How to Explain Your Career Pivot Without Apologizing

Regardless of what we do, women apologize. Whether we made a legit mistake or not, American women say “sorry” more often than men in the workplace. We are subject to a higher degree of expectations for expressing empathy, sensitivity, and kindness, so any breach of those standards can make us feel as though we offend.

“It takes years as a woman to unlearn what you have been taught to be sorry for.“ Amy Poehler, Yes, Please (2014). 

When you take action, you are going to be questioned. Let’s consider the woman who decides to change her career path completely. How does she confidently explain this decision to an interviewer? Or another situation: She leaves a successful career for one less impressive, such as going from Fortune 500 to the nonprofit sector. At a social gathering, an acquaintance asks her about it. What does she say?

In my career, I have pivoted several times. Among the most significant was my choice to leave education for the corporate world. Many people nodded knowingly when I shared that my decision was a financial one, but others pressed further. I remember joking once that it was because I was finding it too hard to get off the floor after Circle Time, but my CEO didn’t buy it. At the time, I let the conversation drop, but it came up again later, as these topics often do. I carefully explained that, while the decision was definitely about the money, I also felt constricted by the formalities of education, even in the pre-primary years, to do good. This conversation went quite differently with my grandfather, who had supported me while I earned the degree required to acquire my teaching license. While both men expressed an understanding, I felt guilt while discussing the change with my grandfather and a sort of fear while talking with my boss.

“...despite knowing that women generally apologise more—the employers judged women more harshly than their male counterparts.” (The Economist)

I often use the phrase fake it ‘til you make it, and while this isn’t always the best policy and I have grown increasingly skeptical of it, this is one case where confidence is key. Let us return to the situation in which the career pivoter is in an interview for a job that is outside of the realm of her previous experience. Any good interviewee knows to keep the conversation positive, but telling the interviewer she is ready for an adventure may not go over as well as one thinks it might. Instead, she might describe her strengths and align them with the career field she is attempting to enter. At the barbecue, a joke referencing The Godfather can redirect the conversation and signal to the inquisitor that she doesn’t want to get into it, which is perfectly acceptable.

Regardless of who you are speaking with, it is your story to tell. Tell your story the way you want it to be told.