Career Switch Podcast: Expert advice for your career change

Sometimes you don’t have to go far to make a career switch. My guest today is a great example of how to change careers without changing companies. 

Mia Villarreal went from social media strategist to product marketing manager—within the same organization—in only a couple of years. 

In this episode, Mia shares how she first got into VMware, a global software developer, in 2020 as a contractor—a move that gave her access to the company culture and cross-functional teams before she was even a permanent employee. 

Mia walks us through the inside track she took to change careers within VMware—from leveraging in-house platforms to tapping into her internal network. 

She also recalls how her mentors and trusted colleagues helped her navigate her impostor syndrome about transitioning to product marketing when she had no direct experience. 

Episode Highlights:

• Getting your foot in the door as a contractor

• Is your company culture conducive to a career change?  

• Accessing in-house resources

• Getting help with impostor syndrome 

• How to ask your manager for support with switching roles

• What to keep an eye out for possible openings within a company

• Setting up coffee chats – how to approach people and what to cover

• What to do in the first 30, 60, and 90 days in a new role

• Leaning into your strengths when making a career switch

Resources Mentioned: 

Product Marketing Alliance: https://www.productmarketingalliance.com/

CliftonStrengths Assessment: https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/252137/home.aspx

Career coach Alicia Wolfe: https://www.integratewell.co/

Additional Episodes:

Need more help with impostor syndrome? Check out these episodes:

Ep 49: Need some A.I.R. with your career change?

Ep 11: Impostor syndrome and other roadblocks to a career change

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Madeline Miller, a Gen Z and Millennial career and leadership coach, shares her A.I.R. Formula—Alignment, Influence, and Resilience—to help professionals connect with a more fulfilling career. 

Drawing from her own career switch as an entertainment attorney turned entrepreneur, Madeline breaks down the mindset shifts needed to:

• Align your work with your values 

• Build influence

• Develop the resilience to keep moving forward

"If you are going through a career transition, mindset is the most important part," says Madeline, founder of Coaching with Madeline. 

Episode Highlights:

• Madeline's career trajectory that led her to develop A.I.R.

• Alignment: Finding a sense of purpose by aligning your work with your values and skills

• Influence: The gap between who you are and how you want to show up

• Resilience: Developing healthy emotional resilience to get through setbacks

• Managing impostor syndrome

• Handling uncertainty

• How to get started with A.I.R. for a career change

Find Madeline Miller at:

Website: https://coachingwithmadeline.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madelinemillercoaching/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millermadeline/

Career and Leadership Coaching Packages: https://coachingwithmadeline.com/career-leadership-coaching-packages/

E-book: Redefining Success: The Burnout-Free Formula for Influence and Impact

https://coachingwithmadeline.com/ebook-the-burnout-free-formula-for-influence-and-impact/

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Barbara Brandon-Croft is recognized as the first Black woman cartoonist in the U.S. to break into the mainstream press with Where I’m Coming From, her cartoon feature centering on Black female voices.

As we celebrate Women's History Month, Barbara looks back at her various careers—from her early days as a fashion and beauty writer to her time as a cartoonist at the Detroit Free Press in the 90s, and later, as the research director at Parents magazine, where she worked for 18 years. 

In this episode, Barbara recalls how she navigated unexpected career shifts, including getting laid off from Parents—in her 60s. She shares how tuning into her younger self helped her embrace the unknown and revive her cartooning career post layoff. 

"I needed to start thinking about receiving what I couldn't imagine," she says about the many doors her shift in perspective has opened.

Barbara’s story also demonstrates the role timing can play when it comes to a career change. When she had to move on from being a cartoonist in her younger years, it turns out it's just the right career for her now. 

Episode Highlights:

• Barbara's journey as the first Black woman cartoonist syndicated in the mainstream press in the U.S.

 • Facing unexpected career changes

 • Finding guidance in your younger self

 • The financial realities of creative careers and how to navigate them

 • How unpaid opportunites can lead to paid opportunities

 • Getting out of your comfort zone

 • Barbara's reviving her cartoonist career today

 • The role of trust and openness in career reinvention

Find Barbara Brandon-Croft at:

Website: https://barbarabrandoncroft.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/barbarabrandoncroft/

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA): https://www.moma.org/magazine/authors/626

Barbara’s Book: Where I’m Coming From

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Former newspaper reporter Jonathan McFadden opens up about the identity crisis he battled with his career change. He recalls everything he was afraid to lose if he left journalism—would it be worth it? 

“I, like many of us do, conflated my value as a human with my value as an employee,” says Jonathan.

In this episode, Jonathan shares how he tried a couple of different jobs and industries before landing on user experience, also known as UX.

Was it all worth it? Tune in to find out and to hear Jonathan's advice for changing careers more than once. 

Episode Highlights:
• Feeling overworked
• Wanting a better quality of life
• Planning to leave
• Former colleagues look out for each other
• Soft skills are core skills
• Learning the language in a new industry 
• Battling an identity crisis about leaving journalism
• Transitioning to user experience, or UX   
• Feeling aligned with what you’re doing 
• Don’t focus on the job title
• Advice for making multiple career changes 

Additional Episodes:
Ep 31: Leaving journalism: When you need to change industries
Ep 35: Leaving media: Career change for editors

Additional Podcast Mentioned:
What Rules!?: A Career Podcast for Women of Color


Resources:
Where Editors Go Next—An Ongoing List of Pivot-able Industries by Chandra Turner
2024 Editorial Hiring Report by TheTalentFairy

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

Whether you’re feeling stuck, curious about a new field, or dealing with the ups and downs of a career switch, you can make spirituality part of your journey. 

We revisit a chat with author and life coach Nancy Gavilanes, who shares how your faith can guide you through a career change.  

“You need faith to have patience, persevere, and not give up,” says Nancy. 

Episode Highlights

• The spiritual component of making a career change
• Listen to that stirring in your heart
• Advice if you’re feeling stuck
• Using faith to deal with uncertainty and doubts
• Taking a leap of faith
• Trust the process
• Living in the now
• 3 ways to include spirituality in your career change

Find Nancy Gavilanes at:

Website: www.aboundingfaith.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/aboundingfaith

X/Twitter: twitter.com/AboundInFaith

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AboundInFaith

Podcast: Abounding Faith for Today Podcast 

Amazon: Nancy Gavilanes Author Page  

Join Abounding Faith's email community and get access to a free gift: https://www.aboundingfaith.com/community/

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

It takes time to change industries or professions, and depending on how you handle that time—and the feelings that come with it—it could lead to burnout. 

I speak with Dr. Kyle Elliott, a career coach and founder of CaffeinatedKyle.com. Kyle coaches career changers, so they avoid burnout as they work on their career switch. 

In this episode, Kyle shares how having clear targets, realistic goals and a good support system can keep you from burning out.  He offers techniques to apply for jobs strategically along with ways to take care of yourself while changing careers.

Episode Highlights:

• Specify clear targets 
• Set realistic goals
• Focus on what you can control
• Stay grounded 
• Separate facts vs feelings
• Techniques to apply for jobs strategically
• Who should be in your support system
• Self-care while making a career change to avoid burnout
• Ways to bolster your confidence to combat impostor syndrome
• How all jobs are the same

Find Dr. Kyle Elliott at:
Website: https://caffeinatedkyle.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylecromerelliott/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caffeinatedkyle/
X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/caffeinatedkyle

Resources Mentioned:

Kyle's articles:
How to Avoid and Manage Job Search Burnout

How to Write a Career Change Resume (with Examples)

Workforce Development Board: Find one in your area

Average job search:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Situation News Release 9/1/23

Episode 5: How to handle uncertainty while making a career change

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

As a person of color (POC) and/or first-generation professional, your family’s culture and background likely influenced your beliefs, which can now impact your making a career change.

Dani Tan is a leadership and career coach, who works with POC and First Gens who are often the first, few or only in their space. Dani reveals how the scarcity mindset from our parents can affect our career choices. And she shares how the power of networking can reset our thinking. 

Dani, who is Asian Latina and first generation, also teaches us how to let go of some career lessons we learned as kids. And, we tackle guilt, that overwhelming feeling that can keep POC and First Gens from making a career switch. 

Episode Highlights:

• Common career-change fears for POC and First Gens
• How the scarcity mindset of your parents affects your career choices
• Why networking is especially important for POC and first-generation professionals
• Building a community of role models, mentors, sponsors and allies
• How networking can quiet the fears of making a career change
• Highlight Reel and Words of Empowerment exercises to tackle self-doubt
• Connecting with other POC and first-gen professionals
• Dealing with guilt about wanting to change careers
• Releasing “survival mode” to find a new career that'll make you happy
• Highlighting those skills that make you special as a POC and First Gen
• Letting go of the “put your head down and just work hard” mentality

Find Dani Tan at:
Website: https://www.danitan.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dani-tan/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danitani/
Podcast: The Pivot and Promotion Podcast

LinkedIn Groups for POC:

Latina Professionals

Latino Professionals

National Association of Asian American Professionals

Asian American Professionals and Leaders Network

The Black Professionals Network

Black Leaders Worldwide

Resources:
National Career Development Association: Understanding the Needs of First-Generation Professionals 

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

My guest today is trying to change careers now while he has a full-time job, a mortgage and two young kids. David Mock opens up about the challenges he's facing, his immediate concerns (will it work out?, will it be worth it?), and how he's getting through it all. 

Currently, David feels stuck and he shares how he's working on becoming a certified junior cybersecurity analyst, a new career that would provide personal growth, financial freedom and more flexibility.  It could also secure his future in a growing field.

Are you working on your career switch, too, like David? Here's hoping you can relate to any part of his story and that his experience and advice will motivate you to keep going. 

Episode Highlights:

• Feeling stuck
• Looking for growth and financial freedom
• Wanting to change environments 
• Researching a new field
• Securing a better future
• Learning from interviews
• When going back to school is not an option
• Self-paced studying while having a full-time job and family
• Taking time for self-care
• Internships and freelancing
• How to deal with fear and self-doubt 

Find David Mock at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkmock/

Cisco program: Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Career Path

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Cybersecurity is a growing industry: https://blog.dol.gov/2023/09/22/see-yourself-in-cybersecurity

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

If you’re dreaming about breaking out on your own to do something creative, this episode is for you! Creative strategy coach Michelle Guo works with creatives, such as freelance web designers, copywriters and social media managers. As the founder of Magicave Media, Michelle empowers her clients to build a sustainable business around their desired lifestyle.  

Is a creative career right for you? Michelle helps you figure that out with all the things you should consider, including your personality, lifestyle and finances. She also reminds us that a creative career has a business side to it, which you should also keep in mind.  

Epiosode Highlights:

• What is a creative career?
• Consider your personality, lifestyle and finances
• Resources for creatives 
• How ikigai can help you figure out a creative career
• The business side to a creative career—taxes, legal and profit
• Common challenges for creatives
• Dealing with rejection

Find Michelle Guo at:

Website: www.magicavemedia.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelleannguo/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/magicave-media/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michelleannguo

Clear, Connect & Close Resource Vault: https://www.magicavemedia.com/clear-connect-close


Resources Mentioned:

Freelancers Union: https://freelancersunion.org

SCORE: https://www.score.org

PositivePsychology: The Philosophy of Ikigai: 3 Examples About Finding Purpose

LinkedIn: Ikigai, Japanese Secret To Long & Happy Life – A Book Summary & Review


Creative Career Switch Episodes Mentioned:

Ep 18: The pros and cons of becoming a full-time writer

Ep 21: A side hustle results in a career switch

Ep 25: A hobby turns into a career change (photography business)

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

After she was laid off in her 50s, Argentine-born Mirta Rinaldi decided to follow her passion for cooking. Today, Mirta is in her 70s and teaches Argentine cuisine. She also owns her own business, Mendulcina, where she hosts cultural experiences and makes and sells delicacies from her home country. 

In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Mirta shares how she made her career change and the rich ties her new career as a cooking instructor and entrepreneur has to her culture. It's more than just cooking for Mirta; it's about preserving her family's legacy and teaching others about Argentina. 

Check out Mirta's advice if you, too, are making your career switch after age 50! 

Episode Highlights:

• Getting laid off after age 50
• Learning a new career hands on
• Saving family recipes
• Focusing on your passion
• Reinventing yourself at any age
• Not being afraid to be yourself 
• Advice for a career change over 50
• Sharing your culture with others 

Find Mirta Rinaldi at:
Instagram: @rinaldi.mirta and @mendulcina 
Website: League of Kitchens

Learn more about the League of Kitchens at:
Website: www.leagueofkitchens.com
Instagram: @leagueofkitchens
Facebook: @LeagueOfKitchens
LinkedIn: @theleagueofkitchens

Book: The League of Kitchens Cookbook

Watch Mirta's documentary, "From Grandma with Love: Mirta's Argentine Kitchen":
Amazon Prime
Apple TV+

More episodes for Hispanic Heritage Month:
Ep 33: Leaving corporate to lead a non-profit

More episodes for making a career change after age 50:
Ep 4: Aged out: Making a career switch at over 50
Ep 16: Breaking into a new industry in your 50s
Ep 18: The pros and cons of being a full-time author
Ep 21: From side hustle to a new career
Ep 23: How being bilingual helps your new career
Ep 32: How to make a career change after 50

Music credit: TimMoor from Pixabay 

Podcast info:
What's your career switch? What do you think about this episode and the show? Tell us at careerswitchpod.com. Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.