Earn More with Jess

I am so excited to write this blog post. 😁 Why, you ask? Well, this is a breakdown of how I “stepped into a new room” (a new money room that is) by pivoting to a new career. I’m going to break down exactly how I pivoted to a project management career and increased my salary by over 30%.

First off, I’d like to acknowledge that switching to a new career can be challenging. There are a lot of unknowns and sometimes obstacles to overcome. I hope this post leaves you feeling hopeful and maybe even motivated to come up with a plan to overcome any obstacles you might be facing. 

In this post, I will outline:

• My journey
• The skills than helped me transition
• Actionable steps for anyone looking to break into project management, regardless of your background

Why I Wanted to Transition to Project Management

Project management came onto my radar as a career choice in, what felt like, a random way. I was in a similar quality improvement role in health insurance that I had been in for 10+ years. I was starting to feel burned out/bored and I wanted to make more money. 

My career growth options, within both the industry niche and company I worked for, were limited. I realized that getting to the salary goal I had in mind would take something else. I started to pay attention to job titles that earned $100k+ a year. 

Once I started paying attention, all kinds of career options popped up. A career in project management felt like a seamless pivot from what I was doing at the time. I was also happy with the job prospects and salary potential with this career choice. 

I’d like to take a moment to point out that, while I set my sights on a project management role in the summer of 2022, I didn’t actually land a new job until May of 2023. This post will outline what I was doing between the moment of deciding on a project management career and actually landing a new role.

Transferable Skills That Helped Me Pivot

Switching careers requires an identity shift. You must think of yourself in a different way, to be marketable to a new role. It’s likely that you already have an arsenal of skills (aka transferable skills) you can rely on that would be helpful to a pivot to project management. 

Here are the transferable skills that I highlighted on my resume/application for my current project management role:

• Communication/Relationship management 
• Meeting facilitation
• Data analysis
• Critical thinking
• Project management tools

Steps I Took to Transition into Project Management

The process I used to land a project management role is not rocket science. I basically reverse engineered the result I wanted. That’s why I’m confident you can do the same!

Words of advice- you may find in any step of this process that you don’t actually want to pursue a project management role. I would encourage you to not pursue anything that does not align with your goals/priorities. You could, however, use the same process below for any type of career pivot (not just project management). 

1. Research and understand the role/job prospects

Before I spent any time applying for jobs, I made sure I was aligned with the decision to pivot into project management. What do I mean by this? I researched the role as it related to my most important job search criteria at the time: earning potential and option for remote work.

Here are a few questions I researched/asked during this process:

• What is the median salary for a project manager? Does this vary by state or industry?
• Do I know anyone in this type of role that I could connect with?
• Which companies are currently hiring for this type of role? Do I know anyone who works at any of these companies?

Using my priority of remote work, I could have found in this step of the process that there weren’t many opportunities to find a remote project management role. In that case, I would have reconsidered this career choice.

2. Assess my skills and experience gaps

Next, I spent time reading through job descriptions of actual project management roles to see what companies and hiring managers were looking for. I should note that I focused on senior roles, to align with my goal of increasing my salary. In general, here is what I found:

• A Project Management Professional (PMP) certification was often listed as a requirement or recommended
• Companies were generally looking for someone with 5+ years of experience in project management OR industry experience
• Many of the jos responsibilities overlapped with work I had already done, in terms of skills used versus application of the skills (think transferable skills- discussed above)

Through this process, I identified a gap of having the project management certification. I also realized that if I wanted to pivot into a new industry, I may be at a disadvantage for not having the industry experience, especially when I hadn’t been in a dedicated project management role before. Overall, reading through job descriptions boosted my confidence in this career choice a lot! 

3: Obtain PMP certification

After researching job descriptions, I immediately decided I would pursue my Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. I began work on this immediately, while working on the other steps outlined below. The high level process to obtain this certification includes:

• obtaining “contact hours”, which I did through an online Udemy course
• applying to take the exam 
• studying/passing the exam

I would like to note here that the exam application does require demonstration of hands-on project management experience. Fortunately, I was able to use examples from my previous roles of working on projects but this could be a gap for some people.

4. Document hands-on experience

If you decide to apply to take the PMP certification exam, you will need to demonstrate 36 months of (non-overlapping) project management experience within the past 8 years. That could seem daunting at first but you might have more experience than you realize.

Take the time to outline any “projects” you have worked on in your professional career. Instead of thinking of a formal project, try thinking of any assignment you completed that had a start and an end. (Surprise- this is a project. 😉)

Aside from documenting experience for the PMP exam, it will also be helpful to outline any/all project management experience or exposure you have for a job application or interview. 

5: Reframe my resume and LinkedIn profile

Once you have a good outline of your project management experience/exposure, it’s time to reframe this experience to match job postings. Make it easy for the recruiters and companies to see the value you bring.

My best advice here is to use project management terminology (i.e. terms from the job description) to explain your work experience. Here is a real life personal example- I reframed my experience:

• leading weekly HEDIS check-ins with regional Quality directors to 
• managing stakeholder engagement during the HEDIS project lifecycle

This step will require that you get a little creative and think outside of the box. Remember that it’s always important to be honest AND you likely have more to offer than you think. Both things can be true.

Check out How to Present a Career Change on your Resume for more ideas on tailoring your resume for a career change.

Step 6: Network and job search

Once you’ve got a good grip on where you are entering the project management industry at, it’s time to put yourself out there. Connect with other project managers in your professional network. This could include current/previous co-workers or (LinkedIn) mutual connections. 

Identify companies that are hiring for the type of opportunity you are looking for then target connections at that company. Do you know anyone who works there (even if they are not in a project manager role)? It is always to your advantage to be referred to apply for a position.

Keep going on this step until you find what you are looking for!

General advice for those looking to transition into project management

Alright, that was a lot. If I had to sum up my general advice for pivoting into a project management role it would be to:

• Start where you are—look for opportunities in your current job or employer
• Get familiar with PM methodologies (waterfall, agile, scrum)
• Earn certifications but don’t rely solely on them—experience matters just as much if not more
• Network and connect with others who have successfully transitioned or who are doing what you would like to be doing
• Be patient—career pivots take time, but they’re worth it

Approaching a job search when you know you are pivoting into a new role or industry can feel overwhelming. Presenting a career change on your resume definitely requires a little finesse but it’s totally a solvable problem! 

Scroll down and check out my best tips for tailoring your resume to a career change. I’ve also included a personal example of when I used the same tips in this post for my own industry pivot.

Why Tailoring your Resume for a Career Change is Crucial

Before we dive in, I’d like to quickly highlight why taking the time to tailor your resume to a career change is important. According to Indeed, hiring managers spend on average 6 to 7 seconds reviewing a resume. That’s not much time! Especially if they’re not seeing anything of relevance to the job they’re interviewing for.

The main goal of tailoring your resume for a career pivot is to make your resume relevant for the job you’re applying for. While it might take more time up front, your chances of catching the hiring manager’s eye will be much higher. This is a situation where quality will definitely pay off.

Key steps to preparing your resume for a career change:

Below are my top 5 recommendations when updating your resume for a career change. I used all of these steps when pivoting from a role in healthcare quality to project management.

1. Consider a functional resume format

I’m starting with this recommendation right off the bat because it may change how you work on the rest of the steps. A functional resume is a format that highlights work experience by skills and abilities, rather than work experience by role. 

Your brain might be a little jumbled with this idea so I will break it down. Rather than organizing your accomplishments/experience under each role, you would instead organize the same information under skill or ability. 

The skill or ability would be something critical of the role you’re applying for. Here is an example of an actual resume I used to land a job in 2020. Some information has been changed for privacy and I’ve left the Education/Certifications and Hard Skills sections out of this image.

The role I was in for the prior 4 years was in a different industry than the job I was applying for. I wanted the hiring manager to focus on the value I had to offer vs. what I was doing in the time leading up to applying.

2. Create a strong resume summary

My next tip is to craft a compelling summary at the top of your resume that highlights what you have to offer. Show off the goods! 

This brief summary will pull out the relevant work experience and skills you want to highlight for the new role. Tell them why they should read through the rest of your resume. Bonus points here if you are able to incorporate keywords from the job description of the role you are applying for.

3. Highlight transferrable skills

Another critical step in making yourself marketable to a new role, is highlighting skills that will transfer well to the new role. This is where a functional resume format can come in handy. 

Let’s use the example from above of my transition from working in the automotive industry back into healthcare. I chose to highlight ‘written & verbal communication’. This is an example of a transferable skill. 

I pulled out examples from previous work experience where I was required to use written & verbal communication to accomplish an objective. I carefully selected the examples I used to highlight experience/terms that overlapped with the job description of the role I was applying for (see more on framing experience below).

4. Frame previous job experience to highlight relevant skills

Alright, I’m just going to state the (hopefully) obvious- your potential new employer does not care about the things you are doing at your current job that are unrelated to the role you are applying for. Don’t take up precious real estate on your resume with irrelevant things (even if they are impressive to someone).

My recommendation here is to brain dump all of the work experience you have. (Side note- I make this easy on myself and keep a “master resume” document updated with all of my work experience by role.) Once you have your list, sift through it to select the things that are relevant to the role you are applying for. Include and highlight those things.

5. Showcase any specific training, experience, certification etc. to support the new role

Lastly, make sure you highlight any effort you have taken to close gaps in skills or work experience. In 2023, I pivoted our of healthcare quality into project management. To prepare for this pivot, I obtained a PMP Certification and wanted to make sure that was clear on my resume. Don’t underestimate how valuable it can be to demonstrate your willingness to learn new skills.

Summary

Pivoting to a new career path can feel overwhelming but it can also be exciting and fun! Whatever “gap” you are feeling, just remember that it is likely a gap you can bridge. I’m rooting for you. 📣

Still have questions? Drop them in the comments below!

One of the key principles of my Income Accelerator Method is to increase your income as a method to achieve financial progress faster. If you’re in the market for a new job, consider honing in on a high paying skill career as a way to increase your income. This post covers 10 high paying career skills that I would consider in 2025 if I were setting out to increase my salary (p.s. I personally chose to focus on developing my project management skills to pivot to a higher paying role!)

How High-Paying Skills Can Accelerate Career Growth

Whether you are just starting out in your career or you are looking to make a career pivot, focusing on the development of high paying career skills is an excellent way to prioritize financial progress.

I attribute much of my early career success to a pivotal moment in college when I had to select my major. I really wanted to focus on the education aspect of public health even though I knew my job prospects after graduation would be much broader if I acquired a degree in health administration. The degrees were in separate colleges at the university I attended.

I chose the path that would open the most doors; I’m forever grateful to my 19 year old self for having the forethought to think about future opportunities. That is what I will invite you to do here- think about the career path that will open the most doors for you financially.

Wherever you’re at in your career, high paying career skills will address an evolving job market and ensure you stay competitive to meet market demand. If you are in a situation of desiring more income quickly, pivoting to a new role can be an excellent way to increase your income!

10 Career Skills to Accelerate Income Growth

1. Data analysis and visualization

• Description: Data analysis refers to the process of extracting meaningful insights from data and data visualization is the graphical representation of information and data.
• Why it’s valuable: Businesses and organizations increasingly rely on data-driven decisions .
• Examples of roles: Data Analyst, Business Intelligence Analyst
• Tools to learn: Excel, Tableau, Python, Power BI

2. Project management

• Description: Project management is the process of using skills, tools, and techniques to plan, execute, and complete a project on time and within budget.
• Why it’s valuable: Fast-paced organizations often have competing priorities that require management across different functions of the organization.
• Examples of roles: Project Manager, Program Manager
• Certifications to consider: Project Management Professional (PMP)

3. Digital marketing

• Description: The practice of promoting products or services through online channels.
• Why it’s valuable: Digital marketing can be more affordable for businesses to implement than traditional marketing and is arguably a requirement for success in today’s business landscape.
• Examples of roles: SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager
• Skills to master: Search engine optimization (SEO), paid ads, content marketing

4. Cybersecurity

• Description: The practice of protecting systems, networks, and data from cyberattacks.
• Why it’s valuable: Cybersecurity aims to protect people, financial assets, data, applications, devices, and computer systems.
• Examples of roles: Cybersecurity Analyst, Ethical Hacker
• Certifications to pursue: Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), CompTIA Security+

5. Cloud computing

• Description: The delivery of computing services (servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence) over the internet or through “the cloud”.
• Why it’s valuable: In the increasingly virtual world we live in, cloud computing allows users to access files remotely, instead of keeping them on their devices.
• Examples of roles: Cloud Engineer, DevOps Specialist
• Platforms to learn: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure

6. Software development and programming

• Description: The process of creating software applications, including the act of writing computer code.
• Why it’s valuable: Software development/programming allows businesses to create digital solutions that meet evolving market needs. 
• Examples of roles: Software Engineer, App Developer
• Languages to learn: Python, Java, JavaScript

7. Sales and business development

• Description: Sales primarily focuses on closing deals and business development focuses on identifying new market opportunities.
• Why it’s valuable: Both sales and business development are essential for generating revenue for a company.
• Examples of roles: Business Development Manager, Sales Executive
• Key skills: Negotiation, Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

8. UX/UI design

• Description: UX/UI design refers to the process of creating digital products that are visually appealing and easy to use.
• Why it’s valuable: Both skills help to increase user satisfaction, improve customer retention, and boost conversion rates.
• Examples of roles: UX Designer, UI Developer
• Tools to learn: Figna, Sketch, Adobe XD

9. Financial management and analysis

• Description: The process of evaluating businesses, projects, budgets, and other finance-related transactions to determine their performance and suitability.
• Why it’s valuable: Financial analysis is used to improve business decision-making.
• Examples of roles: Financial Analyst, Accountant
• Tools to master: Excel, QuickBooks, SAP

10. Artificial intelligence and machine learning

• Description: Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the broad concept that machines can mimic human intelligence, while machine learning is a subset of AI that focuses on the use of algorithms to identify patterns within data sets.
• Why it’s valuable: Allows businesses to analyze large datasets, automate repetitive tasks, identify patterns, and make informed decisions.
• Examples of roles: AI Engineer, Machine Learning Specialist
• Tools to explore: TensorFlow, PyTorch

How to Acquire Skills to Increase your Income

If I were interested in acquiring one of the high paying career skills outlined above, here is what I would do (in this order);

1. Research roles, salaries, and companies- This might rule out one of the options for me so critically, this is step one! Get really clear on what you want first.

2. Identify skills gaps- Do you need a certification or a certain amount of experience to qualify for the roles you are interested in? This may also eliminate a few options, depending on the runway needed to close the skills gaps.

3. Close skills gaps- Enroll in an online course, apply to take the needed certification, or gain hands-on experience in your current role if that is an option.

4. Network with industry professionals- Who are you connected with already that might be able to assist you with making this career pivot? Get networking!

Benefits of Mastering High-Paying Skills

If you are ready to accelerate your financial progress or, like me, you are the breadwinner in your home and want to ensure financial stability in your career, mastering high paying career skills will be a great asset for your journey. Not only will you future-proof your career, you may even increase your job satisfaction, for being the boss that you are.