But what does pivot even mean?

It’s a word that gets tossed around like a hot potato, especially in startup culture. And in my experience, I’ve found that it’s a word that’s used very loosely, and at times, incorrectly.

Most people think of a pivot as some sort of significant change in direction. But in reality, every step that you take towards your goal is a pivot in and of itself. There’s no such thing as one single pivot. It’s always a series of pivots.

And when you look at the big picture, it all makes sense.

When you’re interviewing for a position at a tech company, you’re pivoting away from where you were, and heading toward your vision for yourself. When you’re learning a new coding language, you’re pivoting to further your career. When you’re developing a new technical skill, you’re pivoting to increase your market value.

It all adds up.

But what’s that one pivot that you take that changes the course of your career or your life? How do you decide to pivot in the first place? For one engineer, the answer was all in the timing.

But I rose to the challenge.

On the outside, I was doing what I was expected to do. I passed my software development classes at my local polytechnic institute. I took on a multitude of different projects, and even completed a Full-stack web development bootcamp as well.

I sought this path all on my own.

When I started out, I had no previous experience in marketing. I wasn’t a marketing major in college. I knew nothing about marketing. I didn’t even know what a funnel was.

But here’s the thing — working in software development was no longer my calling. I just wanted to do something different.

I started applying to jobs that were outside of the expected realm. I applied to marketing jobs even though I had no previous experiences. Maybe I would start at the bottom and work my way up. Maybe I would leverage my technical experience and learn something new.

A few interviews later, I’m now doing content writing for multiple non-profits. I’m using my passion to do real good in the world.

And I learned everything that I could about marketing — I’m still learning. I read books like there is no tomorrow. I attend meetups and conferences and join online communities.

I pivoted my mindset. I pivoted my way of thinking. And it’s through that pivot that I found myself working as a marketing content writer. And it’s through that pivot that I’ve written this very article. And it’s through that pivot that I am where I am today.

There’s always a pivot. And there’s always more to learn. So keep pivoting.

Learn more here: https://marketing.brennanbrown.ca