“I've learned that networking and connections can be vitally important when you're trying to get a foot in the door in a new industry.”

Meet Customer Success Operations Specialist at Duo, Ari Rice! She was working in ticket sales for a symphony but yearned for a different career path.  When she tried to career pivot on her own she was met with closed doors.  So she partnered with Placement, rebranded herself, and launched a data analytics career with the help of her career coach.  Ari shares her journey, here.

Tell us what your journey was like looking for a job prior to Placement.  What challenges did you face and what was it like emotionally?

I looked for jobs through the typical search engines. I even took the proactive step and hired a career coach, but I wasn't sure I wanted to go back to school which was the recommendation from that coaching experience. I had a few interviews progress to the final rounds, but alas no offers. I left my job because I didn't enjoy it and completely lacked the motivation to stay at the company or furthermore, remain in the industry. It was very hard to job search alone and incredibly unrewarding and I felt like I was never going to find a job. 

You have an amazing career pivot story! Tell us about the perseverance it takes to change careers and what kept you motivated to get to the finish line?

I think knowing that a lot of skills are transferable and knowing that a pivot can be rewarding both emotionally and financially helped keep me stay motivated. I knew the sort of work I liked to do, and I knew my current industry didn't provide that kind of experience. I felt like there was 50% of my current job that I didn't like, and if I just shifted and pursued the 50% that I enjoyed, that could become my entire position.  

How did career coaching with Placement support your job search?

I think rebranding myself was incredibly important and proved to be successful. Placement helped me revamp my resume and my LinkedIn profile. In the past, I never received any inbound opportunities. With Placement's help, I was getting messages from recruiters who felt like I might be a good fit for their company. By working with my career coach on how I outwardly appeared to employers, it changed everything in terms of opportunities coming my way. 

What did you find different job seeking with Placement that you truly didn’t have when you were searching on your own?

Having support and advice was a game changer! My job search deliverables were reviewed and edited, and I received critical coaching on how to interview. Additionally, learning how to network effectively was pivotal as it opened the doors for meaningful career conversations and job opportunities.

What was your favorite part of our app?  What tool did you utilize the most and why?

I really loved the feature that allowed you to compose cover letters from the app, with the job description right next to it. Having this feature streamlined writing cover letters with great accuracy and speed.

Where do you work and what’s exciting about your new position?

I work at Duo, and I love the work. culture and the relationship I have with my manager, mentor, and coworkers. I’m very appreciative my job entails working on data-related tasks and doesn't include customer service anymore! I get to collaborate working on solutions to business problems and participate in strategy meetings, which I really love.  

If you could go back to day one of job-seeking...what would you tell your past self?  What have you learned about yourself along this journey?

Given that I looked for a new job unsuccessfully for several months, I'd probably have partnered with Placement and saved myself a lot of time and frustration. More practically, I'd probably tell myself to focus on one type of job and cater my resume and Linkedin exactly to that goal. I think I've learned that networking and connections can be vitally important when you're trying to get your foot through the door in a new industry.  Career pivoting can be challenging, but with the support of Placement, it becomes doable and attainable.