7 steps I took to pivot to Program Management (and land dream jobs at LinkedIn and Figma)
It’s scary to change careers. Many believe they need the job to get experience. But you can pivot without starting over.
Here are 7 steps I took to go from a Customer Success Manager to Program Manager at LinkedIn.
1/ Know my why
I got clear on my strengths and what sparked me joy.
I asked myself: What were my non negotiables?
After some self-reflection, I realized that my superpowers were:
- bringing clarity to chaos
- and owning projects end to end
It gave me the confidence and clarity to optimize my career for growth and experience versus title and pay.
This was a critical first step to keep my eyes on the prize.
2/ Spot the opportunity
Next, I paid attention to what projects had the biggest impact. I did this by myself these three questions:
- What do leaders care about?
- What was critical to the business?
- What projects were coming down the pipe?
3/ Raise my hand
Now, after I recognized an important project to lead, it was time to ask my manager for his blessing to own it.
What happened? He gave me the green light and I bet on myself.
4/ Learn the basics
Next, I learned about project management by googling the project lifecycle.
I indexed on creating processes and systems. I documented everything and took the time to train my team and solidify my knowledge.
5/ Create measurable impact
I tracked and measured my work. I shared weekly progress reports to leadership on my project:
- What went well?
- What are risks?
- What’s next?
I logged feedback, created a source of truth and iterated weekly. This is how I built trust with proactive communication.
Ultimately, I gained real world experience on the job.
6/ Articulate wins
As I gained experience, my confidence grew. I created a narrative to articulate my impact by using metrics that mattered to the company.
This helped me think and act more strategically.
7/ Seek my next play
I explored internal opportunities for Program Manager roles. I connected with hiring managers before jobs were posted but unfortunately, opportunities were slim to none.
This forced me to look externally. I used LinkedIn for job search and found my dream role. It was a “Go-To-Market Enablement Program Manager” role at LinkedIn.
This role was the perfect role for me — a culmination of my experience in Customer Success, Enablement, and Go-to-market strategy. I applied within 48 hours of being posted on LinkedIn.
8/ Surprise + Delight
I spent 100+ hours to prepare for my interviews. I created a script of common questions + had 5 relevant examples in my back pocket following my favorite framework: Problem, Action, and Results (PAR).
The role required me to put together a business case which I presented live to the hiring manger. After meeting 3 additional team members, the interviews finally wrapped. Next, I sent thank you notes to each interview in less than 24 hours.
Within 2 days, I received an offer for dream job at LinkedIn. The rest is history.
In conclusion:
The key takeaway is to stay true to yourself, know your worth, and never stop seeking opportunities for growth and advancement.
Embrace change, be proactive, and bet on yourself — the results can be beyond your wildest dreams. Remember, the right path is not always the easiest one, but it’s the journey that shapes you into the best version of yourself. Now, go ahead and best on yourself because if you don’t do it, who will?
What are you doing right now to get 1% closer to your dream job?
About Jean
Career Coach, Instructor, and Path to PM CEO
Meet Jean Kang: a trailblazing career coach, x7 career pivoter, and Path to PM CEO on a mission to empower the next generation of program managers. Jean shares daily nuggets of program management wisdom and career insights on LinkedIn, and also hosts a top Maven course to help students pivot to Program Management. Her content-packed weekly newsletter and guide provides actionable advice for driving impactful programs and supercharging your career.
With a decade of experience at top tech companies like Figma, LinkedIn, Meta, and Pinterest, Jean’s expertise has earned recognition in Teal, Lenny’s Newsletter, Maven, Topmate, and Prezi, making her a podcast guest favorite.
