The New You: Reinventing Your Career

1. Is my message relevant? 

Especially if you were previously employed in a shrinking market and are looking to position yourself as a candidate in a new industry, relevancy is critical. Minimize information about your old industry and its day-to-day tasks; instead, explain how the business problems you solved are meaningful across multiple industries. 

2. Does my message convey transferable skills? 

The trick here is to prove overarching competencies without sounding generic or cliché. Stating that you are a good problem solver, analytical, or detail oriented is meaningless without context. After all, it should be assumed that you have these baseline competencies. However, if you can showcase big-picture skills that distinguish you and immediately make you desirable to another organization, you’ve jumped a hurdle: You’ve leveled some of the bias against you as an industry outsider.

For example, if you used to work in manufacturing jobs and want to transition to health care jobs, discuss the skills that are important to both industries. Maybe you successfully increased channel partnerships, decreased operations overhead costs, or automated a process or procedure to save time and money. Focus on your success within the competency to prove to a future employer that you could re-create similar successes in his industry.

3. Do I have an advocate in this new job function or industry? 

Whenever you transition to a new job function or industry, it's even more critical to have people in your network who will be your cheerleaders and get you in front of the right decision-makers. A recommendation from an insider about your candidacy is one of the most powerful tools to employ during your search.

4. What are the potential obstacles I will need to overcome in my search strategy. A m I prepared for them? 

If you are an outsider, chances are you will face some obstacles along the way. Maybe it's that you don't have experience in that industry, don't have any contacts in that industry or don't possess a certain desired professional certification. Anticipate the roadblocks and craft a convincing response to show what you have done in the past that is similar to what the employer needs, despite not having these other qualifications.

Also, make inroads through professional associations and online communities to build quality relationships that position you as someone who is "in the know." I'm guessing you do something better than most of the people you've worked with. Make others aware of your talent, and they will come to you.