Compensation Analyst → Head of People

This is a moderate transition with a typical 17-month runway and 58% skill overlap. Expect a +112% salary change, with strongest hiring demand in USA, UK, Canada. Employers hiring today include Series-B+ SaaS. Focus your first 60 days on closing the gap in role-specific tooling and vocabulary.

1. 1Audit your Compensation Analyst experience for transferable skills that map to Head of People.
2. 2Close the top skill gap: role-specific tooling.
3. 3Build 2–3 portfolio artifacts that demonstrate Head of People outcomes.
4. 4Reshape your resume and LinkedIn around Head of People keywords and outcomes, not job titles.
5. 5Run a targeted outreach loop to Head of People hiring managers at Series-B+ SaaS.

• ▸Why are you moving from Compensation Analyst to Head of People?
• ▸Walk me through a Compensation Analyst project where you applied skills relevant to Head of People.
• ▸Which parts of a Head of People role are new to you, and how are you closing that gap?
• ▸Where do you see yourself as a Head of People in 3 years?
• ▸Tell me about a stakeholder disagreement and how you resolved it.

• ▸Lead with a positioning line: "Compensation Analyst transitioning to Head of People, focused on People Operations and Leadership."
• ▸Reframe Compensation Analyst accomplishments using Head of People vocabulary — outcomes, not tasks.
• ▸Surface 58% of overlapping skills at the top; put Compensation Analyst-only work later.
• ▸Add a "Selected projects" section featuring 2 artifacts aligned to Head of People.
• ▸Quantify impact: dollars, users, uptime, cycle time — whatever a Head of People manager cares about.