Using transferrable skills to make a career pivot with guest Andrea Abernethy

05/26/23 • 30 min

Understanding your transferrable skills can be so powerful when trying to make a job switch or a "career pivot". In this episode my guest is career coach and program manager Andrea Abernethy. I invited Andrea to the Career Chatroom because she has helped hundreds of people from a variety of backgrounds make career transitions. Our conversation focuses on defining transferrable skills, sharing strategies for discovering transferrable skills. and exploring how to use them to make a career pivot. We explain the term "career pivot" and illustrate the concept through a couple of examples. Finally, we get specific about tactics for making that career pivot. By focusing on your transferrable skills it is possible to position yourself as a strong candidate for a job you have never done. Andrea shares her formula for creating a branded resume, write impactful bullets to describe your experience, and refine an elevator pitch to highlight your unique strengths and the value you bring.

Andrea is an experienced career consultant with a passion for empowering people to find their dream jobs. She is the founder of Career Consulting by Andrea as well as a presenter and coach for the University of Delaware Professional and Continuing Studies career services department. Most recently she has been a Pathway Program Director for TechElevator, which is an intensive in-person and online education provider helping individuals and companies acquire in-demand technology skills for the modern workforce. Connect with Andrea on Linkedin.

Previous Episode

What to do when you've lost your job with guest Jaime Diglio

In this episode Jaime Diglio and I discuss the steps that you can take to position yourself well when you have lost your job. We encourage you to move fast, get focused, and stay flexible as a mantra to guide your actions. The topic is as relevant today as in December of 2020 when Nick Wagner produced an entire "Day of Helping" and asked us to share advice in a live session on that day. Now more than two years later, we decided to revisit the actions we recommended in 2020, and update our advice for 2023.

We recommend that you:
- Update your resume, but also be certain your Linkedin profile is updated and accurately reflects the entirety of who you are. People often forget to highlight the most important and interesting things about themselves
- Activate your network, by first engaging with people who have experience working with you to provide the ability to understand your strengths and what you are known for
- Identify what you want to do next, without limiting yourself to your past experiences, industries, or locations
- Expand your network with connections at your employer, schools/ universities, volunteering and all other aspects of your life
- Invest time in your network, knowing that not every interaction will result in a job opportunity and even if you are employed, this investment is important to ensure you can hit the ground running if a job loss situation comes up for you

Being laid off is, for better or for worse, becoming more "normalized" than it has been in the past. It is important to remember that you are not alone, you have experiences and skills that are valuable, and there are resources available to give you the ability to move forward from here. Do not make the mistake of suffering in silence. There are resources available out there, coaches who specialize in helping professionals through career transitions. There are also people within your network who are willing to help. Use the tips highlighted in this podcast to find your advocates and build your "WIN" team.

Jaime Diglio is the Founder of inFirst Coaching where she trains leaders and ambitious professionals on how to WIN at work and in life. With a master’s degree in industrial organizational psychology combined with 20+ years in sales leadership roles at Gartner, Microsoft, Slalom, and various high-growth startups, her proven coaching techniques have become a secret weapon for her clients’ success. As a TEDx speaker, mom and skilled performance coach, her highly sought after WIN Room Program is a game changer for anyone who wants to take their career to the next level.

Next Episode

Be ready to meet companies through university recruiting with guest Phil Rathosky

In this episode, with guest Phil Rathosky, the focus is on what college students should know about the university recruiting process to successfully land an internship or full time job. I invited Phil to the Career Chat Room because of his significant expertise working with college students. Phil has worked in University Relations also known as Early Career Recruiting at several large, well-known public companies. We often think of this function as "on campus recruiting", but there is so much more to University Relations than what happens on campus. Phil shares his expertise about the digital platforms and other approaches that colleges and companies are utilizing to connect students with opportunities even before a company shows up on campus. We talk about what you can do to prepare, whether you are a first year college student or about to graduate. It is important to take advantage of every opportunity to create relationships with the companies, early and often. We wrap up the episode by answering some of the questions that students tend to be most curious about but might be afraid to ask.

Phil Rathosky is currently the Recruiting Lead for a Technology focused Early Career development program. At his previous employer he led recruiting for MBA, Research Lab, and Human Health early career talent. Earlier in his career he worked for a couple of universities in residence life and alumni relations. In addition to recruiting, Phil is a project manager and a wellness advocate. When he is not working you will find him on long walks all around Philadelphia!