Queue the Clash’s infamous song from 1981, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” in your career playlist. You’re stuck.
So, how do you know when to change direction? Change careers? Change jobs? Change a job search? How do you know when it’s time to pivot?
Tech smiles favorably on company pivots, with cultural respect for startups that adapt to the market. It’s common to hear, “Oh, that company pivoted and now they’ve found product/market fit.” The pivot approach stems from the Lean Startup philosophy. In this approach, a young company creates a crude version of a product (Minimum Viable Product or MVP), sees how it lands, and then make adjustments based on market feedback. Rinse and repeat.
But how does the pivot concept translate to you as a person and your worklife?
When is the time right?
Two red flags are important to pay attention to when you’re thinking of pivoting: You’re getting no results, or you’re getting the wrong results.
In job search, the “no results” red flag is pretty clear. You have no offers, no interviews, no response. In a current job, the “no results” might mean you’re getting negative performance reviews, or you’re not progressing.
Getting the “wrong results” red flag is a little harder to read. In job search it could be that you’re attracting the wrong types of roles. Maybe they’re not at the level you see yourself or for the type of work that you’re seeking. In a current job, it could be a sense of dissatisfaction, even if you’re doing well at it.
Now what?
Once you acknowledge you’re not getting results or getting the wrong ones, you have three choices.
- Continue on your path. We all know the axiom, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,” commonly misattributed to Albert Einstein. So why do many of us do this? Two reasons. First, we’ve gotten comfortable. We know exactly how to do what we’ve been doing, which feels good even if it’s not working. Second, we see sunk costs. We invested much to get this far, so it feels risky to abandon the path. Sure there are no results yet, but they could be just around the corner!
- Make a hedged change, an experiment. One of my favorite business strategies commonly used by young startups is testing. Try alternatives and test, test, test. The data will show the way. This can be applied to a job search. If you’ve been responding to dozens of online ads a week, you could scale that back and add another modality, such as informational interviews. See if results are different. Keep iterating.
- Make a complete change. Obviously, this is the riskiest approach in just about any situation, but sometimes you just need a clean break or cannot stand another day in your current situation.
How can you apply feedback?
An essential element of any pivot is feedback. First, feedback from data. As mentioned, your results will speak volumes. But human feedback is equally important. Job searches are discouraging by nature, and if you get stuck in your head you may be misreading reality. Hearing the thoughts of others who know you can give you a more unbiased read on your situation and whether it merits a pivot. Some worthy candidates for feedback: work colleague, partner, career coach.
It may also be helpful to use a personality assessment tool to gain clarity on your strengths and values. Are they lining up with the role you seek? Are you applying them to your job search? Some favorites of mine are Gallup CliftonStrengths, Via Character Strengths, and the Big Five.
So what could your pivot look like?
- You could change tactics, doing digital networking via Lunchbox or Shapr, or refocusing your LinkedIn profile/resume.
- You could upskill by earning a new certification or practicing your video interview skills.
- You could conduct informational interviews to evaluate working in an adjacent field.
- You could withdraw from the job search altogether, realizing you could make changes in your current job to make it more satisfying.
When will you know it’s time to reinvent yourself? This will be different for everyone. And while pivot connotes a very distinct turning point, it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes a continuum of change is best. If you maintain clear eyes about what’s working and what isn’t, then stay flexible to adjust to the information you’re getting, you’re sure to land just where you hope.