Hey everyone 👋
I’d really appreciate some advice (and honest perspective) on a career pivot I’ve been thinking about.
I recently moved to the U.S., so in many ways I feel like I’m starting from scratch again — new market, new network, new environment. Before moving here, I built my career in tech sales and worked my way up to being an Account Executive.
My background is mostly in B2B environments across:
- A SaaS company focused on sales enablement and communication tools
- A global recruitment and international payroll platform helping companies hire offshore talent
- A digital marketing and lead generation agency
Across these, I handled full-cycle sales, worked with global clients, contributed to revenue growth, and had exposure to team leadership and process improvements.
I actually enjoy sales a lot — the client interaction, problem-solving, and closing deals are things I’m good.
But over time, I realized I’m even more drawn to the strategy side of the business.
Things like:
- Go-to-market strategy
- Process optimization
- Analyzing what’s working and what’s not
- Thinking about how to scale systems and teams
The challenge is… while I have some exposure to strategy thinking through my work, I don’t have formal experience in areas like financial modeling, structured strategic frameworks, or traditional “strategy” roles.
So now I’m in this position where:
- I have strong sales experience
- I’m genuinely interested in strategy
- But I lack the “formal” strategy toolkit
And since I’m also new to the U.S. job market, I’m trying to figure out what’s realistic.
A few questions I’d really appreciate input on:
- Has anyone here successfully transitioned from AE/sales into strategy roles?
- What roles should I realistically target first (BizOps, RevOps, Strategy Analyst, etc.)?
- How big of a blocker is not having experience in financial modeling or formal strategy frameworks?
- What’s the best way to bridge that gap (courses, certifications, on-the-job pivots)?
- Is this pivot doable without going back for an MBA?
- What certifications should I get to be able to successfully pivot?
Appreciate any insights, advice, or even tough truths. Thanks in advance 🙏