Your career transition handbook

Career transitions are terrifying. I don't mean "trying a new restaurant" terrifying — I mean "everything I've built might be wrong and I don't know what's next" terrifying.

I hear some version of this from almost everyone I coach: I know I need a change. I just don't know how to make one without burning everything down.

Good news — you don't have to burn anything down. But you do need a plan.

This page is your starting point. I've pulled together everything I've written about career transitions — from switching industries to coming back after a career break to just figuring out whether you even should make a move. Start wherever fits your situation.

Not sure if you should make a change?

Sometimes the problem isn't your career — it's your current job, or your current boss, or the fact that you haven't had a real vacation in three years. Before you blow up your LinkedIn, start here:

• Dear Peter: I hate my job — Hating your job and needing a career change aren't the same thing. Let's figure out which one you're dealing with.
• Dear Peter: I'm feeling stuck. Do I need an MBA? — "Stuck" can mean a lot of things. An MBA is one answer, but it's rarely the first one I'd recommend.

Ready to make a move

OK, you've thought about it and the answer is yes — you need a change. These are for you:

• Career transition guide: how to switch careers without starting over — The comprehensive playbook. Start here if you're serious about making a move.
• Dear Peter: How can I switch to a non-profit from a for-profit? — Industry switches have their own playbook. Here's the non-profit version.
• On technical skills when applying for jobs — How to position the skills you already have for the role you actually want.
• Dear Peter: how do I ask for a raise? — Maybe you don't need a new job — you need better compensation at this one. Here's exactly how to have that conversation.

Coming back after time away

Taking time off — for parenting, health, a sabbatical, whatever — doesn't mean starting over. But re-entry does take some strategy:

• Dear Peter: How do I get back in the workforce after raising children? — You didn't stop working. You stopped getting paid for it. Here's how to frame that.

New to the workforce

Just starting out? The job market can feel like everyone got a manual you didn't:

• Dear Peter: I just graduated and need a job, what do? — The practical stuff nobody tells you in college.

The fun ones

Because career advice doesn't have to be boring:

• Frodo's resume refresh — What Middle Earth's most reluctant hero can teach you about rebranding your career.
• Boromir's search for a better fit fellowship — Sometimes the quest you're on isn't the right quest for you.

Need help figuring it out?

That's literally what I do. Here's how we work together →