3 Lessons From One Executive Who Switched Industries During the Pandemic

#3 Don’t sprint the marathon

After a decade of moving through the ranks in a large financial services company, Sasha*, my coaching client, wanted a change. She was feeling unchallenged and craved to test her skills in a different environment — more entrepreneurial and meaningful to her.

She started applying for roles in scaling tech startups — her dream destination, but without success.

And then the pandemic happened.

This could have been the end of the story.

But by the end of 2020, after working on her transition for just under a year, Sasha started her new senior role in tech.

Here are the 3 things that particularly helped her.

Don’t marry your initial plan

Sasha’s initial idea was to move from her company — large and bureaucratic — to a fast-growing tech startup. But her market research showed that to be too much of a leap. Her lack of direct experience with startups meant she wasn’t progressing past the initial conversations.

This is common in career transitions, especially at senior levels like Sasha’s. Bridging the gap in one go might prove unrealistic.

Instead, you might look for a ‘stepping stone role’ with an overlap between what you already do well and what you aspire to do.

Having gained the missing experience in the new field (not just the education in it), you’ll be much better placed to complete your transition.

Given Sasha’s large corp background, her stepping stone was big tech, and a role built around working with startups — allowing her to develop the knowledge and network in the field for future transitions.

Go deep, not broad

In a tough job market, the tendency is to target a broader range of roles, to send more applications, to do more. This is the wrong approach.

Nobody stands out in a saturated market by being everything to everyone. To get heard, the starting point is to focus.

And this is what Sasha did.

• She carried out in-depth research on the few selected companies she approached. This allowed her to bring ideas to the table right away and differentiate herself in the emails and conversations.
• 80% of her job search time was spent on smart, targeted networking rather than sending hundreds of online applications.
• She did mock interviews with specific roles and companies in mind well before actually landing an interview — so she was 100% ready even at a 2 days’ notice.

Don’t sprint the marathon

Things haven’t worked out immediately for Sasha.

Change of direction half-way through.

Interview rounds with “Loved you but someone else had more experience“ feedback.

Periods of feeling exhausted, disheartened and needing to take a break from the whole thing.

She persevered.

In her new role in big tech, she is working with startups — allowing her to build credibility in the field and, in time, complete the transition from a large financial services company to a fast-growing tech startup.

Most people I’ve worked with initially underestimated the time and effort required for a career shift — especially at senior levels.

Prepare for a marathon rather than a sprint, and you’ll be much more likely to complete it.

*Name changed for client confidentiality