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The Art of Switching Careers with Confidence
Switching careers can feel like a leap of faith – exciting, a little scary, but also brimming with possibility. Yet despite this, you can find strength and resilience in the wealth of experience and knowledge you’ve built in your career to date. At times, you might feel like minimising your past experience but I would encourage you to embrace it and own it as the thing that sets you apart or even helps you excel. Over the last couple of years I’ve learnt how to recognise my transferable strengths and reframe my unique journey into tech to as an asset.
You’re Not Starting From Zero
I often describe my move from Marketing to Software Engineering as a “career switch”, but the more I reflect on it, the less accurate that feels. My job title and day-to-day responsibilities may look different, however I firmly believe that the skills and experiences I gained throughout my Marketing career — and even my humanities education — have shaped the engineer I am today.
That’s why I prefer to think of my transition as a “pivot”. In a world where upskilling is constant and career paths are no longer linear, pivots are becoming more commonplace. In fact, Forbes reports that 62% of women are entertaining new career paths. Furthermore, with the prevalence of artificial intelligence, your unique background is exactly what sets you apart. For instance, an ex-teacher might excel at knowledge transfer and communication. While a former healthcare professional might provide valuable insight into patient experience for a medical application.
One of the most crucial lessons I’ve learnt is that skills can be learnt, but behaviours are much more difficult to change. This is the thought that ground me when imposter syndrome creeps in. My commercial awareness, user-centric mindset, collaborative approach, and resilience are all qualities I’ve built up over the entirety of my career that contribute to me being a unique and valuable engineer.
Identifying Your Transferable Advantage
To begin with, pivoting felt quite daunting – imposter syndrome crept up and I found myself feeling behind compared to engineers with Computer Science degrees. While I’ve been told by experienced engineers that imposter syndrome never wholly goes away, I’ve learn to embrace my unconventional background and position it as a strength. Here are some of the transferable skills I’ve found helpful during my career pivot:
Communication and teamwork – My English degree and Marketing experience taught me how to analyse information quickly and communicate clearly — skills I use constantly when reading documentation or explaining solutions to teammates. Working in embedded software also means collaborating closely with firmware and hardware teams. Luckily I was already used to cross-functional teamwork from developing marketing campaigns and websites. Years of copywriting for specific audiences also means I’m good at writing documentation.
Resilience and decision making under pressure – Marketing taught me to make quick, high-stakes decisions — sometimes in real time. But the process of switching careers strengthened my resilience even more. Saying “yes” to a pivot pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me more open to challenges and opportunities.
Prioritisation and stakeholder management – Having worked with senior leaders and managed teams, I’m confident asking for clarity, setting boundaries, and ensuring sprint work is prioritised realistically. I’m also comfortable raising blockers early and advocating for what I need to succeed.
Commercial Awareness – Having previously been the person briefing engineering teams, I understand user needs from the other side. I can approach requirements holistically, appreciate the impact of scope creep, and recognise the importance of delivering to time and budget. My varied background also helps me spot process gaps others might miss.
Integrity and ownership – Having accrued over a decade of experience before entering tech, I’m confident taking ownership of my work and viewing my mistakes as learning opportunities. I follow tasks through to completion, ask questions to understand processes deeply, and look for opportunities to improve them.
What I Wish I’d Known When I Switched
Here are some practical tips I’ve picked up, both from my own journey and from other career switchers along the way:
Log what you learn and reflect – A learning log helps consolidate new information (and there will be a lot of it). It’s also a great reminder of how far you’ve come. Keep track of questions too — many will answer themselves as
you gain context.
Own your achievements with a brag doc – Every Friday, I spend five minutes updating my brag doc — a simple table in OneNote where I record what I worked on (and how it contributes to my objectives), the impact it had, what I
learned, and any notable conversations. It’s a confidence boost and an invaluable tool during appraisals. I also keep a “wins” folder in my inbox for positive feedback.
Define your values and pitch your personal brand – When imposter syndrome hits, I consider the qualities I admire in engineers and leaders. It’s rarely their technical knowledge — instead it’s their curiosity, integrity, and empathy. I want to be known for championing women in tech, being dependable, and supporting my team. I look for opportunities that align with those values and make sure my line manager has visibility by scheduling monthly check-ins or sending ad-hoc emails to build my personal brand.
Find your community – I was lucky to join my organisation alongside other CFG degree graduates, and our ranks have grown over the last couple of years! Being surrounded by fellow career switchers is a powerful reminder that you’re not alone. We share opportunities, knowledge, and encouragement to lift each other up!
Prepare a clear pitch to communicate your career-switch story – One thing I wish I had prepared earlier is a succinct but confident pitch to explain my career switch to others rather than being sheepish or apologetic about my journey. Preparing a 30 second pitch about where I came from, what motivated my pivot and what strengths I bring with me would have helped me own my narrative earlier on.
Ask questions, be curious, take the opportunities – Your alternative perspective is your superpower. Don’t be afraid to ask questions — someone else is probably thinking the same! Your viewpoint might uncover gaps in processes, highlight inclusivity issues, or spark a better solution. Most of all, you’ve already taken a huge leap by pivoting your career. Keep saying “yes” and continue pushing yourself out of your comfort zone!
If you’re ready to switch careers with confidence, explore our programmes and take your next step into tech.
