In this episode of Exiting Academia, I walk you through a real transition story: moving from a PhD in Romance Languages and Comparative Literature into a Business Data Analyst role. I focus on what this kind of pivot actually looks like when your training is deeply humanities-based—how you translate research, writing, and analytical thinking into language that makes sense to employers who are hiring for data and business outcomes. I also zoom out to the bigger coaching lesson I see again and again: your degree title is not your destiny, but your narrative has to be tight. If you’re coming from academia, you can’t assume hiring managers will “get” what your dissertation or teaching load means. You need to map your skills to the job, show evidence (projects, measurable results, and clear tools), and approach the search like a strategy—not a crisis. If you want structured support as you build that plan, you can join my Patreon community or book a coaching session with me.