I wrote a post yesterday where I mentioned I’d pivoted into being a Marketing and Communications Manager, and some of you messaged asking how I did it, so I thought I’d answer here. If anyone else has any good pivoting tips do please add them in the comments! (This is based on a post I did on LinkedIn).


This time last year I started looking for work as a freelance TV Producer. I’d finished on a show for Disney Plus and Hulu before the summer and had been interviewed for a podcast in LA, and was ready to launch self back out there with all the hutzpah of a young debutante. I was ready. “Here’s me- snap me up while you can!” Etc.

Reader you won’t be surprised to hear that I wasn’t snapped up. Not a jot. There was nothing out there. Nada. So after I had written to everyone I had ever worked with and applied for every TV job I saw, here’s what I did:

~ Worked out who was around in the day that I could chat to (sister made mistake of telling me she was only working 2 days a week and got inundated).

~ Set up WhatsApp group with a few people in a similar situation so we could send each other ranty voicenotes eg. “NOT EVEN AN INTERVIEW WHO DO THEY THINK THEY ARE?! WHAT AN ANOMINABLE OUTRAGE!”

~ Listened to audiobooks when doing housework so I could pretend I was talking to people - or atleast, they were talking to me

~ Obvs tried applying for jobs- the ones with the boxes, but also messaged practically everyone I knew outside of TV, told them my rough skills, and asked them to keep an eye out.

~ Told some parents I knew that I could do after school care/babysitting

~ Messaged on the street WhatsApp and said I was available for any little jobs - and did some dog walking and similar

~ Told close people I knew to spread the word. (EG: Mum your hairdresser seems nice tell her her daughter needs a job pls. Don’t tell her I talk too much. Pretend I’d be easy to work with).

~ Sometimes answered back when listening to the audiobooks while doing housework if friends were too busy to talk to me

~ Went to everything I was invited to and asked people what they did for a job. When they asked about me I said “WELL” (conspirationally leaning in) “Did you know the TV Industry is in crisis?” They’d lean in too and say “no way tell me more”. Then I told the full story, making it seem juicy and gossipy and calamaotus fun, before saying, “so I’m looking for anything- keep your eyes peeled for me”. They’d nod eagerly.

~ Did a post on socials with me looking half-sensible behind a desk saying I was looking for any pivots. A good few people started sending me jobs- including some who I hadn’t seen for a few years- I was v touched actually, people started looking out for me.

~ My mum suggested I needed to become a clown like in my teenage years. Considered it.

~ Wrote posts about anything fairly regularly to show my writing style and the photos I snap on phone. (I do cycle campaigning on “X” so some friends had seen the sort of stuff I did).

~ A friend who’s also a cycle campaigner told me some folks were looking for a bit of help with their local cycling website in another borough. I did it for a while and met a few people, one who needed some comms and marketing work doing. I started a day a week, and over time, it led to a role. It’s for a tiny tech company, helping work out how to describe things, and writing posts, doing presentations and that sort of thing.

I’m working 4 days a week, with great people, and I love it. They also seem delighted with my various skills, skills that in TV, never felt quite enough. Now I feel positively dripping with skills, despite being the same person. You have more skills than you realise!

So there’s my advice for anyone who’s looking to pivot- talk to everyone you know, go to everything, spread the word. Something will come up, promise.

And in the meantime, make sure everyone you love knows how hard this is. You might even have more love and support than you realise.

And GOOD LUCK! 🍀🍀