Editor’s note: Barbara Efird is a career coach with NC State Alumni. Career coaching access for alumni is made possible through generous donors who support the Alumni Impact Fund.
Are you considering a career pivot? A career pivot means switching from one job path to another. It does not include changing companies or industries and keeping the same or similar job title.
How can someone change careers? Utilize the GROW Model adapted from John Whitmore’s book “Coaching for Performance.”
- Goal – What would you like to do and how long have you been considering this change in direction?
- Reality – What personal and professional challenges will you encounter?
- Options – Do you have transferable skills and know the requirements for this career option?
- When – Can you act now to reach your goal?
Meet two alumni and see their career pivot stories.
Tonya McMillan ’02, B.A. elementary education; M.Ed.; SHRM-CP, CPTD, moved from elementary education to human resources and talent development.
Q: What led you to consider a career change?
A: After more than 20 years in education, I realized I was most energized by developing people and improving how learning happens — not just for students, but for adults. I started to see that many challenges in education from engagement to skill-building and retention are the same in organizations. That shift in perspective helped me see that my skills could apply beyond the classroom. It wasn’t about leaving teaching but expanding it into a broader organizational context.
Q: How did you accomplish this career change?
A: I focused on translating my experience and building credibility. I reframed my work in terms of instructional design, facilitation and performance improvement. I also earned certifications like the Society for Human Resource Management – Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and Certified Professional in Talent Development (CPTD) to deepen my knowledge and signal commitment to the field. Just as important, I stayed curious by continuing to learn, volunteering and building a strong network through professional organizations. It was a gradual transition by building on existing skills rather than starting over.
Q: Were there any bumps in the road?
The biggest challenge was helping others understand how a teaching background translates to a corporate environment. I had to learn to communicate my impact in new ways. Staying open, continuing to learn and leaning on my network helped me navigate the transition and grow into my new role.
Chuck Small ’11, B.A. in journalism/English; M.Ed. in counselor education, made a career pivot from a newspaper copy editor to a high school counselor.
Q: What led you to consider a career change?
A: I had planned to enter education after my bachelor’s at Indiana University Bloomington, where I majored in journalism and English and student-taught in Indianapolis in 1985. Since I was planning to teach journalism, I thought it made sense to work in a newsroom first.
I started my first newspaper job in 1986 and kept working in newsrooms in Fort Wayne and South Bend, Indiana, before moving to Raleigh in 1993. I worked at The News&Observer for 15 years. When The N&O announced it was offering buyouts in 2008, I decided it was the time to pursue my long-planned move into education.
At age 45, I wondered if teaching was the right fit, though. A friend who was a school social worker offered to connect me with a few school counselors to learn more about the job and talking with them convinced me it was what I wanted to pursue.
Q: How did you accomplish this career change?
A: NC State was essential in this journey. I was accepted for the M.Ed. in counselor education program and studied from 2009 to 2011, graduating in spring 2011. I did my practicum and internship at Enloe Magnet High School during the 2010-11 school year and loved the environment. When a colleague moved that fall, they alerted me, and I interviewed and got the full-time position. It will be 15 years this October that I’ve been there.
Q: Were there any bumps in the road?
A: Not really, because the practicum and internship year gave me the time and opportunity to learn more about the site and see both the challenges and strengths. Enloe is an extremely diverse school, and counselors there need to be able to pivot to work with a variety of students and families on academic, personal and career and college concerns.
I think the fact that I was mid-career helped, as any frustrations I experienced, I could say to myself, “Well, this is similar to …” in my previous line of work. I could think about how I did or did not address the prior situation. I plan to retire at the end of the 2029-30 school year, and I’m very lucky to have had two careers I’ve loved.
Ready to make a change? Consider the following:
- Discuss your career pivot idea with an NC State career counselor.
- Take a career assessment available online.
- Conduct informational interviews with people in the field.
You just may be on your way to the next step in your career history.
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