Jennifer “JJ” Johnson
Pivoted from orientation programming in a campus-based position to a corporate learning & development role
The Pivoting Out of EDU podcast launched at the perfect time, 1 year after the pandemic changed the world, and particularly the world of higher education. I was feeling burnt out after 12+ much of pandemic pace (and 16 years in higher education). I knew I was ready for a change even pre-pandemic and despite applying for over 100+ since last September I was not having much luck with my job search on my own.
I am so thankful the podcast was shared widely in the Ex-Pats of Student Affairs Facebook group and I have found value in all the Pivoting Out of EDU podcast episodes, but the “Orientation to Onboarding” episode was particularly applicable to me and my experience. As soon as I finished that episode I immediately knew I wanted to reach out to Tom for a consultation.
Tom was extremely responsive and generous with his time for our consult. Tom offered me empathy, hope, and a way forward. Tom gave me valuable advice that I could immediately apply. The advice I found most beneficial was to build out my private sector resume from a blank document as opposed to trying to bend my higher ed resume. Tom also provided key insights about private-sector job titles, deciphering job descriptions/minimum qualifications, and salary differences that are all adjustments from a higher ed job search.
I was largely getting in my own way between my resume still being “too higher ed” and applying for jobs that were ultimately too senior for me despite their job titles sounding like something I would be qualified for in higher ed. Tom helped me find a path, make a plan, and ultimately I quickly participated in 4 interview processes and landed a job in Learning & Development that I am very excited about.
Angie Stoller Williams
Pivoted from online education in academic affairs to online program management in an ed tech organization
I loved working in an industry where I felt my work had a positive impact on people but over the years I started to grow concerned about the future of traditional universities and colleges. I had also grown weary of the pace of change and resistance to change in higher education. I knew I was ready for something new in my career but I was limited by geography and the thought that I had been in higher ed too long to do anything else.
During the pandemic, remote work opened up new ideas for me about how my career could proceed. At first, I applied to remote jobs within higher education but I could tell my heart wasn’t in traditional higher ed work. I began exploring careers in higher ed adjacent fields and started applying. I had two different resume reviews but I wasn’t getting any traction.
One day, a connection of mine sent me the Pivoting out of Edu podcast. As soon as I listened to an episode, I knew I had to contact Jaimie and Tom. It turns out it was the best thing I did in my job search. Their help throughout my job search made all the difference. I worked with them both through my search and it became very clear that Jaimie and Tom truly cared about my personal job search and were very accessible. Tom worked magic on my resume and as a result I began to get interview requests. Jaimie provided coaching and mock interview support. But more than that, Jaimie checked in with me throughout the process. She would remember when I had an interview and ask how it went or just check-in with me periodically to see how everything was going.
Jaimie and Tom helped me not feel alone during my pivot. They have both been where I was and had a roadmap to help me find my way out. They were so encouraging every step of the way and helped give me confidence that I could make the pivot. I am truly thankful for Jaimie and Tom sharing their wealth of knowledge and expertise and would highly encourage anyone considering a pivot to take advantage of the podcast and/or working with them individually.
