I Used to Be a Shampoo Marketer. Now I’m an AI Founder. Why Your Unconventional Path Might Be Your Secret Weapon

A decade ago, I was deep in the world of consumer brands. I worked on campaigns for shampoo, lipstick, and luxury fragrances. I learned how people make decisions, how they respond to visual cues, how to build trust in six seconds or less. At the time, I didn’t know I was training to be a founder—especially not one building an AI company in the middle of a workforce revolution.

But here we are.

Today, I run Rise, a career platform that combines human-centered design with smart technology to help people find jobs faster and more confidently. Our tools don’t just search and match; they understand context, intention, and aspiration. We’ve served over 5 million job seekers and reach more than 400,000 subscribers each week. And yes, we use AI.

So how did a shampoo marketer end up here?

It turns out, the zigzag path—the one that doesn’t fit neatly on a resume—is often your biggest strategic advantage.

Expertise Isn’t Always Linear

In the traditional hiring world, linearity is often mistaken for competence. Recruiters skim resumes looking for tidy progressions: analyst to associate to manager to director. The assumption is that consistency equals commitment.

But the future of work is proving otherwise.

The best problem-solvers often come from outside the expected path. Career changers, generalists, and late bloomers bring pattern recognition, cross-disciplinary thinking, and humility. They aren’t afraid to ask, “Why are we doing it this way?” because they haven’t been conditioned to accept “how it’s always been done.”

When I transitioned from brand marketing into product and tech, I didn’t know how to code. But I knew how to ask questions to get to the why. I understood user psychology. I knew how to build trust. Those skills are at the heart of any good AI product, especially in the high-stakes world of job search.

Connect the Dots—Even If Others Don’t See Them Yet

Sometimes the connections between career jumps aren’t obvious. That doesn’t mean they aren’t there.

When I was a shampoo marketer, I had to work with chemists and scientists on product formulations. I didn’t understand the chemistry, but I learned how to ask the right questions, dig deep into technical concepts, and make decisions without being the expert. Turns out, that skill is incredibly transferable.

Now, I work with engineers to build tech products. I’ve learned enough to be dangerous. I help prioritize features, troubleshoot roadblocks, and make tough calls by asking the same kinds of pointed, curiosity-driven questions. That ability to go deep has served me over and over again.

I like to joke that very few things aren’t Googleable. If you’re hungry, you can learn just about anything.

Your Difference Makes You Memorable

In a sea of resumes that all sound the same, being unconventional is what makes you unforgettable.

I’ve seen biologists with PhDs become data scientists. I know a world-class music composer who transitioned into a senior engineering role. What they all had in common was the ability to connect the dots between where they were and where they’re going. They didn’t just pivot—they explained their why.

When you tell your story clearly and confidently, people listen. You become the candidate they remember. Not because you followed the same path as everyone else, but because you didn’t.

People Want to Root for the Underdog

There’s something compelling about a nontraditional candidate who made it work. We root for people who had to figure it out, who didn’t have the perfect background, who bring grit and hunger to the table.

You might not know it, but your interviewer could relate to you more than you think. Maybe they took a winding path themselves. Maybe they’re tired of seeing picture-perfect resumes from people who never had to hustle. A smooth-sailing candidate can be impressive. But the one who scraped together the pieces, self-taught their way forward, and kept showing up? That’s the one people want on their team.

Don’t underestimate the power of being underestimated.

Your Soft Skills Might Be Hard Power in Disguise

When I say I used to market shampoo, I’m being literal—but also symbolic.

I marketed products in a hyper-competitive, often underestimated category. I had to get people to care about something they use every day, but barely think about. That required intuition, precision, and storytelling. Turns out, those are the same skills you need to pitch investors, build user trust, and differentiate in a crowded AI space.

So if you’re a teacher exploring UX design, or a customer service rep dreaming about data science, or a theater major thinking about product—know this: your background is not a liability. It’s a blueprint for what you uniquely bring to the table.

The Resume Is Being Rewritten

We’re living in a time where credentials are being unbundled. Bootcamps are replacing degrees. Side hustles are turning into companies. AI is reshaping what skills are needed and which ones can be learned quickly.

The question is no longer “Do you have the exact experience?” but “Can you learn fast, adapt quickly, and solve creatively?”

Unconventional paths are no longer exceptions. They’re the future.

Final Thoughts

When I tell people I used to market shampoo, they usually laugh. And then they say something like, “Wow, I never would have guessed.”

But that’s the point.

You don’t have to look like everyone else to build something that works. You don’t need a perfect path. You need a point of view, the grit to start, and the humility to learn.

So if your resume looks more like a collage than a ladder, good. That might be the exact kind of thinking the world needs more of.

Your unconventional path isn’t a weakness. It might be your secret weapon.

Vivian Chenis the Founder and CEO of Rise, a trusted career platform and professional community for Millennial and Gen Z professionals, with over 5 million visitors, 80 million job views, and one of the largest career-focused newsletters in the U.S. A champion of diverse voices in the workforce, she also serves on the board of the Wharton Alumnae Founders & Funders Association and teaches marketing at Saint Peter’s University.