From Clinical to Corporate: My Journey into a Non-Clinical Career

With so many new faces joining my network lately, I thought it was the perfect time to share a bit more about my own career pivot — especially since I keep getting asked the same two questions:

“How did YOU go non-clinical?” and “What are you doing now?”

Let’s dive in.

My Clinical Start

I began my career as an occupational therapist, working in an acute care hospital for about two years. Like many in healthcare, I enjoyed the impact I was making — but I also knew that long-term, I wanted to explore other paths where I could still make a difference, just in a different capacity. I also knew I ultimately wanted a career with more change, upward mobility, and flexibility.

The Big Leap: My First Non-Clinical Role

In 2020, I made the jump into my first non-clinical position as an implementation consultant at a healthtech company that built clinical communication and physician scheduling software.

How did I land that role?

It wasn’t luck — it was strategy. Here's what helped:

• I networked. A LOT. I reached out, had conversations, learned from others, and built relationships. Networking was hands-down the most valuable part of my job search.
• I tailored my resume. I didn’t just list my clinical experience — I reframed it to highlight skills that mattered in non-clinical roles: communication, project management, tech-savviness, and problem-solving.
• I targeted specific companies. I identified the organizations I wanted to work for, built a relationship with a recruiter at one of them, and followed up consistently (but respectfully). That connection helped me fast-track to an interview.

In that first role, I got to:

• Train healthcare organizations on our software
• Manage implementations from start to finish
• Configure systems and troubleshoot issues

It was a steep learning curve, but it was also incredibly rewarding.

The Next Chapter: Expanding Beyond Healthcare

About a year later, I received a LinkedIn message from a recruiter at a different company — this one totally outside of healthcare. They built talent acquisition software and were looking for someone with my background for another implementation role.

I took the leap.

Since then, I’ve grown within the company and gradually transitioned into more internal-facing roles, including:

• Resource management
• Process improvement
• Services engineering

It’s been a journey of continuous growth, learning, and reinvention — and I love where I’ve landed.

What Helped Me Make the Switch?

If you're exploring non-clinical opportunities yourself, here are the two things that made the biggest difference in my journey:

Networking: Build real connections — not just when you need something. Get curious. Reach out. Offer value. The relationships I built opened doors I couldn’t have accessed on my own.

Resume Tailoring: Write your resume for the job you want, not the job you have. Translate your experience into language that resonates outside of clinical care. Use metrics. Highlight transferable skills.

The Bottom Line

If you’re feeling stuck in your clinical role but can’t shake the desire to explore something new — know this: you’re not alone, and you’re not limited by your title.

I didn’t have a roadmap when I started, just curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to learn. That was enough to open new doors — and it can be for you, too.

Start by building real relationships. Tailor your story to align with where you want to go. And above all, don’t wait for permission to pivot.

​The path might not be linear, but it is possible — and the growth on the other side is worth it.