My whole plan to switch to marketing blew up in my face last quarter

I spent six months and about $2,000 on online courses and a portfolio site, thinking I could jump from admin work to a content marketing role. I applied to over 50 jobs in Chicago and got exactly three interviews, all ending with 'we went with someone with more direct experience.' The final rejection came in an email two weeks ago that basically said my portfolio was 'too generic.' So I'm back at my old desk, feeling pretty stuck. Has anyone actually made a career pivot like this work without taking a huge pay cut first?

3 comments

3 Comments

brian_taylor1524d ago

Ugh, I tried switching from sales and hit the same exact wall!

reed.jana24d ago

What if the problem isn't the switch but how you're selling your sales skills? I moved from retail to marketing by showing how hitting sales targets proved I understood customer needs. Maybe frame your experience as solving problems, not just closing deals. That shift got me past the first round.

evan_harris624d ago

Chicago's job market is brutal for career changers, I've seen it with friends trying to switch into tech. Companies want a perfect fit from day one and won't train anyone. That "generic portfolio" feedback is code for them wanting someone who already did the exact same job at a competitor. You might need to find a sideways move in your current company first, even if it's a small step. Taking a pay cut seems to be the only real way in for most people.