Career Reinvention Spotlight Series
Inspiring Success Stories & Expert Advice for a Bold Leap
Making a career change can feel daunting, but countless people have taken the leap and found success on the other side. Whether driven by a desire for more meaningful work, a need for fresh challenges, or simply the courage to follow a long-standing passion, these individuals have redefined their professional paths. In this series, we’ll explore inspiring stories of people who embraced the unknown, overcame their fears, and transitioned into new careers. Their journeys show that, with the right mindset and determination you can secure the work that truly fulfills you.
Brian McNeice - Accountant to Sales Executive
Brian is VP of Federal Sales at Broadcom and, again, this was a role he had not imagined for himself earlier in his career. Having studied Business and Finance as an undergrad, Brian decided on accountancy and went on to complete his professional qualifications to become a certified chartered accountant. As a newly qualified graduate, Brian worked his way from Assistant Accountant to Financial Controller in two different businesses, working in finance for a total of about 5 years. Having spent time with friends that had moved into sales after graduating, Brian became curious about and drawn to their work. He began to think that sales would be a better fit for him, and decided he would find an entry level position to try it out.
Brian employed the services of a recruitment consultant to find his next role. Their recruitment strategy was to leverage his accounting experience to move into the technical side of sales as an initial step. Brian had been a user of the types of technology that software companies were selling during his time as an accountant and therefore advises that, “you have to draw parallels between what you do now and how that relates to the job that you are applying for.” When a role came up that was implementing the SAP financial model into businesses, he was able to successfully demonstrate his understanding of the practicalities of implementing software solutions at a business level, and got a job as an SAP consultant. The transition into sales happened “almost by accident” after the work as a consultant became insufficient to sustain a full time role. Brian was displaced and offered a role in sales and six months later, he felt that it was a good fit for him though being good at dealing with people, building relationships, and thriving on solving problems and putting deals together.
“You have to draw parallels between what you do now and how that relates to the job that you are applying for”
Brian employed the services of a specialist recruitment consultant when he started to look for another role, and this is where the most significant and solidifying change happened for him. Brian secured a role in Computer Associates as an Account Manager with a group of several new hires that were to be trained together. The new team were “keen and hungry”, highly motivated individuals from a variety of different working backgrounds. Their leader and mentor was very direct, clear, and insightful and he set them up for success. Owing to his financial background, Brian could craft proposals that directly addressed the customer’s need to, “make money, save money or to be compliant.”
His advice to anybody considering a career change is simple: “Don’t stay in a job that bores you or that you feel doesn’t utilize your talents. Have the courage to make the change”. Brian found that with courage and a lot of hard work, he was able to achieve his ambitions. He believes that, “If your heart is really in it, you are much more likely to be successful”.
Common Themes
There are several common themes across our interviewees' approaches to their career change. The most instructive and insightful of those themes are summarized here:
Be open to change - Many people will contemplate changing careers, but will hesitate due to fear of uncertainty, financial constraints, or settling for what they have. The openness to change is one of the things that separates those that have successfully achieved a career change and those still contemplating it. Tune into and follow your curiosity, passions and interests and take the opportunities that allow you to further them. All of our interviewees talked of the likelihood that the type of job you are in now will still be available if your move doesn’t work out. Exploration into a new area will be a small blip in a long career if it doesn’t work out, but it could also be the start of a more fulfilling career (and life!).
Build the stepping stones - The transitions that our interviewees have made were not made overnight. Each role was a stepping stone towards their career goals. For example, Emma’s move to Head of Growth was a move towards HR and People Ops focused work. Brian’s move to the more technical implementation side of software sales was a step towards professional sales. Chris moved out of government and into the commercial sector as a stepping stone towards running his own business. Sometimes these moves are by design and are strategic, and sometimes they happen more organically. Either way, you can clearly see how they shaped their routes to their desired outcomes.
Leverage your networks and professional relationships - All of our subjects talked about the people and professionals who changed the trajectory of their careers. For Chris, it was the confidant who advised him to “bet on himself.” A solid reputation amongst his network resulted in real business opportunities and contracts for services when he went out by himself. For Emma, it was the leader that saw her potential and took a chance on her, giving her an opportunity to transition into People Ops. For Brian it was his original manager at Computer Associates. He was the first professional sales person Brian had worked for and his transformational mentorship paved a way forward for a career in sales.
Put the work in - As with most things in life, a career change can not be successfully accomplished without putting in the hard work. To earn a professional network that you can count on requires relationship building, confidence, professionalism and integrity. To be given the opportunity to try new things also requires trust, credibility and respect. These are all hard won through time, effort and talent. Our interviewees achieved their own breakthroughs with hard work and dedication, and putting good work in even in roles they knew weren’t their forever roles.
Successful career changes often stem from a combination of self-reflection, proactive networking, hard work and flexibility. Our interviewees have not only taken advantage of opportunities but have also sought out challenging and stretching experiences to further their careers. They have persevered, believed in themselves and had the courage to step out of their comfort zone and open themselves up for growth in a new and fulfilling career path. What’s more, I’m pretty sure they are not done yet! Learning is a lifelong process, after all.