The Art of the Professional Pivot | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)
The article presents professional pivots as normal career adjustments rather than dramatic reinventions. Through six creatives’ stories, it shows how people can redirect their careers by reframing their approach, returning to a familiar company in a new role, or making larger changes. The central message is that pivots can help professionals align their skills and interests more effectively with their work. ## The Reframe: Small Changes with Big Effects A reframe changes how someone approaches their existing role without requiring a complete career change. - Ry Reid moved from customer support into UX writing, later working at Pinterest, Spotify, and Uber Eats. - At Uber Eats, Ry struggled to persuade colleagues through written proposals and was passed over for promotion. - A design manager suggested visualizing ideas instead of explaining them in documents. - Ry began creating rough concepts with pen and paper and Google Slides, then sharing them with colleagues. - This shift helped Ry communicate more effectively and contributed to their proposed user experience being adopted. - The experience showed that presenting an idea and polishing it into a finished design are different skills. ### Lessons from the Reframe - Accept difficult feedback and investigate why opportunities were missed. - Seek advice from mentors in adjacent disciplines. - Test a new approach in low-risk situations. - Expect some discomfort when developing unfamiliar skills. ## The Boomerang: Changing Roles in a Familiar Environment A boomerang involves making a substantial career change while returning to—or remaining within—a company whose culture and operations are already familiar. - Erica Simunovic first worked at Tatari in people operations. - After five years and completing a product design bootcamp, she returned to the same company as a product designer. - Her story illustrates how an existing relationship with an organization can reduce some of the risks of starting over in a new discipline. - The article frames this path as a way to pursue significant change while retaining familiarity with the workplace. ## The Article’s Broader Career-Pivot Framework The six profiles represent different forms of professional change: - **The reframe:** Adjusting perspective or working methods. - **The boomerang:** Taking on a new role at a familiar company. - **The unfolding:** Making a deeper, more personal leap. - **The stretch:** Exploring unfamiliar opportunities. - **The hard left:** Changing direction completely. - **The blend:** Combining experiences, skills, and professional networks. A practical approach is to begin with the smallest change that addresses the problem: seek candid feedback, experiment with adjacent skills, and use existing relationships where possible.