I've been trying to break into Customer Success for the past 1 year and honestly it's been harder than I expected.
My background: 2 years in tech consulting, client-facing work, I worked with ERPs to check system securities etc.,. I know how to talk to people in finance and IT. On paper it feels relevant. In practice I keep hitting walls. Only got 4 interviews so far. I understand the Bay Area job market right now is brutal. I've been networking on LinkedIn, sending connection requests, trying to get conversations going, but without Premium it's limiting and a lot of it goes nowhere. In the meantime I'm bartending and waiting tables to afford living here, which I'm not complaining about, but it does make the whole 'just keep grinding' advice feel a little hollow some days.
I'm not looking for sympathy. I genuinely want to know: what actually moved the needle for people who broke in without a direct CS title? Certifications worth doing? Communities that are actually active? Ways to get reps without the job yet? How to make friends in the industry? Networking and then asking for referrals feels like I'm using people so I have not done that.
Also open to hearing from anyone who made a similar transition from consulting. Would really appreciate any honest advice because I don't want bartending forever.