TAKING A LEAP TO A NEW INDUSTRY
·
If you believe
that you've reached a dead-end, it could be a good reason to switch to a new
sector.
·
However, remember
that switching industries can be challenging, especially in a recession, where
recruiters are spoilt for choice.
1. Where do
you go?
·
Make a shortlist
of potential industries by checking out the following things:
o
Which industries
have hired professionals from your current firm or industry?
o
Which job
advertisements use key words that accurately describe your present role or
responsibilities?
o
Which other
industries do the vendors of your firm work with?
o
What do mentors
and senior professionals in your industry
advise you?
·
Research this
list of industries to figure out the demand for professionals with your
abilities and the growth opportunities on offer.
·
Match these with
the salary paid and your expectations.
·
The sustained
profitability of the target industry will have a greater influence on your
success than your individual competence.
2. Where is
the money?
·
Once you have
narrowed your focus to one or two industries, understand them thoroughly:
o
Who are the customers
of these industries?
o
Where do the
revenues come from?
o
What changes in
the environment or marketplace can affect the fortunes of different firms in
the industry ?
o
How are
individual competitors in the industry different from each other?
o
How do they
leverage the differences to earn their money?
·
Your research
will help you evaluate three important things:
o
Whether your
skills are directly relevant and valuable to the end-customer,
o
Whether you will
like working in that space, and
o
Whether your
competencies can be leveraged to your benefit during the job hunt.
3. What are
you selling?
·
You are the
product that has to be sold.
·
You are keen that
your new customer—the target industry buys your skills and competencies, so
you'll need to build your resume from scratch to reflect the needs of the new
sector.
·
As you craft your
resume, discard keywords and jargon picked up from your current industry.
·
For any
achievement or skill that you want to showcase, rewrite it in the following
four different styles and pick the sentence that works best.
·
First, change
specific data to general descriptions that can fit multiple roles.
·
Second, reword
generic descriptions to highlight specific accomplishments that are understood
better by your potential employer.
·
Third, describe achievements
in terms of transferable skills relevant to the new industry.
·
Fourth, elaborate
how your skills can achieve desired benefits for the potential employer.
·
To benchmark and
position yourself favourably, research and compare profiles of people already
working in the target industry.
4. Who do you
know?
·
Now connect with
industry persons.
·
Good places to
start are trade shows, conferences and professional networking sites and
communities.
·
While connecting,
focus on learning how to communicate better, what opportunities exist and how
to get references to potential recruiters and decision-makers .
·
Where possible,
meet up with your connections and get a first-hand understanding of the work
profile.
5. How do you
make the move?
·
For best results,
take baby steps towards your goal.
·
Start by
convincing your family and friends to get their support.
·
Next, make sure
that you do not put all your eggs in one basket and apply to multiple roles.
·
Increase your
chances of getting hired by being open to relocation and willing to consider a
cut in salary.
·
Finally,
understand that sometimes it is easier to make multiple small shifts instead of
one large change in your career.