

    My tenure of 4-5 year running my non profit section was successful for a few reasons. 1) I put a complete stop to the finger pointing and to the out of school-behind the back slander between the officers. Meetings were carried out with a formal agenda. People had to have the floor. No talking out of turn etc etc. 2) Members who decided they were going to carry out old grudges were encouraged to leave and did! 3) The focus became the financials, not causes.........The focus became revenue, revenue, and revenue. 4) We got ourselves in funding numerous trade shows and outside events which we took a good cut of the profits. 5) We worked with senior members of the national organization. Our organization for the record is IEEE.ORG. https://www.ieee.org/

16. AnonymousDecember 3,2025 at 3:41PM UTC

    Welcome to the worst job market of our adult lives. You absolutely must network - and be patient.

    Talent Acquisition functions as so overwhelmed by applications that they're focusing on recommendations.

17. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 7:24PM UTC

    That’s very true, although I keep seeing a ton of people in my network landing great jobs. So I think there’s still a ton of opportunity, depending on where you live.

18. Jeda HiggsDecember 4,2025 at 6:31AM UTC

    Welcome to the world of nonprofits. You’ve got to have the wherewithal and energy to believe in the mission, make positive changes and forge ahead. And while you’re at it, apply and network. Do not leave your current situation until you have something secure lined up. That’s just my two cents!

19. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:29PM UTC

    You’re absolutely right, thank you! Yes, I normally only leave with another job lined up, last year was an exception for a huge life experience I didn’t want to pass on..

20. AnonymousDecember 6,2025 at 6:37PM UTC

    Thank you very much! I haven’t had any negative reactions from my network on my transition, including executives. So I feel in a very good position to pivot back and create even more import by doing so. I just need to work on my approach as you suggested.