Stop Running from Your Resume: How to Actually Execute a Career Change
By Jordan — Discipline gets you there. Self-awareness keeps you there. ·
The Pivot Isn't a Panic Move
I talk to a lot of people in my office here in Tampa. By the time they sit down on my couch, they’re usually at the end of their rope. They tell me, “Jordan, I can’t do this anymore. I need out.” They’re talking about a career change, but what they’re really describing is an escape pod. They want to eject from a life that feels like it’s suffocating them.
Here’s the thing: I’ve been in positions where I had to move fast to survive. When you’re downrange, you don’t have the luxury of overthinking your next step—you just execute. But in civilian life? Making a career change because you’re running away from something instead of toward something is a recipe for ending up in the exact same misery in a different office building.
Discipline gets you there. Self-awareness keeps you there. If you’re thinking about a jump, we need to talk about the difference between a mid-life crisis and a strategic pivot.
The “Grass Is Greener” Fallacy
We love to romanticize the idea of the “dream job.” We think if we just get into tech, or start that consultancy, or move into nonprofit work, the internal friction will vanish. But usually, the friction isn’t the job—it’s you.
After I left the Corps, I thought I needed to be a high-speed corporate consultant. I thought the problem was my lack of a fancy suit or a specific certification. I spent months chasing roles that didn’t fit my values just to prove I could “win” in the civilian sector. I was miserable because I was trying to solve a spiritual problem with a logistical solution.
Before you update your LinkedIn, you have to do the inventory. Ask yourself: Are you unhappy with the work, or are you unhappy with the way you’re showing up? If you don’t fix your internal operating system, you’ll just export your current burnout into your next role.
Map Your Skills, Not Your Titles
When we talk about career change, people get hung up on job titles. They think, “I’m a project manager, so I have to keep being a project manager.” Wrong. That’s limiting your potential to a single line on a resume.
I want you to audit your "transferable assets." Forget the jargon. What do you actually do?
- Do you handle high-pressure communication?
- Are you the one who cleans up the messes nobody else wants to touch?
- Are you the bridge between the suits and the boots on the ground?
In the Marines, I learned logistics and leadership, but those were just labels. What I actually possessed was the ability to maintain composure when everything was on fire and the capacity to keep a team focused on a singular objective. That skill set is portable. Yours is, too. Stop looking for a role that matches your title and start looking for a problem that matches your strengths.
The “Bridge” Strategy
I’m a big believer in not burning bridges—unless the bridge is on fire and you’re still standing on it. If you’re miserable, you don’t necessarily need to quit tomorrow. Financial instability is a massive stressor that will cloud your decision-making.
Use the “Bridge Strategy” instead:
1. The Weekend Lab: Spend 5-10 hours a week testing the new field. Take a project, do some pro-bono work, or take a high-level course. See if you actually like the day-to-day of the work, not just the idea of it. 2. The Financial Runway: If you’re going to pivot, you need a buffer. If you can’t afford to take a pay cut or a risk for six months, you aren’t ready to jump yet. Build that discipline into your finances so you aren’t making career choices based on terror. 3. The Informational Interview: Reach out to three people who are currently doing what you think you want to do. Don’t ask for a job. Ask them what they hate about their day. Ask them what the most boring part of their week is. If you find out the job is 80% spreadsheets and you hate spreadsheets, you just saved yourself two years of regret.
Vulnerability is a Strength, Not a Weakness
Finally, let’s get real about the ego. A career change feels like a demotion to a lot of people. You’ve spent a decade climbing a ladder, and now you want to step off? That hurts. You’ll feel like you’re losing status.
Listen to me: Status is a trap. I’d rather be a beginner at something that aligns with my values than an expert at something that drains my soul. You have to be vulnerable enough to admit you were wrong about your previous path. That’s not failure. That’s growth. It takes more courage to pivot than it does to stay in a comfortable cage you’ve outgrown.
Don’t try to “find yourself” in a new job. Bring the best version of yourself to the new role. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building, put in the work. It’s not about finding a job that makes you happy; it’s about finding a role that allows you to be the person you’ve spent all this time becoming.
What’s the one fear that’s keeping you stuck in your current role? Reply to this or hit me up in the DMs—let’s look at it, break it down, and figure out your next move.
Stay sharp,
Jordan