Agile Career Transition Models

With fewer SM roles showing up on job boards and many orgs shifting their delivery models, a lot of brilliant practitioners are asking themselves a very real question: Where do I go from here? One path not talked about enough, but one that's incredibly rewarding, is stepping into a Delivery Manager role. Before you all dive down my throat what I am not advocating for is; a title change for the sake of it, abandoning agility or project managing with a new label. What I am talking about is growing your impact, expanding your toolkit, and future-proofing your career. There’s a misconception that becoming a DM means leaving agile principles behind or turning into a Gantt-chart-wielding status reporter. That's just not true. Some of the best DMs I know are former SMs who changed and refined their mindset. They still champion agile and scrum values, but now they’re applying them across wider team, platform, and stakeholder groups. You don’t stop being agile. You learn how to nurture and scale agility in complex, messy, real-world environments that aren't encapsulated within the neat box a framework can provide. I've seen the role imbue: Broader Perspective You move from sprint-to-sprint focus to end-to-end delivery flow. You’re thinking across products, dependencies, and long-term objectives. Larger Responsibility You’re making sure value consistently gets delivered. This means navigating blockers, risks, budgets, release planning, and external stakeholders. Expanded Stakeholder Fluency You're speaking multiple languages: business outcomes, technical trade-offs, delivery progress, risk appetite, and customer value. Systems Thinking Focus You don’t just optimize at the team or department level, you optimize systems. Working with architecture, product, ops, and leadership to enable delivery at scale. And through it all? You’re using the same core competencies: facilitation, servant leadership, coaching, and team empowerment. They just get applied at different levels and from different perspectives The job market is shifting, and delivery is evolving. More and more, organizations are recognizing that a dedicated SM for every team isn’t always what they need. They’re looking for people to operate across boundaries, connect dots between initiatives, navigate complexity, and move between team-level conversations and strategic delivery planning. That’s where the Delivery Manager role really shines. It builds versatility opening doors into roles like Agile Coach, Program Manager, Head of Delivery, even Product leadership. It brings resilience too, you're not locked into a framework or way of working. You flex your approach depending on the situation demands. Most importantly, you gain influence. You’re no longer guiding one team you’re helping shape how delivery operates across entire programs and organizations. For most SMs, this shift isn’t reinventing yourself. It’s taking everything you've already mastered and applying it with a new lens.

Elite performers don't stumble into their next chapter — they design, engineer, and execute their way to it. After guiding hundreds through career transitions, I've developed a framework that transforms fuzzy potential into decisive action. I used it for myself, and now I share it with others going through their own transitions: 1️⃣ 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲𝘀 Start with identity, not job titles: - What archetypes do you currently embody? (engineer, connector, wife) - What archetypes do you aspire to? (thought leader, founder, mother) This reveals underlying motivations that job descriptions can't capture. 2️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 Rate each aspirational archetype on three dimensions using a 1-5 scale: ✅ Excitement 5: Energized just thinking about it 3: Neutral or ambivalent 1: Bored or unmotivated ✅ Difficulty 5: Already embodying this identity 3: Unclear what changes would be needed 1: Requires major life pivot ✅ Impact 5: Aligns with life's calling 3: Moderately aligned 1: Potentially negative impact 3️⃣ 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Analyze what emerges: - Which paths get you most excited? These reveal intrinsic motivations. - Which paths seem most accessible? These offer immediate next steps. - Which paths align with your values? These reveal deeper purpose. Look for relationships: - Which paths are complementary and reinforce each other? - Which paths are sequential where one leads to another? - Which paths are concurrent and can be pursued simultaneously? 4️⃣ 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲𝘀 A lot of people get stuck in reflection, journaling, and hypothesizing. 📊 Enough thinking. Time to get real data by rapidly testing hypotheses: 1. Conversations with people living your target archetypes 2. Relevant resources (books, podcasts) 3. Low-risk experiments to try these identities A client tested his "investor" archetype by joining an angel group with minimal commitment — revealing he missed the team dynamics from previous work. I used to think I wanted to do BizOps -- and then discovered legal and accounting are energy-draining for me. Now I delegate those tasks away! 5️⃣ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 Career reflection isn't one-and-done: 1. Form initial hypotheses 2. Test with small experiments 3. Gather observations 4. Refine understanding 5. Gradually increase commitment as clarity emerges 👇 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 What separates exceptional careers from good ones isn't just talent—it's deliberate reflection and strategic choices. This framework isn't about finding the "perfect" next step but creating alignment between who you are, who you want to become, and your desired impact. With this clarity, your search becomes less about chasing opportunities and more about recognizing ones that truly fit. Take thirty minutes today to begin this reflection—your future self will thank you.

Most career transition advice is garbage if you're mid-career and don't want to start over as a junior. I'm tired of seeing experienced professionals told to "take a step back" or "pay their dues again." That's not how smart transitions work when you've already built serious expertise. Here's what actually works: 1. Reverse mentoring - Find senior leaders in your target industry who need what you know. Tech adoption, generational insights, emerging markets - you're the expert they need. 2. Build thought leadership first - Start speaking at industry events, writing for trade publications, getting on conference panels. Establish credibility before you make the move. 3. Join advisory boards - Startup or growth company boards give you industry experience and senior-level connections without leaving your current role. 4. Skill arbitrage - What's common knowledge in your industry but rare gold in another? That's your unique value proposition right there. 5. Interim executive roles - Get intensive industry exposure and network building at the C-suite level, not the intern level. 6. Partnership development - Use your expertise to help companies expand into your sector. These often become bridge opportunities. 7. Innovation projects - Cross-functional initiatives expose you to new business models and industry applications. The goal isn't to abandon what you've built, it's to leverage it strategically. You're not starting over; you're expanding your empire. What unconventional transition strategies have you observed or implemented in your career development? Sign up to my newsletter for more corporate insights and truths here: https://vist.ly/3y8qb #deepalivyas #eliterecruiter #recruiter #recruitment #jobsearch #corporate #careertransition #midcareer #executivetransition #careerstrategist

Navigating Career Transitions in Tech" How to Pivot in Tech Without Starting Over Thinking about switching paths in tech? Maybe you're a project manager eyeing product roles. Or a teacher dreaming of cybersecurity. Here’s the truth: 💡 You don’t need to start from scratch to change careers—you need to leverage what you already know. Most career changers believe they need a new degree, a new title, or a long detour. But the smartest tech professionals build sideways. Here’s how to navigate your transition like a strategist: 1. Assess Your Transferable Skills ↳ Map your current strengths to your future role: communication, systems thinking, analytical problem-solving—these are gold. ↳ Translate your value: a teacher’s lesson plans = curriculum design. A nurse’s crisis management = stakeholder prioritization. ↳ Highlight these in your resume, interviews, and elevator pitch. Why it works: Tech loves people who can connect the dots across disciplines. 2. Build a Targeted Network ↳ Don’t just “network”—build relationship capital in your next space. ↳ Follow 5-10 leaders in your desired field. Engage, repost, comment. ↳ Request 15-minute informational interviews: “What would you do differently if you were pivoting today?” Why it works: People hire those they know, trust, and see making an effort. 3. Gain Relevant Experience ↳ Start before you’re ready. Build a simple project, volunteer, shadow someone, or freelance. ↳ Try a 30-day challenge: one case study, one article, one build. ↳ Share your journey—learning in public accelerates credibility. Why it works: You don’t need the job to prove you can do the job. You need evidence. The best part? Every career detour brings unique value. Your background is your brand. Your pivot is your power. 📅 Planning a career shift? Let’s make it intentional and strategic. Book a session with me—we’ll map out your next move step-by-step. 🔔 Follow for guidance on evolving your tech career! ♻️ Repost to support those considering a change!