Gia Biagi traded 15 years in sports for a thriving career in tech. Her secret? Recognizing transferable skills and relying on her professional network.
Carrie Varoquiers
Chief Impact Officer
Workday
For fifteen years, Gia Biagi dedicated her career to the world of sports management—a path she never thought she’d leave. Yet, in pivoting to her current role as a deal analyst, she discovered the powerful value of transferable skills and a strong support network.
“I tell kids going to college, ‘Don’t worry that you will be stuck on one career path based on your major or first job. I made the biggest pivot ever and I didn’t think I could. You just need someone to believe in you,’” she says.
That optimism, paired with a willingness to rise to every challenge, shaped Biagi’s unconventional path.
Guide
From Intern to OutsiderBiagi studied marketing at Santa Clara University with her sights set on becoming an athletics director. A lifelong sports enthusiast, she landed an internship in Stanford’s athletics department and quickly made herself indispensable. No task was too small. “I volunteered for everything,” she recalls. “I drove a beer cart. I handled billing. I corralled the band on and off the field during halftime.”
Her reliability and work ethic paid off. Soon she was offered a full time role in the athletics marketing department. There she fulfilled sponsorship contracts, assisted with fundraising events, and learned the ins and outs of college athletics at a rapid clip. But Biagi knew that if she wanted to compete to reach the top, she’d need an advanced degree.
“You just need someone to believe in you.” —Gia Biagi
Biagi headed to the University of Georgia to pursue her master’s degree and found herself working at the highest levels of collegiate and professional sports. “I got to work the Super Bowl Fan Festival, national championships, and visit CNN’s sports division,” she says.
Post-graduate school, Biagi returned to her alma mater for a “Jane-of-all-trades” role, managing ticket operations and special projects. Athletics became all-consuming. Her days began early and often didn’t end until after the final whistle.
“After games, my coworkers and I would go out to celebrate the win or rehash the loss, get home at midnight, and be back at work by eight the next morning.” Still, she was willing to sacrifice sleep for a job she loved.
In January of 2003, Biagi accepted a position with the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA). Unfortunately, the WUSA folded at the end of the season and laid off the entire staff. Unemployed amid a shaky economy, Biagi finally had time for rest and reflection. “I hadn’t had a day off in years, and I was exhausted,” she says. “Friends had gotten married and had kids. And I thought, wow…so much had happened, and I missed it all.”
Following her layoff, and seeking balance, Biagi accepted a job as a nanny for a friend in software sales. “My brain had turned to mush,” she laughs. “I just wanted to sing baby songs.” She traveled with the family, caring for the baby while her friend worked and encouraged Biagi to consider a career in tech sales.
Though the idea intrigued her, Biagi doubted herself. She didn’t have a technology background and assumed she wasn’t qualified. Her friend assured her the skills Biagi had honed in sports, such as relationship-building, problem-solving, and managing budgets, were the same skills required in sales.
Eventually, Biagi agreed to give it a try.
Through her friend’s referral, she joined a software company in a contract role and immediately stood out. “I wasn’t afraid to walk down the hall and say, ‘I’m Gia, and I need to make this happen. Who do I talk to?’” she recalls. “They loved that I took initiative.”
That contract role, which began in 2004, became a permanent pivot. She’s been in software sales ever since, engaged by how closely the work mirrors the world of sports, minus the relentless hours. Both industries share the friendly competition, the thrill of putting the deal together, the pressure of a quota and quarter end deadlines, and the satisfaction of a win when a deal closes.
“I use a lot of sports analogies,” she admits. “Compliance rules in athletics aren’t that different from SEC/SOX regulations. You’re just strategizing how to get to a positive outcome. The thinking is the same.”
“I really believe networking is the key to everything.” — Gia Biagi
With career pivots in particular, Gia reiterates that recognizing transferable skills is only half the equation—success ultimately depends on who you can call on.
“How do you prove to a hiring manager that you can do a job if you’ve never done it before? You need someone to vouch for you,” she says.
Networking played a pivotal role in nearly every job Biagi has held. For almost eighteen years, she didn’t even have a resume. “I really believe networking is the key to everything,” she says. “Especially now, you have to find ways to stand out and leverage your network.”
Biagi encourages job seekers to embrace AI as a tool to navigate the application process and improve efficiency at work. She has found AI immensely useful for research and contract comparisons in her current role.
Biagi’s career is proof that success isn’t about years of experience in a field. By embracing change, staying open, and supporting the team wherever she landed, she made a seamless transition into a different industry.
Her advice to anyone considering a shift is simple: be humble and inquisitive, lean on your network, and say yes when opportunity presents itself.
Guide
The rapid advancement of AI has raised huge questions about its impact on jobs. Despite that, 83% of workers agree that AI will enhance human creativity rather than limit it. Learn more about the AI skills revolution in this new global Workday study.