Sharp turn at the next job search
Maybe you have been curious about a career pivot within higher ed. But how do you know when it’s the right time to look into and land a new kind of job?
This week I have advice from a leader who made a switch and is now four months into a new type of role. Peyton Deterding spent more than 20 years in athletics, serving as athletic director at the University of Illinois at Springfield and at Southeastern Community College in Iowa. Recently he was appointed vice president for administration and finance at Grand View University, also in his home state of Iowa.
One of Deterding’s main tips is to pay attention to that little internal nudge that you could use your skills in a new way. At one point he contacted a search consultant to ask about an open position, and more broadly about applying for administrative roles, but the consultant dismissed the idea.
“You don’t have a chance,” the consultant said.
Self-assurance was half the battle, said Deterding. He loved athletics, and still does, but he had grown tired of 80-hour weeks, with games and banquets at night and on the weekend that cut into time with his young family. “Is this the best career path for me right now?” he asked himself, and the answer was no.
His pivot took a few years, from inkling to new job. As he ramps up in the role, he’s studying up on some areas, but mostly he is discovering that much of his prior experience does translate — and in fact, his outsider status gives him a valuable viewpoint.
Here are his five tips on how to make a career pivot:
Trust yourself that you can pivot. Confidence is the main ingredient you need to give yourself permission to explore new paths, he said. Part of what reassured him was talking with trusted mentors and former bosses who knew his skills and passions. You would be good at the type of job you have in mind, they said.
Now is a good time to make a change. Higher ed is in flux, and that has led to unpredictable candidate pools for many job searches. So don’t sell yourself short, Deterding said. You never know how a search will shake out, and some take unexpected turns. If you think you would do a good job, take the leap.
You’ll need to go the extra mile for the hiring committee. Because he wasn’t a traditional applicant for a role in university administration and finance, Deterding prepared to do a little more explaining than usual in interviews about how his past experience matched the specific requirements of the new job.
He painted a picture of how relevant his experience was, describing how an athletics department is a microcosm of a university. He had overseen a budget of $30 million, managed facilities projects of $40 million to $50 million, supervised a staff of 130, handled project bidding and contracts, and staged hundreds of events and conferences. While some of those numbers might seem small at the campus level, the related skills are the same, he said. And athletics leaders, much like vice presidents, are also thinking about the student experience.
Embrace your outsider perspective. Once in the new job, it’s easy to feel as if you don’t belong, but remember that your background gives you a fresh vantage on the situation, and you will ask questions that might not occur to others. Deterding has also found that his experience at public institutions gives him useful insights to apply in the private setting, especially when it comes to policy issues.
Don’t be afraid to go back to school. Deterding is pursuing an M.B.A. as part of his journey. That is how he is proving — to himself, and to his new bosses — that he’s committed to a serious career shift. He found an online program that gives him flexibility and time for his family.