Simple Tricks That Will Help You Switch Industries

Career change is inevitable as too much of anything is boring and even frustrating. When you decide to move from one career to another, it does not mean that all the experience is lost and you begin from scratch. Experience is not lost at all. Even when you move to a different field of work, the experience remains with you. When coming from another job or career therefore, you are not on entry level for your next job.

If you are thinking of changing your career or your job, take time to be certain about what you are looking to venture into and the kind of career or job that will make you happy. Having a clear picture of what you want, then proceed to create a workable plan of how to switch to your new job or career. In this article, you will find advice and well elaborated points of how to prepare a plan for a successful career switch. Changing jobs and career is not an easy process but it can be fun and easy.

Why do you need the change?

If you are at the mid period of your profession, having worked for about 10 years, if not beyond that. It is not a wonder that you feel the need to have a change but it is good to know the change that would work for you and be good for you. Consider the following aspects:

• Retaining your field but changing the current job: If you happen to love and enjoy your current job, it may be that you need a job change in the same line of work or career. In such a situation, you enjoy the job because the field and industry you are in is good for you and the desire for change is a desire for change from this particular job you are in at the moment. The job may not please you due to a number of factors such as your supervisors, your coworkers, the culture at work and more. The job type in this case is your concern and not the entire career. Most of the time, mid-career staff acquire promotions to managerial positions that are not so pleasing as compared to the service they have delivered in the job and this triggers the desire to have a job change for most in this situation.
• Different industry and new career using the same skills: There are industries that with time have become obsolete mainly because of technological advancements.Maybe your industry is experiencing this or you feel you simply need to change your line of work and therefore desire a different job in a different sector but where you are able to make use of your current skills. This is a simple and workable twist that you can consider as it puts you in a different work environment but an environment that has you working you’re your previous skills and experience.
• A complete change: Sometimes a pivot may be necessary. At mid-career, most people want an entire change in their lives including their professional lives. There are corporate workers who at this stage desire to work on a farm from working in a city. This in its real sense is a complete change but it is achievable.So as to have a good successful transition, you must first be aware of the factors that make you uncomfortable in your current job and know what you feel will make you happy. Have conversations with coworkers and friends and get to have facts. Nobody desires to stay in a bad job very long, or to have a job that is not motivating or helping them grow even in their personal lives.

The above tips are very good and helpful in helping you know why you would need a job change and how to go about making that very important decision. If you’re finding it hard to figure out what you want with your career, self-assessment tests might be very helpful.

Have a plan

Once you make the decision to switch to a new job, identify your ideal job and then come up with a plan of how to get the job. When hunting for a job, you must also deal with real issues such as bills to be paid and so on. Based on your current responsibilities as a person, visualize a dream job that is realistic and able to meet all your needs. Evaluate the skills you have as well as those you will need to learn so as to attain that dream job. Do not hesitate to act towards achieving that dream job.

Figure out what you're good at

Come up with a list of your skills and strengths. Also list down the skills you would require for your targeted job. Try to acquire skills that are easy to learn especially online and from home as most are free and quite easy to get. As a mid-career worker especially, you are at an advantage as you already have good experience unlike an entry level applicant. You would not be starting off from bottom scratch and this should motivate you to grow your skills and want to know more.

Go through job searches for positions you wish to apply for and read the job descriptions well. From the roles and responsibilities, you will be in a position to tell the exact skills and expertise you would need so as to be considered for the job. Acquiring some skills may require you to enroll and take up short classes while you could acquire some skills simply online. For some positions, you may forego and depending on the nature of your responsibilities, you may decide to go for a lower position which would mean lower pay. You may also decide to boost your resume by adding reasonable experience such as voluntary work that shows you have had experience and growth in a certain field.

Transition for Mid-Career professional

After you time to identify the skills you can comfortably move with to your new career as well as the skills you would need to add or learn. With that now set out a good strategy on how to do your job hunting and get a good job.

• Prepare a good updated resume: Put heavy emphasis on your summary statement show out your story and elaborate in one statement how your acquired skills and strengths will be of good use in your new position. Your resume is your first impression of your employer and it should look good, as discussed later in this article.
• Make use of your Network: Wanting a job does not necessarily mean that you change your friends and network, you can maybe acquire more. Reach out to close friends and networks you may have and ask for their help in job hunting as this method is known to help some people get jobs. You may talk to possible employers by chance and end up receiving good feedback.
• Look within Your Current workplace: There are work places that willingly help their employees to make a job switch. Do not shy away from sharing your desire at your workplace because there may be one coworker willing to assist. The place you work at knows you best and what you can do. They are actually in a better position to help than you may know.  You may even find the management offering to help out by giving you a better position and this would still be a job change that you may actually like.
• Grow and Expand Your Network: Purpose to meet more people by attending networking and professional events in the field you intend to work in. Meet people and don’t shy away from having a candid conversation as you never know who you are talking with. Share your strengths and experiences as you talk and mention that you are looking for a job in a specific sector as being specific makes it easier for people to help you. Be willing to also engage in a second meeting or coffee if the other person willingly offers. Networking is a good way to get a job and with technology advancement, there are now various professional platforms where you can link up with other professionals, learn and grow. Build a good profile and account on LinkedIn for instance and network to get good links. Follow key professionals and companies you admire and even dream of working for. You can also attach your resume to these companies’ and organizations sites so that they have you in mind when roles are available.
• Practice by doing Informational Interviews: Interviews are a very important stage for a job seeker and also for an employer. Handling an interview well is not a walk in the park for everyone and no matter how much experience you may have, it is advisable to always prepare for the interview.

In each and every step of your career, always think of the experience you already have as a key advantage for you even when the job description still requires more of what you lack.

How a good resume and cover letter should be crafted

Following your laid out plan, you are finally able to get that dream job and you get down to crafting a resume and cover letter, one that will move the employer. In the middle of crafting your resume and cover letter, it is very normal to have plenty of doubts whether your documents will make you the best applicant after all. A good resume and cover letter need to speak for you to the employer. Sell yourself at this first point as this moment determines whether you will get a chance to the next stage of the recruitment process.

Many misinterpret this and craft a resume that either lies about their experience or use the resume as a platform to brag. The employer is hardly interested in how much you know but wants to know how your knowledge will help them solve their challenge and the drive that leads them to want to employ. Use your resume and cover letter to show your future employer the way in which you are capable of being the solution they are looking for. Also ensure that your resume is in line with the job description as this is easy for a recruiter to assess since the recruiter already knows what they are looking for, therefore clearly highlight the key responsibilities in your resume and cover letter.

To boost your resume, make sure that there is no disconnect between the resume you submit and the resume you have in your LinkedIn or other sites. Have your professional sites well updated and in line with what you are targeting. Work on a cover letter that talks about your skills and expertise. Show your skills and how these skills helped you to achieve in your previous role. The recruiter wants to clearly see how the skills you have helped you deliver in your previous job and what exactly you delivered and achieved. Avoid writing all skills you have in a bragging manner without showing how relevant these skills have been for you and how you think these skills will help the future employer meet their goals. It is also helpful to review your resume and cover letter for yourself assuming you are the employer. You can also have a friend or professional help you review your documents before you apply.

Be specific, for instance for a sales and marketing role, it is very important for the recruiter to know how much growth you brought to your former company through your marketing. Include statistics if possible.

Generally, your recruiter will have met you through your resume and cover letter before they even meet you in person. Let the first impression they get of you be impressive enough for them to want to meet you again physically and not only know you better but also offer you a chance to work with them.