My Career Pivot Didn’t Happen Quickly—and I’m Grateful It Didn’t
When I transitioned from clinical practice into health tech, it took about five years.
Not months.
Not a carefully planned leap.
Five long years—filled with rejection, uncertainty, and more than a little soul-searching.
Early on, I wanted what a lot of people want when they’re burned out or restless in their careers: a quick fix. Every rejection felt like proof that I was stuck, or that I had waited too long, or that I had somehow missed my chance.
But looking back now, I’m genuinely glad the transition took as long as it did—even though it was painful at the time.
Because the slowness forced me to do work I might have otherwise skipped.
The Hard Questions I Couldn’t Avoid
When nothing was moving quickly, I couldn’t just assume that leaving clinical care was the answer. I had to ask harder, more uncomfortable questions, like:
Is there any clinical environment where I’d actually be a better fit?
Am I running from something—or moving toward something?
What parts of my work energize me, even when the system around me is frustrating?
Instead of rushing toward the first alternative that looked promising, I dipped my toe into a few different clinical environments. I took on projects inside the clinic that were well outside my comfort zone—things I probably wouldn’t have volunteered for if I thought my exit was imminent.
Some of those experiments went really well.
Others were complete flops.
And both mattered.
Why the “Flops” Were Just as Important
The projects that didn’t work out were just as informative as the ones that did. They helped me rule things out. They showed me what wasn’t a good fit, even if it sounded good on paper.
More importantly, they gave me data—about myself.
What kinds of problems I liked wrestling with
How I handled ambiguity and change
Where my strengths actually showed up in practice, not just in theory
That self-knowledge became the foundation for my eventual move into health tech. Not a resume tweak. Not a networking hack. But a clearer understanding of how I wanted to contribute and where I could add value.
When the right opportunity came along with Prompt Health as their first Customer Success Manager, I knew it was the perfect opportunity.
If Your Transition Is Taking a Long Time
If you’re a rehab therapist and your journey feels slow—or messy—or painfully unclear—I want you to hear this:
However hard your path is right now, it’s not wasted time.
The rejection, the detours, the half-right ideas, the projects that don’t pan out—they’re all shaping your perspective. They’re helping you build judgment. They’re informing your next step in ways a fast, clean exit never could.
A long transition doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.
Sometimes it means you’re doing the deeper work.
And that work has a way of paying off—even if it takes longer than you hoped.
Help! How do I get a Non-Traditional Role?
How do I get a non-traditional role as a rehab therapist? (PT/OT/SLP)?
"I'm just getting started and have no idea where to begin."
This is the most frequent message in our Linkedin inboxes - and for good reason! Most rehab (PT/OT/ST) clinicians are accustomed to not having to put much effort into their resumes or cover letters since it's more of a formality than a crucial part of the job process.
Clinical roles are always opening up and it’s pretty easy to change settings.
Many rehab professionals have never even logged onto Linkedin, or only log on when they’re actively looking for a job.
It’s just unnecessary to put in a ton of effort to get a traditional clinical role - did you pass your boards and are you licensed?
You’re hired! It can be quite a shock when you quickly realize non-traditional roles require a completely different approach.
Here are 8 tips to get you started:
Why do you want a non-traditional role? Set aside some time to think about if transitioning careers is truly something that will accomplish what you are hoping it will. Getting to this point in your career was an immense investment of your time and resources. What's going on at your current job that's making you want to make this change? Is it something that could be resolved by changing settings? Going per diem for a little bit? Going off and starting your own rehab business!? It kills me when I hear from therapists who absolutely love treating patients, but are bogged down by all the other administrative "stuff." Is there any possibility at all to review your current processes and workflows so that you can get back to focusing on patients? Maybe you’re doing more administrative work than you need to. Career transition isn't easy, no matter what the circumstances are or what field you are in. So it's imperative to make sure you've taken time to reflect and identify where the root of these thoughts are coming from and what a potential transition could do to solve them. If, after doing that, you’re sure you’re ready for a transition, that’s great! Woohoo! Keep on reading.
Join The Clinician Transition group on Linkedin and Slack: This is a community for like-minded rehab (PT/OT/SLP) professionals to connect and support each other, during and after, transitions to non-traditional careers. It was Co-founded by Emily Kelly and me. Also - go through our *incredible* list of members, and reach out to people who are doing something that interests you! It's a fantastic and easy way to instantly connect with professionals like you who are thinking about or already have transitioned to non-traditional roles.
Subscribe to the Clinician Transition Podcast and listen to every episode (Bonus points if you subscribe and rate us 🙏).
Listen to Beyond these Clinic Walls Podcast - While this podcast is on a hiatus, there is really good content that is relevant.
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK! I know this is incredibly cliche, but it's true. Before you start, look up how to network. If you’re feeling shy, a safe place to start is to reach out to members of the TCT. Once you’re feeling more confident, start networking with people without a rehab background, but are doing what you want to do. With everything going virtual, it’s so easy to find free virtual events/webinars/Slack channels that are relevant to the field you are thinking of switching to. Sign up for a couple of those and try to attend live and engage in the comments. If you can’t make it live, watch the recordings so you know what’s top of mind in your desired industry.
Don’t let rejection get you down. Something I learned from Josh Braun is “You can’t control other people, you can only control what you say.” You are in control of your resume, your cover letter, your networking outreach, and the answers you give in your interviews. You are in control of the books you read, the webinars you attend, the Slack channels you join, the podcasts you listen to, and the courses you take to reach this goal. You are not in control of recruiters or hiring managers.
Find a mentor. Most people like to help others. It’s human nature. Connecting with someone who’s been there, done that, and can help guide you along the way is invaluable. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of my mentors, Lauren Sheehan, who now runs Collective Coaching, which is a program we HIGHLY recommend. Here are some tips on how to find a mentor. Success is certainly a team effort these days.
Be realistic. A lot of clinicians want to transition roles because they’ve “hit a ceiling” and there is “no room for upward professional development.” I hear you - that makes perfect sense. It’s important to keep in mind that, for the most part, clinical roles can be a relatively stable and predictable source of income, good benefits etc. Make sure you do your research on the field you’re interested in switching to and prepare yourself by understanding that your compensation package could potentially look pretty different than it does now. This can be scary, which is why it might make sense to check in with a financial advisor (there are some TCT members who transitioned to this!) Another thing I hear all the time is "I just want a remote role, I don't care what it is." I'd encourage you to think about what you're looking for in a remote role and be sure you know what you're getting into. Sure, it has its perks, but you might be surprised to learn that remote does NOT equal easy and/or less work. In many ways, it can be the opposite. Think about your motivations for your current and long-term professional, personal, and financial long-term goals and explore how you can create synergy there.
Explore - Research what jobs are out there, YouTube is a great place for this. Find general videos, pros and cons of the field, salary, etc. It’s a lot easier to do the transition when you have narrowed down what you want to do vs. “I’ll just do anything other than what I am doing now.”
Be kind to yourself. It can be really grueling to work full time (more than full time if you’re up till 10 at night documenting…) and then do career development work on top of that. That’s why, if you can, it’s really nice to give yourself the gift of getting professional help either through a course or a coach. The time and energy you save by getting it done as efficiently and quickly as possible will more than pay for itself. I’ve noticed that some clinicians like to go “all in” for a couple of months, and others will submit a couple of resumes here and there over a longer period of time. Depends on your personality and your professional and personal obligations.
Pivoting to a non-traditional role can be daunting at first, but once you get started and begin connecting with therapists who have made the transition, you will see that it is completely feasible. There are so many resources available to you. Each person's journey is different, but these are common steps I've noticed in those who've made the transition relatively smoothly.
Job Profile: Sales
Sales is one of the most underrated non-traditional job options.
Most people think: “I could never do sales - I could never sell stuff to people.”
I’ve got a tough pill for you to swallow so buckle up: to be an effective PT you have to be a good salesperson.
PTs and Salespeople have more in common than they may realize.
99% of PTs became PTs because they “want to help people.”
How can you help people if they aren’t showing up for therapy?
How do you get them to show up?
You sell them.
Think about some of your most rewarding moments as a physical therapist.
I generally think of patients who were in an incredibly tough spot and needed my help.
Showing up for therapy was really hard.
I used my skills as a therapist to guide them to show up and get it done despite the many obstacles they were facing.
Guess what?
Guidance is simply a more palatable word for “selling.”
I get it - being a salesperson can have a negative connotation.
And that’s the problem we need to overcome.
As a profession, we need to get more comfortable with the idea of helping and selling at the same time.
The more you sell, the more you can help.
Here is a recap of a lecture I gave on this at the APTA’s Private Practice Conference in 2023: Sales Lessons for your PT Staff (the live replay is available to APTA Members).
Not a PT?
One of the best things PTs and Salespeople have in common is how much they want to help each other.
I didn’t become a highly specialized therapist in the ICU without mentorship.
I had tons of help along the way.
Same with Sales.
Sales is a very tight-knit community of people who are there to celebrate your wins and commiserate in your losses.
There is a lot of information out there and it can quickly become overwhelming.
Here are the top 5 resources I leveraged on my journey, beyond the support I got internally from my team at Prompt Health, from an entry-level salesperson to a leadership role in just over a year
Josh Braun: Find a salesperson whose methodology you identify with the most and stick with that. Otherwise, it’s too confusing. Josh is that for me. He's got plenty of free resources, Badass B2B Growth Guide & Poke the Bear courses, and Tongue Tied Flash cards.
Women in Sales : WIS is an incredible community created to support, you guessed it, Wome in Sales! It’s super welcoming if you are looking to break into sales or are already a pro. It can be intimidating at first - don’t be shy! Everyone has to start somewhere. It's spearheaded by Alexine Mudawar. Be sure to join the Slack group and go to in-person events when you can!
Jen Allen-Knuth for sales advice
Samantha McKenna for sales, networking, and career advice!
Aspireship - Affordable, entry-level sales course that covers all the basics. Tell them we sent you!
Betts Compensation Guide - Great source for realistic salary expectations.
OK, I’m interested, can you give me some interview tips?
Job Profile: Customer Success
Looking for info on what a Customer Success Role looks like and how to get one? Here are some resources to get you started.
Join the TCT Slack and join the #22-customer-success channel (there are nearly hundreds of people in there and it grows every day)
This is a very reasonably priced course that will teach you everything you need to know about Customer Success.
How To Land Your Dream Job in Tech (Customer Success) by Austin Edy
Another reasonably priced resource
Udemy courses are nearly always on sale
So How Did I Transition Into Customer Success from Physical Therapy by Chloe Moreno
Betts Compensation Guide is has GREAT info on realistic salary expectations
What should I put on my resume?
Customer Success Interview Tips with Carly Agar
Recommended Reading
This is a Collective Story by Collective Coaching where we interview individuals that have transitioned from allied health to a non-clinical career. Our first interview is with Jasmine Kline, Physical Therapist by background, Jasmine transitioned to a non-clinical role pretty early in her career. Jasmine provides her perspective and tips for clinicians making their own career transition.