Career Pivot Success for Business Development Proposal Manager
How one of us found a new job with a Federal contractor - and you can too!
I am Benjamin Bianco. I am a Business Development Proposal Manager with nearly all of my experience in international development.
Then in early February, my wife and I both lost our jobs at USAID contractors. We have a five-month-old son and bills did not stop with our sudden unemployment. I needed to find work as soon as possible.
I applied for every job I could find as a Proposal Manager or Technical Writer for every federal contractor that was hiring. I got over half a dozen responses, four likely prospects, and one offer that I ultimately accepted.
There are many people more deserving of these opportunities than I am, so I wanted to share my strategy. While my specific circumstances will not apply to everyone, I hope that sharing my approach may help others in a similar situation.
We’re all in this together!
How I Did It
I started with positions directly related to my former job titles (Proposal Manager and Technical Writer) and deliberately avoided positions within my former sector (international development). I targeted a salary in line with my most recent job, deciding to make concessions only if I needed to.
Then I crafted a non-USAID version of my resume, purging the jargon and speaking in terms that resonate with the BD discipline. I also brushed up on my proposal skills by studying Shipley, APMP, and Lohfeld, which are key approaches in proposal writing.
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Next, I leveraged anyone and everyone who was willing to help. Everyone I approached was very sympathetic. The CEO at my previous employer wrote a personalized recommendation that really helped in my search.
When I interviewed, I made my reason for departure very clear upfront. However, I was also conscious that employers might be concerned I would look for a quick out, so I was proactive in mitigating that risk.
I said things like, “If USAID were to go back to normal tomorrow, I would still want this role.” And I meant it.
My Unique Strengths (And Yours)
I had a few things going for me that will not apply to everyone, but everyone will have their own unique strengths to leverage. What was mine?
I have business development and writing skills, which are very transferable to any federal government contractor. I had recent experience with several other federal agencies aside from USAID. I also am living in the DC-area and I was willing to accept an onsite or hybrid role.
Other transferable experiences include knowledge of government-wide contracting vehicles (OASIS, GSA MAS) and experience with oral proposals and mentor-protégé joint ventures. Specific to business development, I had APMP and Shipley training/certification.
You may want to consider a willingness to leave international development and embrace an unfamiliar sector like IT, A&E, aviation, or defense. This for me was key.
What Did I Learn?
We have transferable skills. Business development is the same across the Federal space. Proposal managers are always in demand and employers didn’t care that my experience was almost entirely USAID-specific.
They cared more about the years of experience I had, the types and sizes of bids I’d worked on, and my mastery of the proposal process. All things that are Agency-agnostic.
There are many IT contractors, and they’re doing super interesting work for a variety of agencies. These companies were the most responsive to me. Plus, it’s ideal that most of these companies do agency-agnostic work, so they’re less exposed to political risks.
A common topic of discussion in interviews was the role of Generative AI in proposal writing. If you are in business development, you should be experimenting with the different LLMs.
Final Thoughts
A hard pivot away from international development certainly may not be for everyone. Yet, it is possible. I worked outside of the USAID contracting world previously, and I found the work just as fulfilling and that it offered plenty of opportunities for personal and professional growth.
I also plan on staying connected to humanitarian work. For example, I want to use my BD skills with NGOs who need volunteer grant writers.
I hope that sharing my experience will give others hope that a career pivot is possible and that it doesn’t have to mean giving up on what matters most to us.
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