You may be a recent graduate, but the career landscape already looks completely different than the day you wore your cap and gown. AI is reshaping entry-level roles, new industries are rising to the top, hiring seems stagnant, and the traditional rules of career growth don’t always apply. Should you double down on your current path, or pivot before it’s too late?
Navigating this uncertainty doesn’t mean making rushed decisions. In fact, you can turn market shifts into opportunities for growth and skill-building. All it takes is some reflection, intention, and strategic planning.
Spotting the Signs of a Shifting Market
The first step is understanding what a “shifting market” actually looks like.
Layoffs and hiring freezes: Frequent layoffs or stalled recruitment in your industry may indicate contraction.
Recruiting ghosting: If applications aren’t yielding interviews, it could signal increased competition or automation.
Emerging industries: Watch for growing sectors like AI-adjacent roles, renewable energy, or specialized tech niches.
Changing skill requirements: Job postings increasingly demand skills you might not currently have like data literacy, coding, or creative problem-solving.
Be sure to monitor job postings and industry reports. Even setting aside some time each week can keep you ahead of trends.
Stay or Pivot? Key Questions to Ask Yourself
Deciding whether to stay the course or pivot isn’t easy. Consider these questions:
Career growth: Are promotions, mentorship, and skill-building opportunities still available to you? Is the company profitable or seeking expansion?
Skill alignment: Will your current skills remain relevant in the next 2–5 years?
Long-term goals: Does staying help you reach your broader career aspirations?
Create a simple pros/cons list for your current role, rating each factor from “critical” to “optional.” This can help clarify whether staying is strategic or comfort-driven.
Transferable Skills: Your Career Safety Net
When considering a pivot, it’s important to remember that skills travel with you, but titles don’t.
Common transferable skills:
Communication and collaboration
Project management
Analytical thinking
Coding or technical literacy
Creative problem-solving
Driving results through sales
Keep a “skills inventory” listing each skill, examples of how you’ve applied it, and measurable outcomes. This makes it easier to see how your experience applies to new roles.
Reskilling Strategically
Bridging gaps between your current skill set and emerging opportunities can make a pivot smoother.
Identify skill gaps: in high-growth areas (AI literacy, sustainability, analytics).
Learning options: Online courses, micro-certifications, workshops, volunteering, and freelance projects all offer ways to enhance your skillset
Create a roadmap: Set a timeline to develop 1–2 high-impact skills that align with your goals.
Example: Sarah identified a gap in digital analytics, completed a three-month certification, and contributed to small projects at her current role, building both confidence and credibility for her pivot.
Consider a Career Assessment with a Professional
When weighing a career pivot, a career assessment can provide clarity and direction. These assessments—when guided by a trained career coach—help you identify your strengths, values, interests, and transferable skills. They can also reveal industries or roles you might not have considered but that align with your talents and goals, and you would excel at.
Use the results to:
Understand which career paths play to your strengths.
Uncover gaps in skills or experience to address.
Inform a strategic plan for making a successful pivot.
A career coach can help you interpret your assessment results, map transferable skills, evaluate timing, and create actionable next steps so your career moves feel intentional rather than reactive. Coaches offer clarity, accountability, and guidance, helping young professionals turn uncertainty into opportunity. If you’re unsure whether to pivot or stay the course, working with a coach can help you create a personalized strategy for success.
Making the Move Confidently
Once you’ve clarified your strengths and options, it’s time to turn insights into action:
Timing: Don’t rush, but don’t overthink either. Look for windows of opportunity.
Networking: Connect with peers and mentors in your target industry and request informational interviews.
Framing: Position pivots as strategic growth moves in resumes and interviews, not reactive jumps.
Market shifts can feel intimidating, but they’re also opportunities to grow, learn, and reposition yourself strategically. By reflecting on your goals, assessing your skills, and taking intentional steps, you can navigate change with confidence.
Feeling uncertain? Chat with our Early Career Coaches today and take the next step to career success.
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