Tue 05 March 2024

4 Questions to Ask Before Making a Career Pivot

Changing careers is one way to keep yourself engaged in your work, but it inevitably entails some risk. Ask yourself these four questions before embarking on a new path.

(1) What’s motivating this change?

 Sometimes, the answer is obvious: You have a lifelong passion, and it’s finally time to commit to it. But other times, a desire to pivot might simply stem from dissatisfaction with your current job. Be clear about whether you truly want to move into a new field, or just escape your current situation.

 (2) What are small ways to test new waters? 

These could include a mix of informational interviews, job shadowing, reading books and memoirs from people in the field, and asking people pointed questions about the best and worst elements of their jobs. These tactics will help you get a clearer sense of the risks as well as the rewards.

 (3) What’s my runway? 

In other words, how much financial wiggle room do you have to take a risk or a pay cut? Take a moment to plan the logistics of your pivot.

 (4) What’s my fallback plan? 

Keeping a realistic view of potential obstacles is essential to your future success—and your ability to adapt if things don't go the way you hoped or anticipated.

This tip is adapted from “4 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Changing Careers,” by Dorie Clark