Author: Liz Frome
With COVID-19 impacting the job market at an unprecedented rate, many highly qualified individuals are looking for jobs. The typical reaction is to go to job boards, LinkedIn or work with a recruiting firm to find a job similar to past experience. What if instead, you pulled elements and skills from a job you’ve previously held and applied them to a different industry or type of position. There may be new opportunities you never imagined in the past.
To help you think through the process, here are a few tips that may help:
Assess your skills
Think about transferable skills that can be utilized in different industries (i.e. communication, organization, leadership, etc.). Technical skills are important to consider but won’t be as critical as you transition into a new profession. (Make sure you review this with a good friend to make sure you are covering all of your transferable skills.)
Reconsider elements of your current job – what you like/dislike and where you thrive
Do you prefer working for a big company or a small company? Do you want to work in a collaborative environment or independently? Do you want to lead a team or be a part of a team? These questions can start shaping your next career. After you have considered your elements, prioritize which are most important. Once you have your top elements then make sure you keep them in mind during your job search.
Don’t just focus on job titles
Job titles rarely tell the complete story and may sometimes even sound more complex than the actual job requires. Reading the job description will give you a clear idea of the actual requirements of the job. Your skillsets from previous jobs may translate well into a role with a title you weren’t actively seeking.
Spend time networking
Networking is an important element of finding a new job, but it is even more critical as you try and transition into a new career. Take the time to meet new people. Listen to the language they use when talking about their industry. These tips can help you with your resume and when interviewing. Additionally, start formulating your brand, your profile and your elevator pitch. When the conversation inevitably turns to you, be prepared to share, even if it continues to evolve. (The key is to be prepared and make sure to step up when opportunity arises.)
Show your enthusiasm
It is important when you get an interview to truly show your enthusiasm for the role. Employers are looking for candidates who have passion and drive along with the skills to perform functions of a role. If you can show how your skillset relates to the new opportunity and do it with a great attitude, you can position yourself above the competition. (This part truly stands out for our clients and for any candidate that sings up with The Job Shop.)
Talk to a recruiter
Recruiters can be an excellent resource to help guide you through a career change. By understanding your goals, recruiters can provide tips on how to best showcase your skillsets to land that new job. A recruiter can often help navigate hundreds of job titles and categories that you may be qualified for and don’t even know about, through the use of sophisticated artificial intelligence tools and years of experience. They can help with career transition, resume building and branding yourself to stand out from the competition. Rewriting a resume for a career transition can be daunting, but once a resume is in order, everything springs off of that. You will feel more confident in networking and interview settings, because you have already done the self-discovery and assessment. Recruiters can help you with what the clients truly want on a resume and how you can get your foot in the door. (Reach out to The Job Shop and we would love to help!)
As you look for employment, take the time to self-evaluate your experience and explore new industries where your skillsets could be utilized. However, it doesn’t stop there; you need to prove how those skills translate and showcase examples to help you stand out amongst the others applying. This will benefit you by connecting the dots for potential employers.
Looking for a new job can be difficult and will take time but looking at your skills differently may just speed up the process and provide you with a new career path that you never imagined. It can open some new doors and exciting opportunities.
“Success seems to be connected to action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they never quit.” - J.W. Marriott