'Smile more, complain less': How a job transition can make the difference

When her work became more about reducing costs and less about recruiting top talent, Karen Amatangelo-Block knew it was time for a change. After nearly 15 years of hard work perfecting her craft in talent acquisition for law firms, Amatangelo-Block switched paths and began at Abt Associates. It wasn’t a decision she made easily or abruptly, but the key for her, she said, was a passion to feel more like she was positively contributing in her workplace and being able to take her “toolkit” of skills with her. Now the director of global recruiting at Abt Associates, she tells Devex how she made the decision, the actions she took to make her career transition a reality and how life has changed since she made the leap. What were your big motivations for the change? Was there a moment or a particular incident that convinced you it was time? Sometimes life just gets away from you and you’re going down a path … before you know it, you’re there. The last couple of years at the law firm, it was becoming a very challenging working environment with everybody operating more leanly. Much of my work became about reducing costs. Instead of scouring for top talent, I was asking “do we really need to hire?” … It was more reducing than building and I didn’t feel like I was contributing in a way I wanted to be. The second piece was that I am a working mother and was raising young children during that time. But as my children got older and their schedules became more routine, I thought maybe this is a time when I could venture out and pursue a change. What steps did you take? Did you consult with friends or start with the job hunt straight away? Did you quit your old job before taking one with Abt? Anybody who is at a senior level in their career doesn’t want to just dump their resume into the marketplace. You want to be an excellent fit for the few jobs that you apply for. I took the opportunity to talk with colleagues and mentors to ask what they thought I should be doing, what they thought I was best at. If you’re open to their advice, you might just realize what you’re meant to be doing. I took stock of what I really liked about my job, and ultimately I realized I wanted to stay in the field of recruiting; I didn’t want to completely change my toolkit, but instead use the tools that I had and the 14 years that were already on my resume. I took time to step back and ask what it is I thought I’d be doing at this stage? How has that changed and why? I thought I was going to join the Peace Corps, but instead I chose to get a job working in legal recruiting and begin raising a family. My grandmother joined the Peace Corps when she was 65. Having people like that in your life tells you that you can always make that change, there’s still time. I’m a lawyer by degree, which is how I ended up recruiting in the legal field. Saying I didn’t want to be at a law firm anymore was a big step for me personally. I think having a law degree is helpful in the sense to know you’re good at research and being analytical, so those are the things I knew I could take with me along with my experience in talent acquisition and management. So how did you present yourself to other employers when you wanted to land a job outside your industry? I wanted to be head of recruiting in another platform where I felt good about the work I was doing. They say you shouldn’t run from something, but run toward something. Once you know what you’re running toward, you can start applying. I applied for a handful. When you do interviews, you want to have your story of why it’s a fit for you, especially if its not obvious on your resume. I went to law school, but I originally wanted to be a public interest lawyer, those were the kinds of jobs I was looking at. It might not have been reflected on my resume, but I had to be able to say: “I know I’ve been working in this space for a while, but this is why I want to get back to or into development 15 years later.” You went from knowing how to recruit from the top law schools in the country to having to learn what key skills are needed for a career as a successful climate change economist, for example. What was it like to have to learn a new industry? The opportunity to learn something new is what was engaging. I was very eager to take it on. In fact, one of the most appealing things about the job was being able to take my expertise and apply it to a new platform. Someone who is looking to reinvent their career is looking for something to light that fire for them. It helps to join an organization like Abt that has a culture of intellectual curiosity. What do you know about a climate expert, someone who has a background in health and malaria? You have to be able to tell them what you do know and be honest about what you don’t … You have to research the area, but I did sit in many meetings in my first couple of months where I didn’t understand half of the acronyms they were using. You have to stay motivated and you’re going to survive the transition. Be receptive to new ideas, ask questions. People enjoy telling you about their work. There are so many reasons to just stay in a position and not take a leap, especially when you are already established in a career. What would you say to a high level executive who might be hesitant to make a change? I was very comfortable, I didn’t have to earn my credibility on a daily basis. I had a job that I knew how to do well. Job security is nothing to take lightly, especially if you have a family. There’s certainly always reasons to stay put. But if you aren’t satisfied, you’re not rewarded or you are no longer motivated, consider what you could do to be more challenged. You have to be willing to make a huge effort. You don’t necessarily have to quit your job. Instead, ask yourself if you can reinvent your existing job. What was rewarding with my decision to make a change is I realized that I was now at an organization that was much more aligned with my personal and professional values, and it wasn’t until I made that change that I realized. Sometimes you know you’re unhappy, whether it’s stress or boredom, but you can’t make a change. So do some research, reach out — it’s only going to make you feel better about the choice you make to stay or the choice you make to move on. How has life changed since you made the switch? My former colleagues ask me: “Do you still like it? Are you still happy?” The answer is yes. I smile more and complain less. I really feel like that this position is more supportive of my career and personal goals. I still work hard, I still take my laptop home every day, I still try to balance making dinner and getting out an email, but the huge difference is that now I explain to my children that I hire people who are improving the lives of others in developing countries. Have questions or want to share your own career transition tips? Please leave a comment below, tweet @devexcareers or email careers@devex.com.