How I Rebuilt My Career After COVID—And Tripled My Income

“I went from being laid off in aviation to thriving in tech sales, all thanks to Industry Pivot System.”

Forced out of a dying industry by COVID

When COVID hit, my job in the aviation industry disappeared practically overnight. After years of dedication and hard work, I found myself unemployed in a sector that had no immediate future. It was devastating.

Making matters worse, I'd recently moved to the UK and needed to establish a stable foundation for my family quickly. Every day, applications disappeared into the void. My carefully crafted CV with years of aviation experience seemed worthless in a post-pandemic world.

"Will I ever find another industry that values my experience?"

"How can I future-proof my career so this never happens again?"

"Where do I even begin in a completely new country?"

What I didn't realize then was that my skills weren't the problem—my environment was. I needed to escape the Low-Growth Trap of a struggling industry and find one where my abilities would be truly valued.

Discovering the Industry Value Gap

That's when I found the Industry Pivot System. From our first conversation, Gaurav's approach was completely different from traditional career advice. Instead of telling me to "start over" or "learn new skills," he helped me identify the transferable strengths I already possessed from my aviation career:

- Strong customer service instincts from handling complex passenger issues

- A knack for simplifying complex processes for diverse audiences

- A natural ability for relationship-building across different cultures

Using the Career Capital Matrix, we analyzed which high-growth industries would value these specific strengths the most. The data was eye-opening—the exact same skills that earned me an average salary in aviation could command 2-3x higher compensation in tech, particularly in customer success roles.

This was the Industry Value Gap™ in action—the measurable difference between what my skills earned in a stagnant industry versus their true value in a high-growth environment.

Strategically positioning my aviation skills for tech

The Industry Pivot System gave me a systematic approach to bridge this gap:

1. Strategic CV & LinkedIn Positioning: Using the Positioning Framework, we completely transformed how I presented my aviation experience. Instead of "Passenger Services Manager," I became a "Customer Experience Specialist with expertise in complex problem-solving and relationship management"—highlighting the exact skills tech companies desperately needed.

2. Role-Fit Outreach: The outreach method was revolutionary. Instead of blindly applying to jobs, I connected directly with hiring managers using the Role-Fit Summary that showcased exactly how my aviation experience prepared me to solve their specific customer challenges.

3. S.H.H. Interview Framework: When formal interviews began, the Smart-Hungry-Humble approach helped me address the "no tech experience" concern head-on. I showed I was Smart enough to understand their business challenges, Humble enough to learn new industry specifics, and Hungry enough to drive extraordinary results.

4. Strategic Knowledge Foundation: I filled specific knowledge gaps by focusing only on the essential tech sales terminology and tools—not wasting time on unnecessary certifications or courses that wouldn't deliver immediate ROI.

From unemployed aviation worker to tech success in 3 months

Within just 3 months of implementing the Industry Pivot System, I secured a tech sales position. The transformation was remarkable:

- I tripled my previous aviation income

- I gained uncapped commission potential for the first time in my career

- I moved from a declining industry to one of the fastest-growing sectors

As I thrived in this role, I discovered my passion for managing long-term customer relationships, which led me to a Customer Success position that I now absolutely love. I'm building my future here in the UK with both financial and professional stability.

Same skills, different environment, completely different value

The Industry Pivot System showed me that I wasn't lacking skills—I was simply in the wrong environment where those skills weren't valued properly. The exact same abilities that made me average in aviation made me exceptional in tech.

Now I work in an industry that:

- Recognizes and rewards my contribution financially

- Offers genuine career growth and development

- Provides stability even during economic uncertainty

- Keeps me motivated and engaged every day

Why I'm sharing my story

What looked like a career disaster—being laid off during a global pandemic—ultimately became the catalyst for the best professional decision of my life.

The Industry Pivot System provided the framework, tools, and confidence I needed to transition from a dying industry to a thriving one. If I could successfully pivot during one of the most challenging economic periods in recent history, anyone can make this transition with the right system.

"A layoff could have been the end of my story. Instead, it became the beginning of something better. The Industry Pivot System showed me how to position my existing skills in an environment that values them properly—tripling my income and future-proofing my career in the process."

—Francois, Customer Success Manager

Are you in the wrong environment for your skills?

Book a no-obligation Career Strategy Call to identify which high-growth industries would value your existing skills at 2x your current salary.

We’d love to hear more about your career goals!