After nine years in law, James wanted to build things rather than review them. We mapped which skills carried over and set up twelve conversations in tech before he applied anywhere.
01
Where they started
James had spent nine years as a commercial solicitor, the last four advising software companies on their contracts. He enjoyed the clients far more than the law, and kept finding himself more interested in their products than in the paperwork.
He assumed a move into tech would mean starting again as a junior, on half his salary. That fear had kept him where he was for three years.
“
I stopped apologising for my CV and started explaining it.
James Whitfield
02
What we worked on
We listed every part of his job and sorted it into what product managers do every day and what they don’t. More of it transferred than he expected: negotiating trade-offs, writing clear requirements and keeping several stakeholders on side.
Instead of applying for roles, he set up twelve conversations with product people in legal tech and fintech. We rewrote his CV after the sixth, once he had heard how they described the work, and practised the questions that came up most.
03
What changed
Seven months after our first session, James accepted a product manager role at a legal technology company, at a salary close to what he had been earning.
His legal background turned out to be the reason he was hired: the team needed someone who could talk to their customers in their own language.