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Janice Reed
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Community Specialist

How to get a job in a new industry

I see many members coming in with different backgrounds but looking to transition their career in a brand new field. This guide provides great tips to get a job in a new industry. I found these three tips very helpful:

  • Apply your transferable skills to a new job search
  • Reframe your job profile or resume
  • Reinforce your qualifications in the interview

I have a few friends who have done it before. It’s not easy and I think it requires lots of research and talking to people from different backgrounds. Have you done any career transitions before? What was your trick?

#jobsearch

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over 4 years ago
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Mei Haenze
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Outstanding Technical Writer

Always be sure grammar is correct. Bad grammar will really NOT impress.

4y
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Deborah P
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Customer service, sales associate

In the process of doing it now at a sr age. Time not on my side so choosing things that require certificate education. Under a month and not expensive. Ask, ask question ppl who r doing the job you want. Chg your resume, might have blanks in it but now is a good time due to covid. If u have yrs in one industry don’t focus them all on resume begin the transition. During interview be honest say industry changed or you moved and show passion for new career. Just go for it be #fearless you don’t have anything to loose.

4y
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Tracey Brown
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Dress to impress, be sure grammar is perfect, be on time to bring it.

4y
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Dolores Mejía
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Pero me imagino que solo profesionales y legales pueden entrar

4y
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Timothy Ramirez
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Lawyer up

4y
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Shauna Henry
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I started in fast food. Then I worked for an inventory company and worked my up to Crew Manager. Then I worked as a receptionist for a legal copy service. I ended up being the office manager there for 9 years. Then I sold jewelry at another company for 10 years while I obtained 4 associates degrees in psychology and other related fields. I’m now starting a new job in the healthcare industry. My new boss suggested that I might actually use my psychology degree more at the new job than I would if I was actually working in a mental health facility. My point is this, the secret to getting your foot in the door of a new field is your ability to quantify what you have learned from each job then translate that knowledge into broader perspective. Change your perspective by changing your vocabulary. Make a list of the skills you obtained from each job. Then look at each job again and ask yourself what else you learned and put those skills on your list. Make a new list of the skills you will need to work in your desired industry. I usually rely on job postings as opposed to other methods of research just because you will discover what you really need in order to work at your desired salary instead of what someone thinks you need. For example, many employers will allow experience to substitute for education, at least partially. Compare the two lists, paying close attention to skills that are translatable. Put a checkmark next to each of the job requirements that you already possess. Then highlight all of the job skills from the first list that are left over. Start a third list titled Goals. Transfer all of the required job skills from your second list that do not have a checkmark next to them. Now you know what you need focus on and also what you don’t need to focus on. Use the first 2 lists to rewrite your current resume using alternative vocabulary to broaden the scope and potential application of your skills. Use the third list to make a plan. If it looks daunting or overwhelming, just remember that doing something to reach your goals, no matter how how insignificant it may seem, is better than waiting around for the perfect opportunity and ending up doing nothing. After that it’s all about how you use that information to market yourself.

4y
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Hughes Inc.
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Voip Engineer at Universal Studios

One of the key things to making a career shift, is to identify all the skills you have that are transferable to other fields. For example, Soft Skills, which are in demand, are totally transferable. Also, candidates can highlight their experience with any well-known software applications that most businesses use such as Excel, WebEx, Teams, ServiceNow, etc. Last but not least, take about a month to review as much about the new field you're looking to go into. Google it, join chats and join the related communities to ask questions and hear the lingo and common buzz words. Become proficient enough to at least be able to have a brief conversation about the field. You don't have to come off as an expert, just be knowledgeable enough in the new field to get a foot in the door. Oh, almost forgot! Many new fields like AWS Cloud Computing, have entry-level certifications you can learn and earn on line. I was able to study and pass the AWS Cloud Practitioner cert in about 4-6 weeks. So even though this is a new field to me, I can at least get strong consideration for an entry-level Cloud Practitioner role. The organizations that are pushing some of these new, emerging technologies are now seeking initiates to those fields. So, fields like Cloud Computing, Coding, Copywriting, AI and many others are definitely worth looking into. It's not as hard as you may think, to get into one of these fields. https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/careers-advice/top-5-tech-careers-future https://www.themuse.com/advice/entry-level-tech-jobs-careers-list

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Hannah Cyrek
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Accreditation Program Coordinator at Baby Friendly Usa Inc

I started in healthcare/non profit work, moved to a law firm, then an automotive company, and now marketing at a textile company. My degree is in English so the skill set is applicable and desirable across industries. Regardless of the industry you're trying to get into, I would focus on how your skills and experience apply to the role you want. Even your basic restaurant experience equips you with invaluable skills (customer service, multitasking, organization..). How does your skill set translate to the new industry?

4y
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Im A Nobody
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Yes she should quit. Although maybe she hasn't gotten to the duties of her job description because she just started a week ago.

4y
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David Pentecost
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Looking for a warehouse job or a job stocking

4y
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