Changing One's Line of Work /Job Function

Hope all of you are good and staying safe. I am returning to this space after a long hiatus, close to almost a decade later. :-).  I have now moved into Management Consulting and I am a Partner with one of the Big 4 firms in their Consulting arm. 

Today I am writing on the topic of what are few of the points one should consider when one is not just changing a job, but actually moving over to a totally new job function e.g. Moving from Software Development and Management to Frontline IT Sales, Or from Frontline IT Sales to Management Consulting. This is based on my personal experiences, and I am happy to have readers add their own perspectives in the Comments section. I have in my 20 years career, made 2 such career moves. After a 7 year career in Software Development and Management, I did a Full Time MBA and moved into Frontline IT Sales. Then after doing 8 years of  Frontline IT Sales, I moved into Management Consulting. While I can say that the first career move was somewhat planned, the second one just happened circumstantially.   

I am listing below a few of  the points which folks considering such a career move involving change of job functions, can keep in mind. 

(1) Do You  Really Want To Do It?:- Think well before taking the step.  It is not going to be an easy change, especially the further down in your career that you make the change. The best is to make the change early in your career and preferably e.g. post an MBA, and if possible as part of a Young Leaders or Leadership Grooming paid/salaried Program of the likes that GE, TAS etc. recruit folks for, wherein you are quickly rotated around roles in various business functions to find your niche. The sooner you do this in your career, less steep will be the learning curve in the new job functions and the implications on your career of any slip-ups by you in the new job functions would be lesser.   

(2) Leverage Strength of Earlier Career in New Job Function:-  Choose a new job function where at least few of the skills you gained in your previous career, are a strength for you and help you get considered for job positions in the new job function and importantly once you join help you to be valued in the new job function. Otherwise you will be deemed a total fresher in the new job function and will be valued only as such. e.g. When moving from a Frontline Sales role into a Management Consulting career, the Sales experience will stand one in good stead, since especially at Senior levels in Management Consulting one is expected to go out in the market and get new business for the firm in addition to essaying the other Consulting roles like leading project/engagement delivery

(3) Be ready to be humble and adaptable, and almost student like:-  Do realize that even if you have already clocked many years of work experience, in the new job function you are effectively a fresher. The new employer in a way has taken a leap of faith with you, and while they do support you as much as they can, it is more imperative upon you to be an ardent and humble student of the new line of work and that you learn fast and become productive soon. Your achievements in the previous career should help you do better in the new job function, and not come in the way of you being humble and learning fast in your new professional avatar. e.g. If you move from Frontline Sales into Management Consulting , you need to be able to now work in an environment where you have to work on Sales, Pre-Sales and Project Delivery, since in Consulting all these functions are performed by same teams and same people across all levels in the firm. If you take the stance that you were in Sales, and will hence do only Sales in Management Consulting as well, then it will not work for your firm and definitely not for you as well!

(4) If you need to go back to your previous career, do it sooner rather than later:- Ideally having made such a major career move, you should dig in your heels with persistence and commit yourselves to be in the new job function for a decently long term, especially the more senior you are in terms of job experience. This is because changing job functions too many times is not just difficult if not impossible, but also does not do well for  your professional profile and resume. If you must go back to your previous career, do so sooner rather than later. This is because the job function you were in previously, would understandably have difficulties in taking you back if you go back later as you are now more senior and also have been working in a different area since the past many years. e.g. If you have moved from Software Delivery into Software Frontline Sales, and want to go back into Software Delivery after many years in Sales, it will not be easy. This is because the frenetic pace at which Software technologies are changing, your earlier Software Delivery experience might no longer be relevant and there would be a mental barrier to recruit you thinking that you have been away from Software Delivery for too long. 

Hope you find this post interesting, and feel free to send in your comments. 

Take care and do stay safe.