Pivot to Partnerships: The Best-Kept Secret in Go-to-Market Careers

Pivot to Partnerships is a crash course to help you break into a high-growth, strategic role with better comp, clarity, and career upside.

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Hosted by

Amanda Nielsen

Partnerships at Box (prev: Formstack, Revenue Grid) | Speaker, Advisor, Mentor

Amanda Nielsen

Partnerships at Box (prev: Formstack, Revenue Grid) | Speaker, Advisor, Mentor

Companies I've built, sold and scaled at

Course overview

Break into a high-leverage tech career — no partner experience required.

Thinking about partnerships but not sure where to start? Whether you’re in sales, marketing, customer success, or just operating on “miscellaneous vibes,” this 4-week crash course will help you confidently pivot into the most underrated role in tech.

This course is for you if:

🔍 You’ve heard of partnerships but don’t really get what it means

😮‍💨 You’re burnt out on traditional GTM roles and want something more strategic

🤑 You want to get paid to make friends and drive revenue (yes, really)

🚀 You’re ready for a career path with comp, clout, and long-term upside

with comp, clout, and long-term upside

What you’ll learn:

💡 What partnerships actually is (and isn’t) — plus the types of roles that exist

🧠 How to translate your current experience into partnership-ready language

🔍 Where to find real roles (and which ones to avoid)

📄 How to optimize your resume, LinkedIn, and interview game to stand out

💬 Real talk from a hiring manager on what actually works

What you’ll get:

📦 8 self-paced modules, 2 per week

💬 Weekly live sessions for Q&A, feedback, and hot seat coaching

🛠️ Practical exercises, frameworks, and scripts

✍️ Resume + LinkedIn tips designed for pivots, not perfection

✨ A BS-free approach from someone who’s actually done it

This is not:

❌ Fluffy theory or recycled LinkedIn advice

❌ A one-size-fits-all program — we help you find your best-fit pivot

❌ Limited to people already in GTM or the tech industry — curious newcomers welcome

👀 Who is this course for?

GTM folks who are burnt out on cold calls and demos, and want a smarter, more strategic path forward.

People looking for an AI-resistant, fast-growing career with real upside and long-term job security.

Anyone who wants to get paid to network and land a role with better comp, flexibility, and impact.

GTM folks who are burnt out on cold calls and demos, and want a smarter, more strategic path forward.

People looking for an AI-resistant, fast-growing career with real upside and long-term job security.

Anyone who wants to get paid to network and land a role with better comp, flexibility, and impact.

What you’ll get out of this course

See why partnerships is one of the most overlooked (and rewarding) careers — including real comp data, growth potential, and day-to-day

Give students an idea of how they can expect to grow throughout your course. Include specificity and precise results so students can benchmark exactly what they’ll learn.

Distill and define what partnerships actually is so you can confidently articulate it in interviews and conversations

Give students an idea of how they can expect to grow throughout your course. Include specificity and precise results so students can benchmark exactly what they’ll learn.

Identify your best-fit entry point into partnerships by analyzing real roles, pivot paths, and what hiring managers actually look for

Give students an idea of how they can expect to grow throughout your course. Include specificity and precise results so students can benchmark exactly what they’ll learn.

Build a job search toolkit to land your first partnerships role — resume, LinkedIn, red flags to watch, and interview prep tools.

Give students an idea of how they can expect to grow throughout your course. Include specificity and precise results so students can benchmark exactly what they’ll learn.

What’s included

Live sessions

Learn directly from Amanda Nielsen in a real-time, interactive format.

Lifetime access

Go back to course content and recordings whenever you need to.

Community of peers

Stay accountable and share insights with like-minded professionals.

Certificate of completion

Share your new skills with your employer or on LinkedIn.

Maven Guarantee

This course is backed by the Maven Guarantee. Students are eligible for a full refund up until the halfway point of the course.

Course syllabus

3 live sessions • 38 lessons • 7 projects

Week 1

Jan 5—Jan 11

Comp, Clout, and Career Growth: The Case for Pivoting to Partnerships

6 items

Titles, Tactics, and Team Dynamics: What Partner People Actually Do

5 items

Jan

Session 1

Fri 1/912:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

Week 2

Jan 12—Jan 18

Functions, Frameworks, and Fuzzy Org Charts: What Partnerships Actually Is

📄
Functions, Frameworks, and Fuzzy Org Charts: What Partnerships Actually Is
Complete by Jan 21
📄
🍔 The 7 Main Flavors of Partnerships
Complete by Jan 21
📄
🧠 Framework: The Partnership Type Matrix
Complete by Jan 21
📄
Business Models + Partner Categories
Complete by Jan 21
📄
💰 Why the Business Model Pairing Matters
Complete by Jan 21
📄
💵 Economic Models: How the Money Flows
Complete by Jan 21
✍️
Project 2.1: Follow the Money
Submit by Jan 21

Partner Programs, Your Role, and Explaining WTF You Do

📄
Partner Programs, Your Role, and Explaining WTF You Do
Complete by Jan 21
📄
🧩 Partner Program Basics
Complete by Jan 21
📄
🗣️ Speaking Partnerships: Buzzwords & Translation
Complete by Jan 21
📄
🧠 Framework: The 3-Part Program + Role Pitch
Complete by Jan 21
✍️
Project 2.2: Explain Your Program + Role
Submit by Jan 21

Jan

Session 2

Fri 1/1612:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

Week 3

Jan 19—Jan 25

Skills, Storytelling, and Strategic Spin: Rebranding Your Background

📄
Skills, Storytelling, and Strategic Spin: Rebranding Your Background
Complete by Jan 26
📄
🤝🏻 What Makes a Good Partner Manager
Complete by Jan 26
📄
🧠 Framework: The P.I.V.O.T. Story Framework
Complete by Jan 26
✍️
Project 3.1: Apply the P.I.V.O.T. Framework + Write Your Mini Bio
Submit by Jan 26

Job Posts, Pivot Paths, and What Hiring Managers Actually Want

📄
Job Posts, Pivot Paths, and What Hiring Managers Actually Want
Complete by Jan 26
📄
🧩 How to Decode a Partnerships Job Post
📄
🔀 Pivot Paths: Mapping Your Background to the Buckets
Complete by Jan 26
📄
🔎 How to Look for Roles That Fit
Complete by Jan 26
📄
👀 Case Walkthrough: Clay – GTM Partnerships Manager
Complete by Jan 26
📄
Project 3.2: Decode a JD + Spin Your Pivot
Complete by Jan 26

Jan

Session 3

Fri 1/2312:30 AM—1:30 AM (UTC)

Week 4

Jan 26—Jan 27

Resumes, Red Flags, and the Roles to Run From

📄
Resumes, Red Flags, and the Roles to Run From
Complete by Feb 1
📄
✍️ Updating Your Resume (The Pivot Playbook)
Complete by Feb 1
📄
📝 Cover Letters: Why They’re Worth It
Complete by Feb 1
📄
🔗 LinkedIn Optimization: Look Like You Already Belong
Complete by Feb 1
📄
🤨 Why Many Partner Managers Are Set Up to Fail
Complete by Feb 1
✍️
Project 4.1: One-Liners for a Real Role
Submit by Feb 1

Pitching Yourself Without the Title

📄
Pitching Yourself Without the Title
Complete by Feb 1
📄
🎒 Build Your Story Bank
Complete by Feb 1
📄
🔥 Handling the Tough Questions
Complete by Feb 1
📄
💡 General Interview Tips
Complete by Feb 1
📄
❓ Questions That Make You Sound Smart
Complete by Feb 1
✍️
Project 4.2: Interview Reps
Submit by Feb 1

What students are saying

Meet your instructor

Amanda Nielsen

I’m Amanda Nielsen — a partnerships strategist, career mentor, and meme-loving ecomm founder. I currently lead partner enablement at Box and have built and scaled partnerships at Formstack, Revenue Grid, and beyond.

I’ve hired for partnerships roles, advised SaaS companies on building scalable programs, and helped dozens of professionals pivot into this field with confidence.

I built this course because partnerships is still one of the most misunderstood — and most high-leverage — career paths out there. This is the guide I wish I had when I was starting out: no fluff, no gatekeeping, just real tools to help you land the role and thrive in it.