You’ve got skills and experience, but you’re worried that when you create your resume, you’re only going to be qualified to do the same job you’ve always done, and that’s really not the job you want anymore.
Instead, you’ve got your sights set on something different.
Many of you know what that is already, but a lot of you are still scratching your heads. That’s ok. If you don’t know what you want yet, read this post anyway. It will give you hope that when you do figure out what you want to do, that there is a way to do it.
Doing A Job That’s Very Different
If your next job is going to be very different from your current one, you’re going to need to rely heavily on your transferable skills. These are skills that will be just as useful in your next job as they were in your last, like communication skills. They’re not highly specialized.
If you’re making a leap to a new job that’s unlike one that you’ve been doing, you’ll need to identify all the things you have that will make you successful at the job. You’ll also need to see if there are any gaps in skills or training that you might need to fill.
I work with many people in all aspects of business because there are many skills that are highly transferable in the business fields.
Making A Leap To Something Similar
Let’s say you’re looking to do something similar. For example, if you want to get into a new aspect of the same business you’re in, or you want a promotion, but you don’t have the actual job title on your resume. What do you do?
Think about what a resume actually is: it’s an argument that supports an idea – you are the right next person for the job. What it is not is a chronological listing of your jobs and their duties.
What that means for you is that when you create your resume, or have a great resume writer create one for you (which I strongly recommend), is that you should list the job duties and accomplishments that support the idea that you can do this next job – don’t just slap on a list of what you did.
That doesn’t mean you lie on your resume. It means you select the details that are most relevant to the job.
Next Up: Networking
Now that we’ve talked a bit about what to say about yourself, let’s talk about who to say it to.
You don’t want to send your resume into the deep, dark mouth of job application misery – a.k.a. the internet.
Ok, maybe I’m being a bit over dramatic. Instead, you should be talking to your network about opportunities and circulating your resume among real people. People who can hand-deliver it to someone who actually has the power to hire you.
The Dreaded Question: Why Are You Leaving?
Last, but not least, let’s talk about the dreaded question – when you’re asked in an interview or a networking situation why you’re looking to leave one career to get into something else. Here’s your rule of thumb, and I can’t think of a situation where you’d break it, except if you weren’t really networking or interviewing, and instead grabbing a beer with your (really good and trusted) friends. . .
Here’s what you do.
Someone asks you:
“So, why are you looking to leave X after 10 years there? Seems like you had a good thing going.”
What do you say??
You should always lead with the positive. Talk about why you’re lead into new opportunities and new horizons and the skills and experience you hope to gain from a switch. Talk about where your passion is leading you. Talk about the meaning and purpose you seek there and the higher calling you have.
Never, ever talk about your bad boss, how bored you were, how much you actually hated it. That will only paint you as negative and people will wonder about you, not the job, not the boss, etc.
Trust me, stay out of that trap.
UseYour Skills and Experience To Get a Job You’ve Never Had Before
I hope that you can see that you can use your skills and experience to get a job you’ve never had before. These are three quick tips but there are more. If you’re interested in making a change, but you’ve worried it won’t be possible for you, I assure you, it is. Just contact me, and we can talk.