APRIL 2025 - How to make a mid-career pivot
1 in 3 people are currently considering a mid-career pivot. A pivot involves making a significant change in career direction. This can be daunting, as it may involve developing new skills and building new networks. It can be tempting to stay where you are even if a career pivot is what you desire, as the change can feel overwhelming.
Is it ever too late for a career pivot?
Many people ask themselves this question, particularly mid-career, when they have built up a reputation and skills within one area but feel unsatisfied and frustrated with their current career trajectory. It is normal to feel anxious about making a bigger change when potentially you have greater financial and personal or family responsibilities and commitments.
The reality of pivoting has wider consequences than just your own career fulfilment - this can be paralysing. For others, it can be energising – the stakes are high, and that is what makes it even more worthwhile. Your pivot may be a new role, or it may be a new business. Starting up a business mid-life is the perfect time to pivot. The average age of business founders is 45, and research shows that those who are 50 are more likely to achieve high growth.
A mindset reframe is required (whilst also acknowledging that being apprehensive about it is completely normal). Leaders who thrive on challenge and opportunity look for projects and decisions that stretch them and develop them. A career pivot is an incredible opportunity to stretch and develop: you are building on the skills you already have and acquiring new ones.
Seeing a pivot as enhancing and deepening your own ability, is far more empowering than seeing it as throwing out all the skills you have used so far and going back to the ‘beginning’.
Essential steps for career pivots
EXPLORE – reflect, explore, talk to people in the role or industry you are looking to move to. Find out what is required to be in that role (skills, qualifications), what would be the financial reality? Is it feasible financially? How could you make it feasible financially? What are the longer-term prospects? If you are looking to start a business, explore the market, do some research, refine an idea.
PAUSE – decide if you would like to make steps towards the change. A conscious decision point helps commitment. Write down the commitment.
CRAFT - form a pivot strategy in the same way that you would form a strategy at work. Plan to mitigate the risks. For example, can you make steps to move whilst staying in your current role? If you are looking to start up a business, could you start up the new business whilst still being in employment? Could you study in the evenings, whilst still doing your job to gain new qualifications? Craft your narrative: what transferable skills are you bringing to the new role and what is motivating you to make the change. A ‘towards’ reason for moving is always more inspiring for recruiters than an ‘away’ reason. Express why you want the change not just why you don’t want what you already have.
GRAFT – from your strategy decide on your actions and start making them happen. For example, update your CV, apply for roles, meet recruiters, talk to investors. Make new connections in the new field. Be consistent and focused. Know that it will require energy and time, and that anything worthwhile always does.
Stage pivoting
If the leap you are looking to make seems difficult to achieve due to the gap, then consider pivoting in stages. What role would get you closer to the ideal pivot role? And how do you get to that one? Follow the plan of explore, pause, craft and graft to achieve a smaller pivot, then cycle through the stages again.
Examples of career pivots
I have to include myself here – I pivoted from a corporate career in communications and marketing to a business owner in learning and development.
Famous pivots: Vera Wang, figure skater to bridal designer; Ray Kroc, milkshake machine salesman to CEO of McDonalds; Jeff Bezos, computer science on Wall Street to ecommerce owner of Amazon; Ronald Reagan, film actor to President of the United States.
It is never too late to pivot career: don’t limit your own imagination, motivation and aspirations. Pivots are the new career normal.
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