With the residual impacts of COVID-19 and a volatile economy continuing to shift the landscape of higher education, higher education staff need to be nimble, flexible and creative when thinking about their careers. That may look like taking on new responsibilities or shifting them, or it could require a pivot to a different staff role and field than your specialty in the higher education landscape.

I have made my own pivot and know how rewarding it can be: in 2021, I moved from being an academic librarian to working in a medical education curriculum office. My librarian background has aided me both in determining whether I wanted to make this jump and in helping me succeed in new and subsequent roles. So if you would like to make a job change yourself but feel you are too far down one path, I’m here to tell you that you are highly skilled and well-positioned as a higher education professional to make changes—and that ability to specialize may even offer you a leg up.

I recommend that you first think about what you like in your current role and about your goals, and get crystal clear about your values. I suggest that you get out a pen and piece of paper, and then draw a table with three columns: roles, goals, and values. Under roles, list the tasks and responsibilities that bring you joy now. When I was a librarian, for example, I loved supporting research and writing, fair-use consultations, and presenting to other librarians.

Once you have those written down, use them to spark your goals. Do you want to build on the tasks you already like with stretch jobs? Or would you prefer to continue to do what is comfortable? There is no right or wrong answer to any of these prompts (and if you feel like there must be one anyway, maybe you prefer more structured roles).

Finally, take a step back: What do you value, both at work and outside of it? It might be colleagues who appreciate you, feeling like your work matters, or good work-life integration that allows you the flexibility to pursue passions outside of work or spend time with loved ones. Understanding where your job and professional identity fit into your life will help guide you to your next step. If you’re struggling to identify your values, try filling in the sentences in this exercise adapted from Indeed (and write down whatever first comes to mind):

• I feel a sense of trust when …
• I feel included when …
• I feel a sense of belonging when …
• I feel energized when …
• I feel appreciated when …
• I feel respected when …

After you are clear on what you want from a job, it is time to think about what a job might want from you by inventorying your transferable skills. I like to do this by zooming out and then zooming back in. Brainstorm a list of all the broad-stroke activities with which you fill your time. When I was a librarian, the list included my job-related tasks, such as preparing lesson plans and building a program budget, as well as hobbies like cooking and baking. Once you have this list, think about how you might explain those activities to someone who does not know what they are.

For example, a librarian working through this exercise might break down “preparing lesson plans'' into steps like meeting with a faculty member to clarify their goals as you collaborate, researching strategies and learning activities, and creating a document that shows the topics in and details of the lesson.

Then, break those down even further to their core activities; it helps me to try to consider each as a verb or simple phrase. For instance, for the list above, you might land on: talking to people, looking stuff up and filling in a template. Finally, turn this last list into the buzz-word phrases you can include on a resume or in a cover letter: strong communication skills, performing research, and developing and operationalizing workflows (aka creating and sticking to a template), respectively.

This is also a good time to think about your level of expertise in your current field and how that will help you grow and flourish in a different one. How did you develop that knowledge? And what has it allowed you to do? Remember that you were once a novice in your current role, but you were able to enhance the skills and understanding you have now—and will be able to do that again in a new field and position. Demonstrating that signals your engagement, enthusiasm, commitment and aptitude for learning new things—all of which are highly valuable job traits.

In my own pivot, I found it helpful to identify other higher education professionals who have made a similar change and see how their paths progressed—and often did so just by poking around on LinkedIn or professional blogs. I also read articles and interviews about career changers outside of higher education to surface other ideas for career fields, transferable skills and professional development that would help me. I particularly enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) How I Get It Done from New York Magazine, AskAManager.org, and The New York Times Like a Boss series (retired in 2021). One of the aspects of my previous role that frustrated me was how much my identity was tied to my work and how poorly that work encompassed my whole self. Those resources gave me a glimpse into what work-life integration can look like for others and helped me think about what I wanted in that arena.

After you’ve decided what you want and figured out how you are positioned to get that new role, it’s time to apply. If you begin to look while you are in your current role, it can help ease the pressure of finding a new job. (This has been branded with the buzzy phrase career cushioning.) Of course, you may not always have the luxury, but in either case, treat applying like it’s a full-time job if you can, and tackle it with the same attention to detail. When I was looking for a new role, I created a spreadsheet to track postings, materials, and deadlines, and I planned how many applications I would complete on a set schedule.

Also, in your cover letter and resume, use your answers to the exercises in this article to highlight your transferable skills, making sure to tie them explicitly to any skills listed in the job description so they are picked up by screening software. Your cover letter is, in fact, the best opportunity to open the door for an interview; you will stand out by explaining why a career pivot makes sense for both you and the employer and by incorporating direct phrases from the job posting to align yourself clearly to the position.

Once you get an interview, use your answers to frame how your past experience ties directly to the new role, but do not be afraid to admit you are looking for a new challenge. As someone who interviews candidates now, I so appreciate when career changers let me know why a specific role excited them enough to take the leap out of their comfort zone and apply.

After the Shift

When you secure your new role and make your pivot, complete the first two steps again: review your values and check your transferable skills. Then reflect on your gaps and plans for development as often as you can, preferably in writing so you can see your growth. Getting very clear on how you felt when you nailed a presentation, failed to accomplish a task or hit a work milestone—like your one-month or six-month anniversary on the new job—will help you ensure you’re on the right path.

After I made the shift to medical education, I checked in with myself each month and used my formal annual review as a time to assess my continued fit with the role and the work. I’ve also used these reflections to determine what continuing education opportunities to pursue and what projects to take on at work and outside of it to steer my career in the direction that feels best.

Even the most senior and specialized administrator can move toward a role that better fulfills them. By giving careful, strategic thought to your current position and skills, you can pivot successfully and appeal to employers across higher education and beyond—and become a more resilient job seeker in an uncertain market.