Career Pivot Success: MERL Manager to Data Scientist

How I pivoted from a MERL manager in international development to a private sector data scientist

Pivoting your career is rough. There’s no getting around it—it’s really, really hard. It’s exhausting, it’s stressful, and sometimes it’s existentially terrifying.

I am Jordan Downey, and I’m here to tell you it’s not only possible, but it can also be incredibly rewarding.

About three years ago, I decided to execute my own career transition. I’d spent most of my career at public health nonprofits. I had worn many hats and had experience in research, monitoring and evaluation, digital health, and public health programs.

For a variety of personal and professional reasons, I decided I wanted to try my hand at data science in the private sector. After about six weeks of job searching and interviewing, I landed my first data science job at a health tech startup.

Before starting my transition, I believed a few things to be true that turned out to be totally wrong (in the best possible ways!), and I’d like to dispel some myths for anyone who might be anxious about their own planned pivot to the private sector.

Myth 1: Public Sector Skills Are Not Relevant to the Private Sector

Reality: My skills and experience were not only transferable, but valued

I had assumed my monitoring and evaluation experience in community health programs in rural West Africa was way too niche to translate to any domestic private sector application.

But what I found was that I didn’t actually lack skills, I just needed to build up my vocabulary and translate my skills to the private sector.

Monitoring and evaluation? That’s analytics in the private sector.

And the question of why a particular metric is suddenly going down or up is pretty universal, as is the need for smart people who can figure out the answer.

And while my hard technical skills were and are certainly important, the skills that have been most valuable to me in the private sector are the same ones that have been most valuable throughout my career: critical thinking, communication, and the ability to work with and lead teams.

Analysts need to be able to conduct data analysis, but what makes an excellent data analyst is the ability to communicate to stakeholders what that analysis should mean to them.

I also found that not only were my skills and experience transferable, but also that the people I met were interested in my perspective—not in spite of, but because of, my unique background. I was a fresh set of eyes, able to weigh in on old problems in new ways, able to leverage methods that were commonplace to me but new to many on my team.

Myth 2: Private Sector Jobs Are Not Mission-Driven Work

Reality: I didn’t have to sacrifice working on impactful, mission-driven teams

I assumed that in leaving the nonprofit and international development world, I would be leaving behind social impact. I worried that it would be difficult to find like-minded people.

As it turned out, I didn’t need to worry. I have been lucky to find amazing teams who are just as mission-driven as the folks I’ve worked with in the nonprofit and international development world.

I have worked at two small health tech startups, and at both companies, the people I’ve met are smart, idealistic, driven people who are excited about increasing access to high-quality health care.

• I’ve met senior leaders who have shared personal stories about their inability to find such care for themselves or loved ones, motivating their decisions to join these companies.

• I’ve worked with engineers, marketers, designers, researchers, and product managers who are relentlessly focused on improving patient health outcomes.

There is no shortage of public health challenges in the world, and the best solutions are often multi-sectoral, involving nonprofit and private sector collaboration. I have found that personally, I am just as fulfilled by and excited about working on impactful solutions from the private sector as I am from the nonprofit world.

Myth 3: Changing Careers Will Set You Back

Reality: Changing careers is challenging, but I learned and grew from the experience

When I started my first health tech job, I had seven years of experience in public health and zero years of experience at health tech startups. While my skills and experience were relevant and transferable, it was still a totally new experience.

I had to:

• Use new software and new coding languages

• Learn new acronyms and new jargon

• Adapt to new team rhythms, rituals, and ways of doing things

Needless to say, I made a lot of mistakes—I still do! But I have been lucky to find teams where mistakes are not only okay, but they are an expected part of the process—teams that know mistakes help you grow.

And I have learned new skills, both technical and non-technical, that will serve me throughout my career.

While my career transition was difficult, exhausting, frustrating, and stressful, it was also incredibly worth it. It gave me experience in both the nonprofit and private sectors, and flexibility to consider roles in either world.

I never would have made it successfully without a ton of help from some incredible mentors and peers who did resume reviews and interview prep, helped me translate my research, monitoring and evaluation (RM&E) skills to the language of a startup, and provided endless encouragement.

Please RSVP Now: Find Your North Star

Finding Your North Star workshop is a values-based, practical, human approach to getting clear on your direction with Vik Kapoor, a mediator, coach, and trainer.

We will use the VIA Character Strengths Survey and other tools to help you:

• Get Unstuck and Recenter

• Build a Personal Mission Statement

• Make a Game Plan to Move Forward

Use the promo code NEXTSTEP to get 25% off admission to this workshop.

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