What advice would you have for a consultant looking to switch into tech/start-up space?

danielleetzel·Feb 01, 2022

Posted in:Advice

Hi there,

I'm looking to switch gears a bit to join the start-up world, as I'm looking to make change with a group whose mission I'm excited about. Specifically, I'm passionate in mental & physical health, education, travel, and raising other women up.

What advice would you offer to a consultant looking to move into this space? Specifically, what roles and skills do you think a consultant would best fill across different stage start-ups? While I don't have the technical skills a software engineer might have, I'd like to be able to apply my strategy experience, unrelenting hardworking, and positive attitude in any way I can. It seems one of the strengths of this experience is to be flexible, creative, and willing to work well even with ambiguous tasks.

I'm excited to explore this world and would appreciate any advice you have!

teresaman·Feb 01, 2022

Tagging @dipishapatel in case she has some thoughts to share here!

dipishapatel·Feb 02, 2022

Hi Danielle - Thanks for sharing! Elpha is partnered with same great health-tech start-ups!Based on your background I would suggest roles like growth strategist / growth manager or customer success.Here is the link to all the health-tech start-ups Elpha currently partners with - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joinelpha_7-healthtech-startups-hiring-right-now-activity-6892883640913592321-sUxAElpha is beautifully designed for you to filter through the roles based on your preferences and each description is very transparent with the type of work culture and benefits they offer!Happy to get on a quick call if you need any further suggestions or just want to meet and chat 😊

tanmayisai·Feb 02, 2022

Some other roles not mentioned that may also be good fits are:- Operations manager- Strategy & ops- Product ops- Chief of staff- Business operations

CeliaSKim·Feb 02, 2022

+1 to the customer success, strategy or operations roles. In my experience, both consulting firms and tech startups adore generalists who can wear multiple hats, manage key stakeholders/clients, adapt to change quickly, and have broad knowledge and skillsets!

rachelserwetz·Feb 07, 2022

Hi @danielleetzel! Given what you're writing, I'd recommend pursuing career exploration, which is a process that is distinct from and a precursor to the job search, including a series of steps of practical learning and self-reflection in order to compare, contrast, and clarify which career path you are confident in pursuing. THAT is the process whereby you can confidently narrow in on which role, industry, and environment is the best fit for you. In fact, I've helped numerous professionals to figure out, clarify, and pursue their ideal career direction. While pivots might seem big and scary, they're often more feasible than you think, but you at least deserve to identify which path would be the best fit for you first, and then determine what your strategy, approach, or next steps would be. By the way, I'm Rachel Serwetz, a Career Exploration Coach & and I'm happy to schedule a free career coaching call if you'd like! Check my profile and/or DM me for more info. You can also book a free coaching call with me here! https://calendly.com/woken/demo