Tips for transitioning into a new role

This article was written by Sarah Williams and originally published on Power to Fly.

Aminah Nailor is not the kind of person who backs away from a challenge.

Whether it's learning a new coding language over one weekend or teaching herself a new application for a role, Aminah sticks to one motto: “Keep developing—Not just the skill set for the current job, but also yourself, and be in a constant state of learning.”

After joining our firm almost four years ago as a business systems analyst, Aminah used her philosophy of constant learning to step into a software engineer role and then, most recently, into a senior technology project manager role.

Keep reading to hear more about Aminah’s experience embracing new professional opportunities and her advice for professionals transitioning into a new role.

Tip 1: Set clear career goals, and go after them.

Before coming to T. Rowe Price, Aminah worked as a business systems analyst for major companies in the telecommunications, finance, and broadcast media industries. In those roles, she wrote requirements, identified risks, conducted application testing, gained big-picture vision prowess, and project-managed solution phases of software development projects.

Although all these roles had different scopes and demands, she used one strategy to excel: Set clear goals. Setting goals and making a strategic plan for how to reach them can help you stay focused and excel in your career.

When talking specifically about engineering, she encourages people to “know what you want to do in the software engineering job family. The options are plentiful, so know the skill set you want to have and master it.” Here, she highlights the importance of being in a constant state of learning.

Tip 2: Find companies that align with your values and goals.

After 20+ years of experience in business systems analytics, Aminah began to seek new opportunities in a company that shared a similar vision of professional and personal development. This led her to take an opportunity at T. Rowe Price—a move that would offer her the opportunity to learn new coding languages, earn certifications, and pivot into a new role. Outside of her business systems analyst role, Aminah spent many hours engaged in community volunteer activities, taking on elected and appointed leadership opportunities along the way.

We want to support people beyond the company and into the community. This support to grow is what keeps Aminah coming to work every day.

Tip 3: Enhance your resume with professional development to fill in skills gaps.

Transitioning from business analysis into software engineering is a major feat for anyone, but in true Aminah fashion, she didn’t back down from the challenge. With her eyes set on the opportunity, and the support of the firm, she picked up additional coding skills she would need to start testing automation over a weekend. She also completed training in Selenium, which she paired with Python (another language that she learned at T. Rowe Price). Aminah’s tenacity and constant willingness to learn equipped her with the tools she needed to thrive in new roles.

Her responsibilities as a software engineer included testing automation, writing scripts, working with developers, and supporting the 18 tools and applications that drive success to the company's customer experience. One specific application that Aminah supported was SureTrack (now Asset Transfer), which converts clients from other financial service companies and facilitates the transition of accounts and fund transfers.

Apart from this major project, T. Rowe Price is continually investing in digital excellence and data programs that help meet the clients’ objectives. There are several major programs boasting the latest technology, and they are specific to digital excellence, advisory services, data activation, associate platforms, a new tiered benefits program, and growth enablement.

Paired with the excellent research and performance of our associates, each of these programs supports clients as they navigate investment options. Aminah further reiterates this as she was selected to be part of a team put together to work on the implementation of an internal asset allocation tool.