Transitioning to a new role? Do this.

Read time: 3 minutes

Many people I work with aim to transition to a new role.

For example:

👨‍💼 AE/SDR → Sales Engineer

👩‍🏫 Teachers → Tech Sales

👩🏽‍⚕️ Healthcare Professional → Sales Development

And many more…

To effectively make a transition into a new role, a core part of your strategy is to find and speak with people in your target role.

You need to learn from them, get familiar with their world (your target role), and build a relevant network that will create opportunities (referrals).

To be efficient in your job search, it helps to prioritize people to reach out to, who are:

1. In your target role
2. In your target company (or similar companies)
3. And from a similar background (role) to you

Talking to people who come from a similar background to you is incredibly helpful for two reasons:

1. It’s something you have in common with them that you can use in your message to them

2. They have an appreciation for the value you bring to the role because they made the same transition themselves

It’s easier to find these people than you think! Here’s how:

1. Go to LinkedIn and search for your previous role (for example: “Teacher” OR “Educator”)
2. Filter the search for People
3. Filter the search for Title = Target Role (for example: Sales Development)

You can also filter specifically for people who are at your target company.

Here’s an example of former Account Executives, who are now Sales/Solutions Engineers, at Salesforce.

Now you have a list of people who took the same career path you want to take. And they’re more likely to meet with you because people love helping others who want to follow their path.

Okay, so how do you reach out to them? Here’s one example template:

Hi [NAME],

I noticed you made the transition into [NEW ROLE] from [PREVIOUS ROLE]. I’m inspired by your transition because I'm following a similar path, aiming to transition from my current role as a [CURRENT ROLE] into a [TARGET ROLE].

I know you’re probably extremely busy, and your time is valuable. If you do have a few minutes, I’d love to learn more about your career journey. If you do have a few minutes, I’d be grateful. Either way, have a fantastic week!

Best,

[YOUR NAME]

This approach will help you talk to more of the right people. And that will open doors for you.

Give it a try!

If you need help transitioning into a new Tech role. I offer two programs that will help.

• Transition into Tech
• Transition from AE/SDR to SE

Each program is designed to help you get into your target role in less time.

If you could use help landing your next AE or SE role, we can help! Apply to work with us 1-on-1. We'll personally reach out to chat about how we can help you accelerate your job search.