The Art of the Career Pivot, with Ariane Hunter

Thinking about a career change can stir up nerves, excitement, and a big “where do I even start?” On this week’s episode of Find Your Dream Job, author, speaker, and consultant Ariane Hunter talks about what’s really happening when something in your work life feels off. She shares why career pivots show up for so many of us — sometimes by choice, sometimes not — and how those quiet nudges can point you toward work that feels better than what you’ve been settling for.

Ariane also explains why it helps to pause, breathe, and let yourself feel what’s coming up before rushing into the next thing. Then she gets practical, with small steps like checking in with people who’ve seen you shine, reconnecting with supportive colleagues, and exploring new options without having it all figured out. If you’re standing at a career crossroads, this episode offers grounded guidance and a reassuring place to begin.

About Our Guest:

• Ariane Hunter is a speaker, an author, and the founder and owner of Ariane Hunter Consulting.

Resources in This Episode:

• Connect with Ariane on LinkedIn.
• Check out Ariane’s book, Dreaming On Purpose: A Manifesto for Black Women on Taking the Leap, Building Your Dreams, and Being Your Own Boss

Transcript

Find Your Dream Job, Episode 530:

The Art of the Career Pivot, with Ariane Hunter

Airdate: December 3, 2025

Mac Prichard:

This is Find Your Dream Job, the podcast that helps you get hired, have the career you want, and make a difference in life.

I’m your host, Mac Prichard. I’m also the founder of Mac’s List. It’s a job board in the Pacific Northwest that helps you find a fulfilling career.

Every Wednesday, I talk to a different expert about the tools you need to get the work you want.

You’re ready to change careers.

But you can’t seem to break into your new field.

Ariane Hunter is here to talk about the art of the career pivot.

She’s a speaker, an author, and the founder and owner of Ariane Hunter Consulting.

Ariane’s company helps Black women in business thrive.

She joins us from Brooklyn, New York.

Well, let’s jump right into it, Ariane. Let’s start with definitions. What exactly do you mean when we talk about a career pivot? What do you have in mind there?

Ariane Hunter:

So one doesn’t get through their entire career trajectory without having some sort of career pivot throughout their time. It can happen voluntarily, it can happen involuntarily, and we can talk about that and what that looks like. But sometimes pivots just happen to us, and it’s when we can make an intentional change on our course and our career trajectory, exploring mindfully you know who we are, what we want, right, and the opportunities that are available in front of us, right.

So thinking about pivots sometimes can bring on some nervousness, a little bit of excitement sometimes, depending on the situation that you’re in, but it’s important to really understand what a pivot truly is, which is an opportunity, right, to change course and bring more intentionality to the work that you do.

Mac Prichard:

And what difference can a career pivot make in job satisfaction?

Ariane Hunter:

Absolutely, it can make all the difference. It can make all the difference. Sometimes when we land in a role and we’re in this role for a number of years, several years, 10 years, even more. Sometimes this career pivot could lead to satisfaction that you weren’t otherwise receiving in your current role.

Sometimes our careers become plateaus. Sometimes we stop using the skill set that we… first enjoyed, sometimes we want to explore new skill sets or take on new understandings and learnings and opportunities.

And so when those feelings bubble up to the surface, it’s important to pay attention to what that is because this is leading you to greater fulfillment and much more deeper personal satisfaction within your work.

Mac Prichard:

And whether it’s a voluntary or involuntary choice, Ariane, how do you know if you’re considering a pivot that it’s time to make a change rather than stay the course?

Ariane Hunter:

Yeah, I get this question a lot, and oftentimes when I work with clients, we do have this internal nudging that happens, that kind of questions whether what else is out there? Is there more? Right. And sometimes you could explore what that more could be within your role within your organization. And sometimes it can mean something completely, completely different. Right.

So, oftentimes what I find is that it does begin with an internal nudge that something feels a little misaligned or something feels a little bit off. So it’s important to tune into that, to really listen. What is this feeling telling you? And how can you lead into that with curiosity?

It’s really, really important not to be intimidated or afraid when this, I know change is very hard for a lot of us sometimes. But curiosity is the key here, especially when we’re leading into something that may be a little bit different than what we’re used to.

Mac Prichard:

You mentioned a moment ago that sometimes change happens involuntarily. You might be laid off, through no fault of your own. And in that circumstance, many people might think, “Well, I just want to keep doing what I’m doing.”

But you also said it could be an opportunity. How do you know it’s time if you’ve been laid off, or that it’s time to make a change rather than just stay the course?

Ariane Hunter:

So, really think it’s important to pay attention to what’s happening in your industry. No matter what your role is, whatever your title is, there is a lot happening in our industry right now. AI is on the rise. This is a hot topic of conversation. But it’s really important to be connected to what is happening within your industry. How is it evolving compared to when you first started?

Right. So, especially if you’re in a particular role for a number of years, things move rather quickly. Right. So are there skill sets and tools that have evolved over time that you could sort of refine, right, for yourself, and a skill set you need to brush up on, you know, as an industry professional? Also, it’s, you know, kind of asking yourself the question of what’s next for me? You know, do I want to continue in this role, in this industry?

What else might be out there that I’m curious to explore? So it’s important to really just again, make sure that you are understanding, read publications that are integral to your industry, get on listservs, follow thought leaders. LinkedIn is a really great tool for that. Thought leaders who are also in your industry, pay attention to what these leaders are saying.

Engage in the comments, become an active participant in your industry. Again, you don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to bring perfection to these conversations.

But again, you can lean into your own curiosity and see, get curious about what your industry is doing, and ask yourself, “What tools do I need? What skills do I need to continue the course or explore a new trajectory?”

Mac Prichard:

Well, let’s talk more about how to make a career pivot and how to do it artfully. I know one of the first steps you recommend people you work with take is to make space for your emotions. Say more about that and why it’s important when you’re making a career pivot to pay attention to your emotions.

Ariane Hunter:

Oh, absolutely. Your emotions are indicators, right? They’re goalposts. They’re not goalposts, but they’re signs, right? There is something that you need to pay attention to. So it’s really important to make space for that because unprocessed emotions will really get in the way of or sabotage your pivot.

So if you’re operating from a place of panic or nervousness, or you go into know, fight or flight mode, or you’re, you know, kind of creating a story about what this pivot means, right? You’re going to make reactive decisions instead of intentional ones.

So you really want to make sure that you’re keeping yourself grounded throughout this process. You know, also you might take a job, let’s say, that may not be the right fit for you. So anything that comes along, right? It may not be exactly the thing that you need to be doing or the thing that you just want to kind of get out of this uncertainty.

So you might make a knee-jerk reaction. You might self-sabotage in interviews and things like that. So making space for your emotions isn’t about being passive. It isn’t about even wallowing, right? But it is about giving yourself space to acknowledge the reality of where you are right now. So you can move through it with clarity. So what does that look like?

When I say make space for your emotions, right? It can look different for a lot of different people. For some people, it’s journaling. Maybe it’s talking to your therapist. Maybe it’s having a good cry or talking to a trusted friend.

But I do recommend creating a container for it. Do not do it on your own, right? Sometimes we want to kind of go through it on our own and figure it out on our own. That’s okay sometimes, but you do need community and support to help you through, especially when change is happening. 

So give yourself that container, give yourself that support to understand and navigate the emotions that are coming up for you, validating them, all the uncertainty and the excitement that might be happening for you. Give yourself structure, give yourself time. Maybe it’s a week or two, right? To really feel what you’re feeling. 

You’re feeling sad, you’re feeling nervous. If you’re grieving, you know, a pivot that is happening in a way that feels a little bit nerve-racking. It’s all okay. But you have to give yourself a date to start taking action, right? So really having that, again, that container, whether it’s two weeks, a couple of days, everybody’s going to be different. 

Take the time that you need, but then take action, right? So that can look like, okay, this is happening to me. I’m going to give myself the next three days to really sit with this. I’m going to spend some time with my family. I’m going to spend some time in nature, and then in two or three days, I’m going to hit it. I’m going to go through my list and start actioning what’s next for me.

Mac Prichard:

What about mindset? Ariane, what difference can mindset make when you’re making a career pivot, and what kind of mindset? How do you, how do you recommend people pay attention to their mindset when they’re doing these kinds of changes?

Ariane Hunter:

Mindset is everything. I won’t go as far as to say it’s 99.9% of everything that we do. It is about the mindset that you carry forward. So that’s why paying attention to your emotions, paying attention to the stories that you’re telling yourself, what’s coming up for you, the good, the bad, and the ugly, really being clear with that, being aware and present. 

The thing that will never steer you wrong, I believe, when navigating a pivot is if you hold curiosity at the forefront. Okay. So that could even mean, I’m feeling, you know, a little grief coming up for me. What’s happening for me? What’s the story that I’m telling myself? Yes, that makes sense. Sitting down, you know, with the journal, writing it out, if you like to put pen to paper, like I do, talking to a friend, right? 

So, and I mentioned earlier, it’s, it’s, it’s important that we don’t do this work completely alone or completely independent because left to our own devices, sometimes our mindset can take us down a path that is not healthy for us, right? 

So it’s important to do this in community and with support, whether it’s a professional, whether it’s a coach, whether it’s a therapist, but someone who is a trusted guide. So absolutely carrying that mindset of openness, carrying that mindset of care, of patience, and above all, curiosity.

Mac Prichard:

What terrific. We’re going to pause here. Stay with us when we come back. Ariane Hunter will continue to share her advice on the art of the career pivot.

We’re back in the Mac’s List studio. I’m talking with Ariane Hunter.

She’s a speaker, an author, and the founder and owner of Ariane Hunter Consulting.

Ariane’s company helps Black women in business thrive.

She joins us from Brooklyn, New York.

Ariane, before our break, we were talking about the art of the career pivot, and we talked about why pivots happen, what opportunities they offer, some of the challenges, too, and we started talking about how to do it well.

Another step I want to dig into, you talked a lot about mindset and paying attention to emotions, but you also recommend after addressing those topics, you got to sit down and figure out what to do next. What’s the best way to do this? And should people write a five-year plan, or what have you seen work?

Ariane Hunter:

It’s really an individual process. It’s very subjective to the person, for sure. But it’s incredibly important to take the time to map out. It doesn’t have to be a five-year plan. It could be for the next five days, right? Sometimes you just need to start small. 

And I would actually encourage that. I think, you know, if you’re someone who it’s like, I don’t even know what I’m doing next week. You know, just start small, start. You know, the next few days, what does that look like for you? Right? Write it all down. Try to get organized, right? 

Keep yourself active, right? And start to put together and organize your thoughts, right? It could be the smallest thing. It could be having an informational conversation. Again, tapping into your network, building those relationships is going to be incredibly important as well. So maybe you can name four or five people in your network, on your LinkedIn, who would love to hear from you. 

Who are five people who are in your network who know you really well, who has always supported you, can be a former manager, can be a colleague that you’ve worked with, and send them a note, you know, invite them out to coffee, invite them to a virtual, you know, Zoom chat to catch up with them. You know, it’s important that, you know, we talked about mindset earlier.

It’s not your fault, you know, especially if a pivot is, you know, out of your control, you’re not to blame, you know, these are things that happen to all of us at some point. So it’s really important to keep that in mind. But it’s a really integral time to start to build relationships, right? So reaching out to your network with a small note to let them know, you know, what’s new with you, what type of opportunities you’re looking for.

So that’s why it’s really important to get really clear on what that is for you right now before reaching out. So again, mapping out what does the next few steps look like for you? What is it that you’re looking for? Who do you need to connect with and taking the small incremental actions from there?

Mac Prichard:

Okay. So, to take specific concrete actions, what do you say to people who struggle with uncertainty and want to have everything figured out? What, what have you seen work for people like that who think, well, I need to think not just about the next five days or five weeks, but beyond that?

Ariane Hunter:

Yeah, so this is again going to be helpful to work with a professional, whether it’s a coach or a mentor, even in your network, and to have them help you map out what is next for you. Because again, you can’t do this by yourself. So it’s important to connect with colleagues and say, you know, “What are some of the best strengths that you’ve seen me demonstrate over the last six months, right?” 

This will help you to get clear on who you are as a personal brand, you know, what are the skill sets and the strengths that you carry forward. Sometimes these are things that you don’t even realize that you do really, really well. 

So, getting clear, you know, and enlisting the help that you need to, for people who can offer you feedback about your professional skills and how you can best position yourself.

Again, you can take your time with this five-year plan if it’s important to you to have sort of that long-term trajectory. And I also think that’s an important step, part of this as well. Don’t try to figure it out in one session, right? It’s important to really take your time with it. 

So maybe giving yourself, you know, okay, what’s the next year look like for me? Giving yourself time with that to flesh that out. What does that look like in the short, midterm, long-term, and then sort of expanding from there.

Mac Prichard:

You mentioned earlier relationships, reaching out to people, former colleagues, and family and friends. Why do you encourage career pivoters to leverage relationships? Why is this important?

Ariane Hunter:

Because people, I have found, are waiting to help you and support you if only you ask. And I know that sometimes we are hesitant to ask for help. It can sometimes put us in a vulnerable place, especially when we’re already feeling really shaky. So I do think that it’s important to take the steps that you need to break through that. And you can do that in small and incremental ways.

When you’re navigating a career pivot, doing it alone just makes it so, so much harder. Your community can provide a lot of different things that you need in that moment. Things like emotional support, practical help, and expanded possibilities. They could even give you referrals to your next opportunity. These folks are your community and have seen you at your best and are, in my experience, ready to help you and remind you of your worth, especially when you’re feeling doubt. 

So again, they can connect you to opportunities, offer advice, or even be in the position to hire you. So it’s important to let people know. And again, these are gonna keep people who you have built a relationship with; those are the people that you want to start with first. 

Those are the people who have always championed you, have supported you. Again, these are mentors, these are colleagues that you’ve worked with in the past. Again, and being direct and sharing in honesty that I’m navigating my next career opportunity. I’m excited to explore the opportunities. It’s been a while. I would love to hear what you’re up to as well. 

Make it a two-way exchange so it doesn’t feel like I need something, I’m asking for something. You also want to be in the position to support what they’re doing as well. I know oftentimes when I work with folks, like, what do I have to offer? I’m the one that needs the job. But again, you just never know how you can support someone with even an article that you came across that would be great for them that you send along to them. 

But again, it’s about establishing that two-way relationship, that two-way street where you can support and empower each other because we do need each other. Sometimes people may be reluctant to reach out to old contacts or colleagues.

Mac Prichard:

You shared some suggestions about who to target, but what have you seen work when figuring out who to reach out to and the best way to ask for help?

Ariane Hunter:

Absolutely. So you can start by thinking about just five people in your network that you have worked with in the past. These are people who you’ve gotten really great opportunities to work on a project with. Maybe it’s an old manager that you had great relationships with. Who are these people? Really, really dig into that. 

And I would encourage, you know, go to your LinkedIn profile, even if they’re not as active on there, but go to your LinkedIn profile, go to your connections, start to look at your first degree connections. So these are going to be people who you already have an established connection to. 

Maybe you’ve seen them speak at a conference and you’ve connected to them. Maybe you’ve met them at a networking event, or maybe you’ve worked together before previously on a project. Let me just go through those connection lists and identify at least five people, right? Five people who might be in a position to support you or to help you, right? And then I would reach out to them on LinkedIn.

There are various ways that you can do that. I would suggest looking at their profile, seeing what they’re up to, maybe any announcements that they’ve shared, maybe they’ve changed jobs, or maybe they shared a post that was interesting to you. And then you want to personalize that note to them. 

You want to make sure like, “Hey, I just saw your last post on XYZ on LinkedIn. Really great to see what you’re doing here. I know it’s been a while, but I’d love to share with you some new updates on my career. Do you have time in the next two weeks for a 15-minute conversation?”

Something as very short and sweet as that. And I would fire off about five or so messages, similar versions of those messages, and keep in the practice of doing that. Stay in touch, stay on their radar, and continue to nurture and build those relationships.

Mac Prichard:

Well, it’s been a great conversation. Now tell us what’s next for you.

Ariane Hunter:

Yeah, so I’m really excited to continue to share Dreaming on Purpose, which is my debut book that is out right now where every books are sold. But it’s a career guide and personal manifesto of my personal experience navigating the workplace and within my career. 

And I believe that it’s a book that was written for this moment as we’re navigating uncertainty in the market right now. We need that through line to help us stay grounded as we navigate our career pivots and navigate what’s next for us. 

So I’m excited to continue to share this book with folks, and so folks can find out about that by visiting my website. But I’m excited to continue to put this book out into the world, it’s called Dreaming on Purpose.

Mac Prichard:

Well, congratulations on the publication of your book. That’s a huge accomplishment. And I know that our audience can learn more about you, your work, and your book by visiting your website, www.ArianeHunter.com. We’ll be sure to include that in the show notes. 

And you also invite our audience members to connect with you on LinkedIn. When you do reach out to Ariane, please tell her you heard her and saw her on Find Your Dream Job. 

Now, Ariane, given all the great advice you’ve shared today, what’s the one thing you want a listener to remember about the art of the career pivot?

Ariane Hunter:

Yes, well, first I want to just say to give yourself grace, give yourself patience, give yourself time. You don’t need to have everything figured out today. A pivot is a process, not an event. So really take your time to process your emotions and move intentionally through this time. It’s a really important time in your life and in your career. Get clear on what you want, but also what you don’t want. 

History is a treasure trove of learnings that we can take with us in the present moment. Like, well, this thing didn’t work for me, but this thing did. Right. So getting clear on what those items are. Sometimes it’s really easy to identify what you’re moving away from rather than what you’re moving towards. 

So, really creating that time to get clear on that. And then I would just say, have a conversation with just one person. It can be more, but make it a goal to have a conversation with just one person this week.

You can reach out to that person, again, let them know what’s inspiring you, what you’re working on, what they’re doing, and ask them out to a networking coffee date. Ask them about their journey and really start to build those relationships again. So that would be the three first things that I would say if you’re navigating a pivot right now.

Mac Prichard:

Next week, our guest will be Marcia Torres.

She’s the founder of Imagen Talent Solutions. 

It’s a consulting firm reimagining HR and talent strategy for startups, nonprofits, and growing businesses. 

An employer wants to hire you. Congratulations!

Now it’s time to close the deal. 

Join us next Wednesday when Marcia Torres and I talk about negotiating your next job offer.

Until next time, thanks for letting us help you find your dream job.

This show is produced by Mac’s List. 

Susan Thornton-Hough schedules our guests and writes our newsletter. Lisa Kislingbury Anderson manages our social media and creates our transcripts. 

Our sound engineer and editor is Anna McClain. And our music is by Freddy Trujillo.

This is Mac Prichard. See you next week.

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