Reframing your skills for a career pivot

How to speak tech when you’re fluent in media

Aug 15, 2024

My sister just quit her job. After almost 9 years at Bustle, culminating as their Associate Director of Branded Content, she was ready for something new. Elly’s a writer and editor in media, and I do the same in tech, so we’ve been comparing notes. (Ofc, there’s a worksheet.) This newsletter will be about that, and what we’ve found along the way. (Skip to the end for resources!)

So how do you translate years of expertise into a compelling narrative for a new industry? Whether you’re a writer eyeing tech or a freelancer going in-house, here’s what we’ve found on how to reframe your experience.

Know someone who’s looking for a new role? Forward this along.

The great jargon juggle

Every industry has its dialect riddled with shorthand, acronyms, and jargon. When Elly tells me about her day, I don’t know what she’s talking about, and likewise when I mention the weekly GTM sync where I need to add our channel’s E2E strategy.

One study found that unnecessary jargon in job listings prevents job seekers from applying, particularly those aged 16–24 and from marginalized groups. The top three confusing phrases? “Team player,” “dynamic,” and “self-starter.” Some workplaces go so far as to ban acronyms and jargon, in an effort to make them more accessible. But, like texting—sometimes it’s just easier. IYKYK.

So while it would be nice if there was a translator for every industry, your job is to become fluent. Here’s a few we stumbled upon, with more here and here:

“Retention” → “Engagement”
“User personas” → “Audience demographics”
“Sprints” → “Fast-paced project phases”
“MVP” (Minimum Viable Product) → “Basic working version”
“UX” (User Experience) → “How easy/enjoyable something is to use”
“UI” (User Interface) → “Visual design and layout”

A humorous tweet from Sebastiaan de With, dated March 15, 2016, shows two nonsensical images labeled "UI" and "UX." The image on the left, labeled "UI," depicts a watermelon partially covered with a blue swim cap that says "speedo." The image on the right, labeled "UX," shows a basketball placed inside a small glass fishbowl. The tweet reads, "I label increasingly nonsensical images with ‘UI’ and ‘UX’ and hope they get used in serious presentations." — Don’t fall for it.

Action step: Create a personal glossary. List ten key terms from your current industry and find their equivalents in your target industry. Use industry blogs, job descriptions, and informational interviews to build your vocabulary. Like Duolingo, but for your career.

From media maven to tech translator

Start by listing your core competencies. For Elly, that includes:

Developing impactful content strategies
Translating concepts for cross-channel engagement
Executing multi-platform campaigns with a high degree of efficiency

Now, let’s rewrite each skill without industry jargon:

Crafting compelling narratives
Translating complex ideas for diverse audiences
Managing multiple projects simultaneously

Extremely versatile. But wait, there’s more. Let’s tech it up a notch:

Architecting data-driven content experiences
Simplifying complex systems for user-centric design?
Orchestrating end-to-end project lifecycles across agile environments…??

Suddenly, we’ve gone from media speak to tech talk without changing the core of what Elly does. It’s still her skills, her experience, but through a different lens.

Action step: List your top five skills. Rewrite each one without using any industry-specific terms. Then, rewrite them again using jargon from your target industry. How does this change your perception of your abilities?

Crafting your career plot twist

Your career isn’t a list of jobs—it’s a story. Here’s how Elly might frame hers:

“I’ve spent years translating complex brand messages into compelling content that resonates with diverse audiences. Now, I’m excited to apply those skills to make tech products more accessible and engaging for users.”

It’s not about changing who you are; it’s about reframing your story for a new audience. Think of it as the ultimate SEO for your career—optimizing your experience for a new search algorithm. (Sorry!)

Action step: Write a two-minute elevator pitch connecting your past experience to your desired role. Test it on friends from different industries and refine based on their feedback.

Relationships > Resume-blasting

Remember when networking meant awkwardly balancing a drink and a business card? Those were the days. Now, it’s all about sliding into LinkedIn DMs and crafting the perfect “cold” email. 60% of jobs are found through networking. Here’s how:

Identify people in your target industry and ask for informal interviews. Focus on understanding their challenges and how your experience adds value.
Share content relevant to your new field on LinkedIn. Engage with industry leaders by commenting on their posts to start building visibility and relationships.
Join relevant online communities. Whether it’s a Slack group for UX writers or a subreddit for product managers, find your digital water cooler.

Fending off imposter syndrome

Feeling like a fraud when pivoting careers is normal. Remember:

Companies value diverse perspectives. Your “outsider” status can be an asset.
Skills are transferable. Your ability to learn and adapt is more valuable than specific technical knowledge.
Everyone starts somewhere. Even industry experts were once newcomers.

Action step: For every doubt you have, write down a counterargument. Keep this list handy for moments of self-doubt. It’s like a pocket pep talk.

Case studies: From bylines to user flows

Pivoting your career doesn’t always mean a drastic 180-degree turn. From the subtle “reframe” to the bold “hard left,” there are multiple ways to navigate your professional journey. We spoke to six people for Figma’s blog, Shortcut, sharing their unique pivot stories. My career is also a pivot—I reframed my design portfolio to highlight writing and content strategy, leading to a freelance copywriter role.

Your next move

Research: Spend 30 minutes daily reading about your target industry. Set up Google Alerts for key companies and trends. Become the industry gossip.
Skill up: Identify one skill gap in your desired role. Find a free online course or workshop to start bridging it.
Connect: Reach out to one person in your ideal industry weekly. Ask to chat about their career path. Bring good questions.
Apply: Set a goal to apply to one job per week that stretches your current skill set. Use each application as a learning opportunity.
Reflect: At the end of each week, carve out time to think about what you’ve learned and how your perception of your skills has evolved.

Remember, career pivots are marathons, not sprints. Stay curious, stay persistent, and don’t be afraid to rewrite your story. Have advice or a story to share? Comment below.

—Carly

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Resources for creative job seekers

Tech & startup jobs

Dice, Stack Overflow Jobs for developers and technologists, GitHub Jobs, Hacker News: Who Is Hiring? - monthly thread, CrunchBoard, Otta: AI-powered job matching for tech roles, with a focus on company culture, Wellfound (formerly AngelList Talent) for startups, Y Combinator Jobs: YC-backed startups

Remote jobs & companies

Working Nomads, DesignRemotely, Remote-Design-Jobs, Remote OK, We Work Remotely, Interdisciplinary Remote & Remote-Friendly Employers (by Words of Mouth), yanirs/established-remote

hannah

Aug 16

as someone that has paved my career path in a rather avant-garde manner, this was a fantastic read! i’m seeing more talk about being a multi-hyphenate and building a portfolio career, i’m excited for what’s to come in the days ahead. this was fabulous, i had to comment.

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Sep 4

Thank you so so much! I loved the resources, examples, and especially the action steps! I find when im reading "how-to's" they always feel intuitive yet i find myself still lost in translating what i read into an action.

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