Hi all! I have 12+ years of experience in marketing and project management—leading global campaigns, working with cross-functional teams, and getting things done. A few years ago, I stepped away from work for family reasons. Now, I’m trying to return... and I’m honestly stuck.
I’ve applied to 100s of jobs in past one year. I’m not hearing back. Not even for roles that seem like a good fit. My past experience doesn’t seem to matter, and marketing roles feel oversaturated.
I’m open to pivoting—especially into tech or healthcare, areas that feel more stable. I’m not expecting a senior title. I’m okay starting in a mid junior-level role. I just want a foot in the door. But I don’t know how to make that shift when I don’t have direct experience or references in those industries—and no one's calling. Are there any tech companies that train non-techs like me for career transition? I'd love to know.
If you’ve been in this place—coming back after a break, trying to pivot industries—how did you do it? should I change how I’m telling my story?
I have tried upskilling, networking a lot on linkedin and sending outreach messages - not really working!
I’d really appreciate any real-world advice or just someone who gets how hard this part is. It has been really hard and demotivating journey so far, like I don't have a career anymore at 40!
Thank you.
Anonymous
06/07/25 at 2:49PM UTC (Edited)
I just wanted to come here for support and aside from what's been said about optimizing your resume, leveraging any network you have, etc. it's honestly just the state of the market. I'm in a similar situation. I've been fortunate enough to have freelance work (but that's hard too in its own ways) and the last 16 months there has been a heavy noticeable change in response, amount of job postings, which also changes how apathetic those who hold the opportunities to hire have. People like you and I who have 12+ marketing and project management, optimized resumes for each role, upskilled paying out of pocket for these certs, will still most likely fall secondary to those laid off. All the returnships I've seen fall under those who have a finance or technical background. The only thing I can think of is if you pivot to Healthcare, student loans can mount again and the time comittment to get another degree. But nursing seems stable for next foreseeable years. The only other thought is, thank you for posting. If ever the opportunity comes that things change, I or someone will remember this and come back to this post and reach out.
Anonymous
05/28/25 at 2:13PM UTC
Unfortunately the job market is terrible right now and it's saturated with so many people that will have the experience companies are looking for. So while it's possible to pivot in this market a company will have so many options and unfortunately doesn't seem like companies are willing to take those risks. I know from experience as I got impacted in Feb 2023 and I've done some consulting but even that has dried up. Good Luck!
Elisha Smith
24
05/29/25 at 12:58PM UTC
I just posted today why is it so hard to find a job, when there is plenty out there.
Susie Ceruto
33
05/29/25 at 10:38PM UTC
And sorry Elisha why is it so hard, do you have a link as I can't find your post?
Barb HansenStartup Product, Growth & Strategy
9.64k
05/16/25 at 2:04PM UTC
Let’s break this down into a few possible areas to explore:
1. Your Resume Might Be the First Barrier
If you’ve applied to hundreds of roles and haven’t heard back from any, it’s time to take a hard look at your resume. A few questions to ask yourself:
--Is it telling the right story for the roles you’re applying to now?
--Is it tailored for each job? (Generic resumes rarely get traction.)
--Are there red flags—like unexplained gaps or outdated formatting—that could be holding you back?
If your resume isn’t generating even a handful of responses, it’s likely not positioning you in the best light, especially after a career break.
2. Are You Targeting the Right Roles for a Pivot?
You mentioned being open to a pivot into tech or healthcare. That’s great—but the key is finding bridge roles that let you transfer as many of your current skills as possible. With 12+ years in marketing and project management, you’ve likely got plenty of transferable skills:
-Campaign management → product marketing or customer success
-Cross-functional collaboration → program coordination
-Communication + strategy → operations, internal comms, or even training roles
The classic book What Color Is Your Parachute? is still a great tool to help clarify your strengths and pivot path. It’s often available at local libraries.
Once you’ve narrowed your focus, upskilling can help—but it doesn’t always have to mean certifications. There are amazing free or low-cost resources (YouTube, Coursera, edX, Udemy) that can help you build confidence and familiarity in your new target industry. And for many tech roles, the ability to demonstrate what you can do (even through side projects or self-study) can matter more than a credential.
This journey can feel incredibly isolating—but you’re not alone, and you do still have a career. You’re not starting over at 40. You’re just writing the next chapter, and it can be one with purpose and stability.
Happy to help you think through resume edits or pivot roles if you want support. You've got this.
Anonymous
05/19/25 at 5:39PM UTC
Thank you for your thoughts. GREAT points. I read your response a couple of times to find the answers. Resume or my storytelling could be a barrier - but how to know that? I have updated my cv many times with chat gpt 's help - mind you - using my own tone of voice - took Ai help for ATS optimization; been tweaking it for particular roles; I have done a few marketing related courses from coursera and edx ; did 2-3 freelance marketing projects too but before maternity; And I have mentioned clearly on my CV that I have a gap of 3 years for parenting reasons - could that be a problem?
Barb HansenStartup Product, Growth & Strategy
9.64k
05/20/25 at 1:03PM UTC
It sounds like you've a good job with your resume and I think adding your parenting gaps is a great. Mind you, I'm not a HR professional, I'm a hiring manager and I would apprieciate the parenting gap notifications on your resume, but perhaps others wouldn't. You've taken additional additional courses and done some freelance projects, so that also great to show on your resume.
Tech and business job landscape is pretty tough right now but people are getting hired. Have you considered contract work? I used to have a list of many of those firms (not a physical list but a screenshot of all of the companies and there are a lot of them). Ping me if you want me to dig up those companies for you.
Anonymous
05/16/25 at 1:54PM UTC
You need to freshen up your resume with current certs or classes. Anything that communicates you are current and not stale.
Realize you are going up against candidates that don't have gaps and are possibly still employed so they present very up-to-date skillsets and experience. You need to complete.
Anonymous
05/19/25 at 5:20PM UTC (Edited)
Yeah I agree and I have already done that. Hence I made this frustrating post - what else to do?!
Anonymous
05/19/25 at 6:14PM UTC
Network and get personal introductions. It's the best way to get noticed.
WirkKarl
47
05/16/25 at 9:38AM UTC
Hi there, thank you for sharing your story — it really highlights how challenging career transitions can be, especially after a break. With your 12+ years in marketing and project management, you bring a lot to the table, even if the job market doesn’t reflect that immediately.
If you’re open to pivoting into tech, consider looking into companies like Phonexa — they focus on marketing automation and lead generation, and are known for working with diverse talent across various functions, including people transitioning from traditional roles. Their platform combines marketing tech with performance-based solutions, so your background might actually align well, especially in operations, client success, or strategy.
Also, keep exploring:
Returnship programs (like Path Forward or specific ones offered by large tech firms)
Entry or mid-level roles in tech-adjacent areas (customer onboarding, marketing analytics, etc.)
Volunteering or freelance marketing work to fill the recency gap
You're not alone — and you're definitely not starting from zero. You're starting from experience.
Anonymous
05/15/25 at 11:59PM UTC
Sadly the job market is just terrible right now. Newly laid off, applying & have interviews, yet they did not make an offer (or their offer is 15k less per year than I've been making...just NO way I will take that much of a cut without some other greater benefits to the job).
Best wishes to you!
Ashwini Vasudevan
38
05/15/25 at 8:47PM UTC
This is so relatable! I think you are doing everything right, but the market is not in a good space right now.. even LinkedIn laid off 1000s this week. So - stop blaming yourself, you are doing everything right. The only thing that worked for me was to go back in time and think through every possible person I've liked working with - vendor/ client, and reach out to them if they have any open positions. It helped me land my current job.
Martha Castro
25
05/17/25 at 12:22PM UTC
That’s exactly what I was going to reply. I know so many talented people without a job right now, They have applied for over 100 roles and their resume are perfect but they have no leads. It’s a terrible job market right now.
