Melinda Gates On Why Mastering Career Transitions Is The Key To Getting Ahead

Forbes

30-04-2025

Melinda French Gates - Philanthropist and Founder, Pivotal
In the new world of work, the ability to navigate career transitions is not just beneficial—it's essential. At some point in your career, it is almost inevitable that you will have to take time out to change careers, navigate a layoff or care for a dependent. Managing career transitions is an especially critical skill for women, who often face barriers related to gender bias, ageism and inflexible work schedules.
A 2024 study in the United Kingdom, examining over 500 women's experiences with career transitions, finds that most women suffer a career break penalty, whereby they are perceived to be as less capable or committed when they return to work after taking extended time off. Women are much more likely than men to take a long absence after having children, so learning to manage career transitions is an invaluable skill women need to cultivate.
Melinda French Gates, philanthropist and founder of Pivotal Ventures and advocate for women and girls, is no stranger to career and life transitions. In her latest book, The Next Day, Gates shares the difficulties she has had to overcome in navigating change.
Gates began her career at Microsoft, where she quickly rose through the ranks but then left the organization to focus on her family. In 2000, Gates co-founded the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2024, Gates left the foundation to focus on Pivotal Ventures, an organization she founded in 2015 to advance social progress and women's empowerment.
According to Gates the ability to navigate change is not just valuable; it's vital —especially for women who are disproportionately tasked with caregiving, often leading to career interruptions that can derail long-term professional growth. Here, Gates shares the valuable lessons she's learnt managing transitions at work and beyond.
When faced with a career or life change, Gates draws on a piece of advice her mother gave her: "Set your own agenda, or someone else will. And then I've tried to do my best to make sure that I'm filling my agenda with things that reflect my values."
When faced with uncertainty, it can be challenging to know what needs to change and what doesn't. Research finds when we use our values to guide our decision-making, we are much more likely to experience positive changes over time.
Career failures can be a catalyst for change and ultimately beneficial. A 2019 research study from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management finds that early career setbacks are critical to long-term career success as they provide opportunities to learn and improve. While mistakes or setbacks can be mentally and emotionally challenging to navigate, that doesn't mean they are bad.
"Have you ever heard of Microsoft, Bob? I'm guessing probably not. It was the biggest flop of my career, a software product that got totally panned. When I gave the demo, I walked out onstage in a shirt with a Microsoft Bob logo on the front—and a big red target on the back. When I turned around, I got a huge laugh because, of course, everyone was planning to tell me exactly what they thought of it. You can't get through a career or a life without setbacks—it's impossible," says Gates.
While this public failure was difficult for Gates to rebound from, she says it taught her that failure is an inevitable part of progressing in your career.
Knowing when to move on, especially from a project, job or company you have invested a lot of time and energy into, can be difficult. Gates says if you are not obsessed with the need to be perfect, you can reserve that energy to be effective and make a change when you need to.
"I've been there. Most women I know have been there. I'm a recovering perfectionist, and I've struggled with perfectionism both at work and at home. When I stopped trying to be perfect and started aiming for "good enough" instead, I actually became a better mother. So my advice is to stop asking yourself what perfection looks like and focus on "good enough" instead."