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Carlisa Robinson

Operations and Program Manager

11/16/20 at 10:49PM UTC

Resume Over Coffee

Career Pivot Advice?

I've worked in higher education administration for 12+ years and I've been trying to transition to a career in tech or marketing - perhaps in Ed Tech or Education Management. Since earning my MBA two years ago, I've worked with a number of career coaches, recruitment companies, and conducted countless informational interviews trying to figure out my direction and how to best position myself as a strong candidate. It's been really frustrating because I feel like I'm not being selected because I lack direct experience in these fields. But when I compensate for that by applying to entry level positions, I worry that I'm not being selected because I'm viewed as overqualified. It also seems like no one outside of the higher education field understands what I do and therefore my experience is not viewed as valuable elsewhere. I know that isn't true but how do I convince hiring managers/recruiters? Does anyone have any advice on how to strategize this job search? Maybe what I'm attempting is not possible and I should just give up? Has anyone ever made this kind of career pivot successfully? Thanks!

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User deleted comment on 12/28/20 at 3:15AM UTC

Carlisa Robinson

Operations and Program Manager

11/17/20 at 6:31PM UTC

Thanks for the feedback! I've already paid 3 people to rewrite my resume and cover letter. I'm really not sure what else I can do.

Joanna Giordano

291

HBO HR experience. Resume/Job & Health coach.

12/25/20 at 4AM UTC

ugh really? Now I'm very curious. I'm also happy to connect. I think you should position your experience as an asset - obvi! But you must emphasize transferrable skills. DO NOT apply down with your same resume since over-qualified is worse than under. If people do not understand what you do, then there's your problem! Workshop it with more fresh eyes until it makes sense to someone in an "elevator". ugh sorry i had to say that.

Carlisa Robinson

Operations and Program Manager

12/28/20 at 3:16AM UTC

Thanks, Joanna! I think the main problem is that most people do not understand what administrators in higher education do--the many ways it's similar to other fields and the ways it's more challenging because of limited resources. I'd love to connect and will message you on Linkedin as well. Happy holidays!

Joanne Rosen

384

Resume Writer Extraordinaire!

11/17/20 at 6:12PM UTC

Hi, I'm sorry you are going through that. It's difficult. I looked at your LinkedIn profile and can see some of the issues immediately. It's still geared towards what you DID (or currently do) and not towards your goal. I suspect your resume is probably the same. Career transitions need specific translation of language, duties, and achievements from one lingua franca to another. In other words, move from Administrator, which sounds clerical, to Project Manager language. I probably sound like a broken record (if you are old enough to know what that is) when I talk about the importance of the right resume and LI profile. For example, you have a beautiful cover photo (banner) but what is it saying? If you want to go into marketing, THAT is valuable advertising space. Invest in yourself, like you did with the MBA, and find a professional to create the marketing document and profile you need. Cheers Joanne Rosen, MAAC

Carlisa Robinson

Operations and Program Manager

11/17/20 at 6:09PM UTC

Thanks, Cheryl! I'll try rewording my cover letter a bit. Cover letters are difficult because they are so subjective, if they are read at all. I've also been advised not to mention the shift or higher ed. But I agree that I should explicitly state somewhere that I intend to shift careers.

User edited comment on 12/25/20 at 6:18PM UTC

Joanna Giordano

291

HBO HR experience. Resume/Job & Health coach.

12/25/20 at 3:57AM UTC

sorry, but cover letters are rarely read in corporate recruiting. now you know! Write coherent English and be sure not to nestle anything good in there that is not in your resume too.

Cheryl Magen

140

"Believe in yourself first; success follows"

11/17/20 at 3:33PM UTC

This must be incredibly frustrating for you!! Don’t give up if this is what you really want to do. Perhaps your cover letter can explicitly say you are shifting directions but have relevant experience and therefore are okay with a more junior position. Also maybe your resume needs to be formatted differently to show your abilities to cross over. Happy to help you.

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