If you love WHAT you do but you’re no longer enthused about WHERE you do it, perhaps it’s time to switch industries and find a job in a new sector?
Moving to an organisation with an alternative focus, different customers, products or values can be energising and give your career a new lease of life.
If you’re eager to switch sectors but you’re not sure where to start, here are my top 5 tips to help you along the way!
1. Understand your why
It’s important to reflect on what’s really behind your dissatisfaction and why you want to change industry. This can help you gain clarity on where you want to head in the future.
If you just FEEL something is ‘off‘ in your current role, that isn’t going to cut it when it comes to job searches, research or building new networks! Take the time to think about what you’re passionate about, how you can engage your skills and have a positive impact in a new industry.
Your desire to change industries will likely feature if you’re selected for an interview. So, getting ahead of the game and having your stance carefully mapped out can help you prepare for what lies ahead.
2. Do your research
Now that you understand your why and have a clearer path in mind, it’s time to do your research!
- Which industries are you interested in?
- Is it just one, or are there a few that interest you?
- Can you narrow down the industries you feel energetic about and are invested in?
With 21 million UK users from various industries, companies and backgrounds, LinkedIn is a great place to start your research and create new networks! Not only will research help you learn more about companies in the sector, but you’ll also have lots of valuable knowledge under your belt to show off in interviews!
There are also plenty of free training courses and webinars advertised on LinkedIn, which will help you gather much-needed background info on things such as the culture, expectations, customers and processes in these new, unfamiliar industries you’re considering.
Be prepared that your dream industry may be out of reach for the time being. You may have to consider a stepping-stone switch, and LinkedIn is the perfect place to find out how others have navigated their way around different sectors.
3. Get ready to sell your skills
You’ve worked hard and amassed a range of skills in your sector. But how could you convince a recruiting manager your skills are better than someone with years of experience in the industry you want to move into?
You need to demonstrate why you’re a good fit, how you can successfully transfer your skills and experiences, and how you can successfully demonstrate agility in new environments.
It’s time to create a skills inventory!
- What skills do you have?
- Which ones can you easily transfer to a different sector?
- Which skills are you possibly lacking?
Once you know where you can shine and where you need to concentrate your efforts, you can begin to put a plan in place to polish up the skills section of your CV.
Although the nature of the skills might not apply to your new chosen industry, a few things will remain constant. For example, the ability to form strong working relationships to achieve shared goals, conflict resolution, and management of expectations and quality.
Being able to demonstrate these crucial skills will stand you in great stead when it comes to interviewing. So again, it pays to put this hard work in now to get you ready to make a move down the line.
4. Use your network
Changing industries and finding a job in a new sector can be daunting and you may feel pretty disheartened along the way. One way to boost your confidence is to sit down and think about all the connections you’ve formed in your career so far.
- Who may be able to help you?
- Is there a person who might know about any upcoming vacancies, training courses, networking events or other opportunities that may be useful?
- Could you chat to someone about their experiences, aspirations and goals?
You can find out more about using networking to secure your next role in this blog article.
5. Get interview ready
It’s time to brush up on your interview technique. Particularly practicing utilising the STAR method to answer those tricky competency-based interview questions where you’re asked to “give us an example of when you..…”.
STAR stands for:
- Situation: Set the scene and describe when the situation took place
- Task: Explain the task and what your responsibility was
- Action: Explain the steps you took to achieve a result
- Result: Share the outcomes and results of your actions
Your sole aim is to demonstrate that your experience and skills make you an ideal candidate, ready to take on a new challenge in your chosen industry. Find out more about the STAR Technique in this blog article.
Would you like more tips to help you to change industry and find a job in a new sector?
To find out more about how I can support you with a career change, please contact me to arrange a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation.
It would also be great to connect with you on LinkedIn and Facebook!
