[4th Person] 38 years old, moving from an advertising agency to an operating company. A career change agent's experience story of increasing annual income by 2.5 million yen using "experience" as a weapon

In this note,
(1) We purchased a career change experience story from the contributor (with conditions)
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(2) The author revised and added to the content before posting.

Contributor Information

• [Before changing jobs] → [After changing jobs]

• Annual income: 8.5 million yen → 11 million yen (2.5 million yen UP!)

• Age: 38 years old

• Job type: General advertising agency (Sales Manager) → Large operating company (Marketing Department Manager)

• Industry: Advertising → IT/Web Services

• Area: Tokyo → Tokyo

• Reason for changing jobs: Due to personnel changes at my current job, I could no longer see a future for myself advancing in this company

Hello! This time, I will introduce a case of a successful career change to a different industry in your late 30s, which is considered "a bit difficult" in the job market, with a phenomenal increase in annual income.

The contributor this time is a 38-year-old man who has served as a sales manager at an advertising agency for many years. It was a certain "single-point breakthrough" type agent who helped him realize his seemingly contradictory wishes of "transitioning to the digital marketing field" and "increasing his annual income."

Author: Changing to a different industry at 38, and with a 2.5 million yen increase in annual income, is amazing. What was the deciding factor?

Contributor (Mr. Tanaka, pseudonym): Honestly, other major agents told me that "maintaining my current salary would be the best I could do" and "it would be tough without digital experience." But this agent was different.

Author: How were they different?

Contributor: They developed a strategy from the perspective of how a digital company would evaluate my "management experience" and "knowledge of offline advertising." It was a big deal that they asserted, "You can learn digital skills after you join. There are companies that want people who can move an organization more than that."

Author: I see. However, it seems the number of job openings was small?

Contributor: Yes, I was only introduced to 3 companies (laughs). But for all 3 of those companies, they were positions where the agent directly negotiated with the company's hiring manager based on my resume, asking, "How about this for this position?" It was truly a "single-point breakthrough."

Evaluation of the career change agent

• Overall rating: 3.9

• Recruitment Agent Type: Industry/Job Specialist Type (Expert/Advisor Style)

  • Quality of Job Openings/Proposal Ability: ★★★★★ (5)

    • (Overwhelming ability to propose and create positions not listed in job postings)

  • Quantity and Variety of Job Openings: ★☆☆☆☆ (1)

    • (Only 3 carefully selected companies were introduced)

  • Presence of Exclusive/Hidden Job Openings: ★★★★★ (5)

    • (Substantially exclusive job openings created through direct proposals to companies)

  • Expertise in Industry/Job Category: ★★★★★ (5)

    • (Sharp strategic eye for how to leverage experience from a different industry)

  • Knowledge of Internal Company Affairs/Insider Information: ★★★★★ (5)

    • (Deep understanding of the company's organizational issues, which led to proposals to management)

  • Quality of Support: ★★☆☆☆ (2)

    • (Very business-like, with almost no communication other than what is necessary)

  • Lack of Aggressive Solicitation (Pushiness): ★★★★☆ (4)

    • (High rating because the proposals were strategic and distinct from mere pushiness)

  • Offer Rate/Negotiation Ability: ★★★★★ (5)

    • (The negotiation ability that achieved a 2.5 million yen increase in annual income is flawless and perfect)

  • After-Support (Resignation/Joining Preparation): ★★★☆☆ (3)

    • (No particularly notable attentiveness; it was standard)

Details of the contributor's experience: Redefining "strengths" and strategic pitching

Mr. Tanaka had a complex about his lack of experience in the digital field. However, his assigned agent took stock of his career and focused on his portable skills: "large-scale project management ability" and "experience negotiating with client management."

■ Creating a "position not found in job postings" The agent proposed a structure to a rapidly growing operating company that was struggling with organizational issues: "Mr. Tanaka will oversee an existing team that has digital knowledge but weak management." As a result, the selection process began for a "Marketing Manager" position that was not in the original job posting.

■ Interview preparation also focused on a "single breakthrough" In the interview, he was advised not to hide his lack of digital skills, but to focus on speaking from a management perspective regarding "how to catch up and how to link that to organizational results." This reportedly resonated deeply with the company's management.

Evaluation from the author's perspective: How to use this "single breakthrough" type of agent

As someone working in the human resources industry, this success story is a prime example of where an agent's "expertise" and "ability to propose to companies" align perfectly.

▼ Who this agent is suitable for

• People in their mid-30s or older with deep experience in management or specific fields

• People who want a "strategy" that leverages their career, rather than just job introductions

• People who prioritize quality and fit over the number of job openings

▼ Who this agent is not suitable for

• People in their 20s or those with few achievements to highlight (because there is little material for proposals, making it hard to leverage strengths)

• People who want attentive support or frequent, polite communication (this agent is business-like for better or worse, and tends to communicate only when necessary)

• People who want to consider a wide range of industries and job types

Conclusion: For mid-career professionals who are confident that "my experience should be applicable in other industries," this agent can be the ultimate partner. However, it will not show its true value if you are just waiting passively. It can be called a "professional-grade" service for those who can articulate their strengths with the agent and act strategically.

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There are various issues in the human resources industry, but I don't have the ability or time to deal with all of them. Therefore, I decided to do what I can within my own scope, and I am posting based on the philosophy of:
・Let's prevent good talent from ending up with bad recruitment agents

First, I am collecting everyone's experiences.
Please share your experience for the sake of unknown, talented employees in Japan.

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