In this podcast we talk to iMPact’s owner Matt Peal about transferable skills as well as other tips for how to successfully change careers.
Are you stuck in a job you don’t like and ready to make a move into a career that’s better aligned with your interests? Or maybe just looking for a more financially rewarding career path? Here are 6 things to take into consideration to help you with your career change.
Identify Your Transferable Skills
Research and learn as much as you can about your new industry. Read industry news, job descriptions, attend industry evens to gain a solid understanding of the skills that employers require. Then print your current resume and create a list of all the skills you’ve gained and used throughout your career. Compare these skills to the ones required in your new industry and look for matches.
What does your current job have in common with the new one? Say you’re moving from being a cashier to working on a help desk. In both jobs you’re interacting with customers, need to have the ability to answer questions, deal with difficult customers and resolve any issues they might be having.
Gain Experience
When changing your career, you’re in a sense starting over from square one. A great way to gain experience is to find volunteering opportunities, or a part time job in your new field. Not only will this help you gain experience, but also confirm that you’re making the right decision changing in to your new career field.
Write a Resume Objective
This is an optional section on your resume. But, when changing careers you’ll definitely want to include a resume objective to explain that you’re making a career change, why and how your current skills will make you a good fit for your new role.
Training and Certification
If you don’t have any experience in your new career field, you may want to consider adding a certification to your resume. In many cases, there are entry level certifications that can be obtained with a little bit of studying. This will tell a potential new employer that you have some of the required knowledge and that you are serious about being successful in your new field. If you’re not in a hurry, and if the new skills you’re looking for are also applicable to your current job, see if your employer is willing to help pay for education.
Network
Until you’ve landed your first job you’re going to be up against other people who already have some of the skills and experience employers are looking for. Get out and connect with people in the industry. This will give you an opportunity to show off your enthusiasm and willingness to learn, and open up opportunities for referrals. As the saying goes; “It’s not what you know, but who you know”. Talk to people in your current network. They may be able to give you job leads and offer advice.
Update Your Resume
It might have been a while since you updated your resume, or maybe it’s tailored toward jobs in your current industry. Make sure to go over it and re-write to make more sense to a recruiter or hiring manager in the career field you’re looking to get into. Make sure industry specific terms are spelled out, and explain how your current experience and skills translate to your new job. If you need some help with your resume, review our other resume advice here.
Before we start working with a client, we will research them, have in-depth conversations with their hiring team and visit their facilities to get to know them and what makes a candidate successful in their company culture. To connect with a recruiter and find out about our currently available opportunities in Information Technology, Accounting/Finance, Engineering and Business Administration/Process, please visit our job board to view all available job opportunities. Or, submit your resume here for consideration to connect with one of our experienced recruiters in either our Grand Rapids, Michigan or Tampa, Florida location.
