Pivoting Careers While Highly Specialized
Occasionally, I come across LinkedIn posts where someone shares their job search experience alongside some metrics. It typically looks something like this:
6 months
200 applications
10 interviews
1 offer
Two thoughts come to mind: First, it's great to see someone tracking their job search metrics—this is always a valuable practice. Second, it's wonderful to see them landing a new role. However, posts like these often highlight searches for high-demand roles. But what if your expertise doesn't align with 200 available openings? What if your role is highly specific and tailored?
Job searching is often promoted as a numbers game, where applying to many positions increases your chances. This strategy can work well for in-demand roles like administrative or customer support, where growth is high. But it’s a different story if you possess a unique skill set. For individuals in research roles, niche trades, transportation, and other specialized fields, pivoting careers or navigating a layoff requires a different approach. In cases where your role has been eliminated entirely, it may feel like a complete career restart—but this process can be simplified with proper planning.
Here are three tips for pivoting out of a specialized role:
Identifying Transferable Skills
To an airplane pilot who is planning a career change, it may feel like the only relevant skill on a resume would be the ability to fly an aircraft. At face value, a pilot is expected to get people or cargo from one place to another, but there is infinitely more to be unpacked from the role. Coordinating both with people in person and remotely, dealing with high pressure situations, and even keeping a clean and effective uniform are all transferable skills that are in demand.
I would start by going through everything you need to do on an average day, and go into detail into what it takes. Some of the tasks may not stand out as desirable based on your previous work, but anything can count.
Setting a Clear Direction
With an understanding of transferable skills, you may know what you can bring to a different role, but which one? If you’re trying to get work in the same niche or industry, you can start to highlight what makes you a more competitive applicant above and beyond your specialized skills. If you’re trying to find a new path, the world of work is vast, and people make surprising leaps into new industries all the time.
For a next step, I recommend doing some research on an online resource like the ONet, or working with a coach to understand what industries are looking for your skills. For our pilot example, we have someone who is used to long or inconsistent hours, time spent in a vehicle, and high pressure situations. I would suggest areas like health care or construction as starting points. From there, you can contact people in those roles to learn more about them.
Make an Upskilling Plan
While it is possible to transfer skills into some areas, an upskilling plan ensures that you are fully prepared for the change. For instance, if our pilot has realized a career as an EMT matches their skills and interests, it would involve a return to school. Having a clear plan around how to make that investment into themselves is critical to getting into the new area. Working with a coach to understand the requirements of different roles helps ensure you have a solid direction.
As well, in periods of time where you may be laid off from a specialized job and a return to being a full-time student isn’t possible financially, this plan should find a balance between interim work and eventual dream job.
Photo by Andrew Ruiz on Unsplash
Overall, making the switch out of a highly specialized career comes with unique challenges, but is absolutely possible with a creative approach and proper planning. If you are looking for help making this kind of life change, book with Wish Career Coaching for a free consult.
