If you are like most people, your work life will not follow a straight line. The average person changes careers five to seven times during their working life. I’ve pivoted a few times myself. I went from marketing in college, to social work, to admin, to recruiter and now back to marketing. Each of these major shifts led me to a better place and resulted in a dynamic career I couldn’t possibly have envisioned or planned.
So today we cover all things pivoting and figure out if it’s actually a wise thing to do – Owen Pycha, Strategic Talent Acquisition MetroStar joins the podcast to talk about his career pivots. From Wegmans, to tech, to sales, to recruiting, Owen shares his insights on what made his career pivots as smooth as possible.
Whether you’re a TS-cleared recruiter eyeing cyber, a former analyst craving project management, or a veteran exploring your first contractor role—career pivots in the cleared space come with unique challenges… and powerful opportunities.
How to Master Career Pivots
Here’s how to pivot with purpose while keeping your clearance (and confidence) intact.
1. Get Clear on Why You’re Pivoting
Start with your “why”: Are you burned out in your current billet? Want to move into a growth field like cybersecurity or data? Tired of chasing proposals or switching contracts? Knowing your reason helps shape a compelling story when talking to recruiters, FSOs, or program managers who want to see stability and intentionality. For example, “I’m pivoting from X to Y because I want to stay mission-driven while expanding my impact.”
2. Inventory Your Transferable Skills (Trust Me, You Have Them)
In cleared roles, you’ve likely built risk assessment and compliance experience, technical writing, client or agency relationship management, or some other leadership skills in classified environments. These are gold. Frame them to fit your target role—cybersecurity, management, data analysis, training, intel, you name it.
3. Stack the Right Certs or Skills
In the cleared world, credentials open doors. For example, you want cyber? Think Security+, CEH, or Splunk Core Certified. If you are going for management, try certs like PMP, ITIL, or Scrum Master. For data roles, look at things like Tableau, Python, or AWS foundational certs. Focus on what’s in demand (by perusing job openings you’re interested in on something like ClearanceJobs), not just what sounds fancy.
4. Use Your Clearance to Your Advantage
Here’s the truth: Clearance is currency. If you’re willing to pivot into an entry-level role but you’re already cleared, you have a major edge. Many contractors would rather train someone cleared than wait 12+ months for a new candidate to get through adjudication. Look for job postings that say “TS/SCI required – will train the right candidate,” or something along those lines.
5. Reframe Your Résumé & Clearancejobs profile
Update your online presence to reflect your pivot:
-
New headline: “TS/SCI Cleared | Transitioning to Cybersecurity | Security+ Certified”
-
Use project-based bullet points that showcase results, not just duties
-
Add a “Career Pivot” blurb to your summary to tell your story before others make assumptions
6. Tap the Right Networks
The cleared world is small—but powerful. So attend our career fairs or some other industry meetup (i.e. AFCEA or INSA). Don’t just job search—mission-match with purpose and be willing to put in the work.
7. Accept the Pivot (Even If It’s a Side Step)
Understand that pivoting takes some sacrifice. You’re not going to pivot to a new role with zero experience and make more money. You might have to take a role one level lower, switch agencies, or work on overhead (like a proposal team or admin) to get your foot in the door. But once you’re inside and trusted, mobility can happen fast in the cleared world. Your growth path might just look a little different now—and that’s okay.
Launch Your Pivot With Your Security Clearance
Your security clearance is a launchpad when you are career pivoting. You’re not “starting over.” You’re re-routing with intention, maturity, and mission alignment. Pivoting in this space is about positioning though the destination might change along the way. So lean into your value, leverage your trustworthiness, and don’t be afraid to make your next career chapter the most strategic one yet.
The cleared community is smaller than you think—and people love to help smart folks make smart moves.
