How To: Transition Into a New Career Ugh.. No.. Really.. HOW?!

Grant consulting is my passion and my side hustle. One day, it would be great to take it full-time, but it doesn't pay the bills yet. Currently, I work full-time for a major corporation. For the past 1 to 2 years, I have been working on transitioning into a role that would fulfill both my passion and my career aspirations, working with the community, nonprofits, and/ or social impact. I have a bachelor's in biology and am one term away from completing my MBA with a concentration in Public Administration. My past work experience includes various roles in customer service settings.

I have applied for several roles at different companies focused on community and social impact. Like always, I get the same email for every position I have applied to so far:

"After careful consideration, we have decided to pursue other candidates. As we receive a high volume of applications, our process is highly competitive, with many qualified candidates for each position."

I get that other candidates may have more experience than I, so they chose to interview those who are more closely aligned. It's really the next paragraph that gets to me and sparked the inspiration for today's blog.

"We encourage you to explore other opportunities within our company that may align more closely with your experience and career aspirations. Our careers page regularly updates with new positions, and we recommend reviewing the qualifications and requirements to ensure a strong match with your skills and background."

How do I get the experience if I'm not given the opportunity? My professional background has primarily been in customer service, a field I pursued while balancing full-time studies and working to support my family financially. I can deal with rejection, but rejection without direction makes me a bit frustrated.

I have tried reaching out to the hiring manager or the recruiter, but they don't normally remember my application or who I am, for that matter. That is why informational interviews are so important. It allows the hiring manager or recruiter a chance to get to know you, not just a document full of words describing your past work history. This is why working for myself is the ultimate goal. I can find the opportunities that no one else will give me.

Ok, my rant is over.. for now. Have any of you experienced this? Or have any advice for those going through the same thing?

-Boss Lady out...

*Kindly be advised that the accompanying image was created using artificial intelligence technology.