Meet Armish, an alum of The Commons and Ops Manager at Sampler, a startup that digitizes DTC product sample delivery. Armish pivoted from consulting into the tech industry after joining the Spring ‘21 Strategy + Operations Sprint.
To summarize Armish’s career path in 1 line: Finance @ Nestle (3+ roles on exciting projects and teams) ➡️ FP&A Finance @ a major Telco (strategy and financial planning for a large business unit) ➡️ BizOps @ Sampler (her pivot into tech).
Read on to learn more about what drove Armish’s pivot into tech and her advice for someone navigating the job search, particularly a ‘double pivot’.
What drove you to want to pivot into tech?
I want to have an impactful career, where I can help build a business and run it. Being part of a BizOps team is the perfect opportunity to step into exactly that.
Why did you join The Commons?
I joined The Commons first and foremost to expand my network in tech. I met some amazing people doing great things! I try to stay involved in the community by raising my hand to help whenever I can. I enjoy chats with individuals going through the program and telling them all about how exciting this journey is. I would love to be a mentor in the future :) [The Commons team note: We’d love that too!]
Tell us about your job search experience.
It was definitely not easy, but having the backing of a community such as The Commons helped so much! Although I landed my role through networking, The Commons journey prepared me to be able to put my best foot forward.
It was particularly difficult to pivot into my current role because it was a double jump - I pivoted industries and disciplines. I went from Telco to tech and from finance to BizOps. Come to think of it, I also went from a large multinational corporation to a Series B startup. To make this transition successful, I had to rewire the way I think and approach problems and solutions. It’s been an exciting journey!
What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?
If I can do it, so can you! Don’t chase a title or compensation. Join a company for the potential impact you will have, for the culture of the company and/or for the leader you will be reporting to. These things make a huge difference and all the other things will follow.
What are some of your daily listens, reads and activities outside of work?
🎙 Podcast: 52 Founders (this is an interview series with entrepreneurs at growing startups).
🎨 What you're doing outside of work: Discovering new coffee shops, and spoiling my cat Yoko.
*Interview has been edited for clarity & style.
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