Careers
Career Transitions Video Series
Considering a career transition? Whether you are making a change within your current
organization or moving to a new one, making a career move can be difficult. In this
series of videos, 11 of your fellow HBS alumni who have all successfully navigated
the career transition process walk you through the steps to ensure your transition
process results in a career that is fulfilling, challenging and rewarding.
16 Videos
Part 1: Meet the Alumni
Considering a career transition? In this series of videos, 11 of your fellow HBS alumni,
who have all successfully navigated the process, will walk you through the steps to
ensure your transition process results in a career that is fulfilling, challenging
and rewarding.
Part 2: Reasons for Change
There are countless reasons people change careers. In order to be successful, these
reasons must be motivated by a quest to ultimately do what you love. Hear what some
of your fellow alumni had to say about making the switch.
Part 3: First Steps and Self-Assessment
The first step in making a career transition is removing the noise - seeking out only
the people in your life who you trust and respect to provide their perspective and
advice.
Part 4: Perfecting Your Pitch
At some point in this process, you have the opportunity to make a first impression
on someone who is in a position to help you on your career path. One of the most important
tools in your career growth arsenal is the 30-second elevator pitch – a succinct personal
narrative that explains where you are, where you want to go and why.
Part 5: Industry Connections
Researching, calling, emailing, there is a considerable amount of work involved in
reaching out to expand your career network. One way to maximize your time investment
is to attend industry-specific events.
Part 6: Building Genuine Relationships
Being social, building relationships and forming networks takes work. Alumni offer
insight on the phases of building, nurturing and maintaining both social and professional
networks.
Part 7: Keeping Your Network Up to Date
Forming genuine relationships and building a strong network is the foundation of positive
career growth. Maintaining and nurturing this ever-growing network is essential. Here
are some tips to help you manage this undertaking.
Part 8: HBS Network
As an HBS alumnus, you have a built-in advantage: a network almost 70,000 fellow HBS
alumni strong, each with their own network to share. Learn how to tap into this resource.
Part 9: The Role of the Informational Interview
The informational interview; we’ve all been there. It’s critical to gather as much
information as possible before embarking on a new career. In this video, learn what
clear steps you need to take in order to maximize the benefits of these interviews.
Part 10: Initiating the Informational Interview
When attempting to grow your career, gathering the specific information requires you
to reach beyond your immediate network. The aim of the initial contact is to ensure
you are perceived as someone worth connecting with. Learn best practices and tips.
Part 11: Preparing for the Informational Interview
The informational interview is a career growth opportunity and you want to make sure
you are completely prepared. You want to have a clear objective in mind and show that
you have done your research. Listen to tips from your peers on how they prepare for
an informational interview.
Part 12: Importance of Social Networks
Social networks have given us the ability to connect with almost anyone in the blink
of an eye, making it much easier to expand, nurture and maintain our relationships.
Learn how your fellow alumni stay up-to-date with their networks.
Part 13: The Human Connection
Technology has made it easier to both expand and maintain our networks. However, there
is no substitute for one-on-one interactions.
Part 14: Managing Transition
All of this time and hard work will hopefully yield the attractive offer you have
been seeking. The time has come to inform your current employer of your intentions.
Watch this video for tips on how to have that difficult conversation.
Part 15: Success on the New Job
Starting a new job? Learn how to make an impact on day one.
Part 16: Final Thoughts
Watch this video to hear your fellow alumni share their final thoughts on the job
transition process.