How to Successfully Change Careers: A Beginner’s Guide for Students, Young Professionals, and Career Changers

by Emily McSherry, CEO Advize

In today’s dynamic job market, staying in the same career for 30 years, as many of our parents or grandparents did, is increasingly rare. This raises an important question: How can we successfully change our careers?

Let's explore some key concepts that can help you navigate this big question. As the CEO of Advize, I have over nine years of professional experience and have successfully switched my career function without changing industries in the corporate world before becoming an entrepreneur—when I technically switched both my function and industry.

Understanding Job Functions and Industries

To clarify, let’s define both job function and industry:

A job function refers to the specific duties, tasks, or responsibilities that an employee performs in their role within an organization. Job functions include key activities that contribute to a company’s goals, such as marketing, finance, customer service, sales, operations, or IT, and typically fall within a specific department. For instance, I began my career in sales, meaning my job function was part of the sales or business development department. My responsibilities included tasks and skills like cold calling, leading client meetings, relationship building, and market research to drive revenue.

An industry is a group of businesses and organizations that produce or supply similar goods, services, or products, categorized by their primary activities such as technology, healthcare, finance, or manufacturing. Industries define the broader ecosystem within which job functions operate. For example, selling wine to a supermarket falls within the retail or food and beverage industry, while selling consulting services to Fortune 500 executives fits within the consulting industry (my first job). Every company when they are legally established must register with the government to identify with a certain industry, and you can always look on LinkedIn (see Advize’s LinkedIn company page for example) or the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to see what industry a company's industry is (linked here). 

A professional can work in sales, technology, marketing, human resources, operations, or any other job function in ANY industry! Job functions really come down to what you do every day and your skills. Industries come down to the ecosystem you’re working within. 

Why Job Functions and Industries Matter in Career Switching

Understanding job functions and industries is crucial when switching careers because hiring managers and recruiters look for candidates with relevant experience and skills.

Hiring managers and recruiters are motivated to look good in the eyes of the company to keep their jobs and hit their own goals, and work the least amount to bring you on.

Switching either your job function or industry is easier than switching both. If you aim to change both, you are considered a “double-switcher,” which requires a greater strategic approach.

Key Questions to Consider When Changing Careers

If you already know your desired career path, consider these questions:

1. Why do I want to switch careers? Is it about changing jobs or industries, or are there other factors like work-life balance or salary that you can address without a complete switch?

2. Which matters more: job function or industry? If it's job function, consider switching within your current company first.

3. How can I gain relevant experience in the new field or industry? Look for opportunities to acquire necessary skills through additional projects, certifications, or volunteer work. Find examples on LinkedIn or Advize doing what you want to do, study their backgrounds, and find patterns.

4. What is the fastest way to achieve my career goals? Plan your steps to minimize time and cost while maximizing relevant experience.

My Career Switching Experience

In my journey, I transitioned from my first job out of college in Sales to Learning and Development within my first company by taking on additional projects. This experience helped me land a role as a Learning and Development Manager at Michael Page, a global publicly traded recruitment firm in the talent and recruitment industry. Later, I pursued an MBA at UCLA Anderson to facilitate a double switch into management consulting—a common strategy among professionals using higher education, specifically business school, to pivot careers. However, I eventually chose entrepreneurship and founded Advize!

Final Thoughts

Everyone deserves to be happy in their career. Understanding the recruiter’s perspective and strategizing your career change can help you achieve your goals. Good luck with your career transition!

P.S. Interested in learning more about career switching? Whether you're making a small pivot or a complete "double switch," there are strategies and resources to help you land your dream job. For more insights, consider reading the book Switchers, by Dawn Graham.