Summary

The article discusses the author's transition to a Customer Success Manager role, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and strategic career moves in the rapidly evolving tech industry.

Abstract

The author reflects on their journey from an elementary teacher to a Customer Success Manager, a role that didn't exist when they started their career. They highlight the necessity for educators to prepare students for unforeseen future jobs using emerging technologies. The author shares personal experience on career transitions, stressing the importance of reading and learning, crafting a skill-based resume, networking on LinkedIn, embracing the role of a beginner, expanding one's skill set, and leveraging existing skills for new roles. They suggest that transitioning within one's current company can be more straightforward than starting anew and advise staying current with industry trends and technology to maintain career viability.

Opinions

The author believes in the importance of being adaptable and open to new opportunities in one's career.
They advocate for continuous learning and self-improvement, suggesting resources like books, LinkedIn, and online courses.
The author values the role of networking, particularly through LinkedIn, for career advancement and transition.
They emphasize the need for a skill-based resume that highlights relevant accomplishments and experiences over a chronological work history.
The author encourages embracing the beginner's mindset, acknowledging that humility and the willingness to learn are crucial when entering a new field.
They recommend parlaying existing skills and experiences into new roles, especially for those transitioning from teaching to corporate positions.
The author suggests that internal company transitions can be easier than external job searches, advising professionals to stay informed and engaged with their current employer's initiatives.
They express that staying updated with technology and industry changes is essential for career longevity and growth.

My New Job as a Customer Success Manager — the Hottest Job in the Tech Industry Right Now

Preparing yourself for your next career move

Did you know that teachers are preparing children for jobs that haven’t been created or invented yet? That’s a huge challenge! How do we teach skills for jobs we don’t even know will exist?

“We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist … using technologies that haven’t been invented … in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.”— Richard Riley, former Secretary of Education

When I started my career as an elementary teacher, I never dreamed I would be writing the words, “I'm starting a new job as a customer success manager.”

Yes, we are living in an age where some of the jobs we will hold aren’t even created yet.

My career has taken many turns and transitions to get me to the point of becoming a customer success manager

Whoever envisioned where a Christian school teacher making $13,000 a year would end up?

By saying yes to new opportunities along the way, I have acquired the skills and experience needed for this new role — a job I didn’t know existed until a couple of years ago.

You can reimagine your career

When I became a teacher I envisioned working in a classroom for 30 years and printing off worksheets, reading to children, and writing lesson plans. But things changed quickly for me and while I’ve taken some risks and it hasn’t always been smooth sailing, I am glad that I was brave enough to reimagine my career.

Some steps you can take to be prepared for your next big opportunity

Read and Learn. The first thing I did when I learned of an opportunity with my company for the CSM role was to purchase a book about customer success. Learn all you can about where you want to go. This includes blog posts, Linked In mini-posts, books, conferences, and podcasts, of course.

Craft a skill-based resume. I did some research as to what a skill-based resume looks like. I also asked my niece for her resume so I could use it as a model, and then I used a template from Canva to update my resume look.

Focus on skills versus experience (screenshot by author)

The result is that my skills and accomplishments are highlighted instead of the outdated view of chronological work history. My work history is still on there (not shown here) with dates because that shows I’ve worked in the fields that are pertinent to the job I am applying for and it also shows the progression of my career.

Being that my career didn’t start out as a customer success manager, I had to showcase my experience and skill set so the hiring manager would know I had acquired the necessary skills throughout the course of my career.

Get active on Linked In. In other words, network, learn, and showcase who you are and what you have to offer. You can search keywords and hashtags on Linked In to find the shakers and thought leaders in the field you are interested in transitioning to. You can also set up job alerts.

This should go without saying but in the world of social media abuse, I feel I must say it: be reciprocal and thoughtful in your interactions on Linked In. Nobody likes the person who only gets active to find a job and then ghosts their network.

Want to connect on Linked In?

Let’s connect on Linked In (screenshot by author)

Be a lifelong learner and be okay with being a beginner. Nobody likes to be a beginner, but when transitioning to a new line of work, we all must be humble enough to accept that we aren’t on top of our game. There is always more to learn. Take courses on Udemy or other online platforms, ask questions, read articles on Linked In, and follow thought leaders. Be prepared for what you might need to do to transition and be honest about where your opportunities for growth are when you are interviewing.

Try new things and expand your skill set. If you need to learn a new platform or technology tool to be competitive in your new field or area of interest, then take the time to invest in yourself this way. If you’re not a fan of networking, give it a go — there are both online and face-to-face opportunities to do so. Need help with public speaking or presenting to groups? Try Toastmasters in your local area. Install programs like Grammarly or Hemmingway that will make your writing skills stronger.

Parlay skills and experience. I wrote this article to help teachers who want to make the transition out of the classroom into the corporate world. The main emphasis is on finding a way to transfer the skills and experience they have accumulated over years of teaching into a new field.

You’ve got to be able to showcase those skills in a way that catches the recruiter's attention for the job you are actively seeking. Just listing your experience won’t do that. What did you do before that translates well to the next role? If you worked in retail, you surely know how to support customer success, talk about it! If you worked in K-12 education, you can support adult learners too.

For Teachers Who Want To Make The Transition From The Classroom To Corporate

It is easier than you think but there are some things you need to do to get there!

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Don’t act like a fuddy-duddy. I am certainly not on the front end of my career but I am keeping myself viable by staying current on the changes within my industry and constantly learning new technology. I get it — technology is changing faster than we can keep up with and at some point, it’s tempting to say “I’ve got all the technology I need in my life right now.” Avoid that temptation and embrace new technology!

You don’t always have to start from scratch. It’s easier to move within your current company and field than to forge out into the unknown. Look for those opportunities. Stay abreast of what your company is doing. Express interest and excitement. Talk with senior leadership when you get the chance so they get the opportunity to know you.

Companies know that it’s cheaper to hire from within and avoid lengthy onboarding time. Plus, your character, work ethic, and skills are already known by hiring managers.

With some key strategies and staying alert to trends, you can transition your career. With new jobs being created by companies to serve customers and stay relevant, you never know where your career might take you if you’re open to new ideas!

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