Published on Wednesday, Jun 27, 2007
Ahhh… so your job field has just become redundant, or you yourself are looking for a change. Whatever be the reason, a switch in careers (or at least job function) is on the cards!
As you air out the old resume, you find yourself loaded with a bagful of ‘unrelated’ work experience. Even your qualifications are not in line with your new goals.
It seems as though your particular brand of experience and skills have nothing to do with your targeted job. You are scared stiff that not only will the divergence cut away at your marketability, but also turn into a formidable liability that will weigh down your job search. Employers will refuse to touch you with a barge pole because you come from the ‘wrong’ field’.
As you air out the old resume, you find yourself loaded with a bagful of ‘unrelated’ work experience. Even your qualifications are not in line with your new goals.
It seems as though your particular brand of experience and skills have nothing to do with your targeted job. You are scared stiff that not only will the divergence cut away at your marketability, but also turn into a formidable liability that will weigh down your job search. Employers will refuse to touch you with a barge pole because you come from the ‘wrong’ field’.
Changing paradigm
Though lack of relevant work skills is a difficult obstacle, it cannot keep you from getting any new job. After all, with the rapidly accelerating pace of business, more and more job functions are getting downsized or totally eliminated. As a result people are increasingly seeking employment in fields where they have no experience whatsoever. Employees routinely shift from, say, marketing to finance function within the same industry segment or from the management business to an IT-related one.
However, exercise caution and do not be led by latest fads and trends. Choose a sphere of work that corresponds with your past achievements and strengths to some extent. Even a moderate connection will augment your chances of getting the job and becoming successful in it.
Though lack of relevant work skills is a difficult obstacle, it cannot keep you from getting any new job. After all, with the rapidly accelerating pace of business, more and more job functions are getting downsized or totally eliminated. As a result people are increasingly seeking employment in fields where they have no experience whatsoever. Employees routinely shift from, say, marketing to finance function within the same industry segment or from the management business to an IT-related one.
However, exercise caution and do not be led by latest fads and trends. Choose a sphere of work that corresponds with your past achievements and strengths to some extent. Even a moderate connection will augment your chances of getting the job and becoming successful in it.
Putting a spin on your experience
Hiring executives normally look for a match between the needs of the organisation and the strengths of the candidates. They fear that ‘outside’ applicants will fail to perform well as they are unfamiliar with the industry and its specialised work. The onus is on you to eliminate employers’ prejudices and convince them that you are most suited for the job.
So, quit undervaluing your ‘unrelated experience’ and believe in the diktat - any type of experience does matter! Concentrate on presenting it in a positive way that effectively challenges and nullifies employers’ perceptions. Here’s how:
• Redraft the resume – Structure a functional CV that showcases your varied skills rather than ‘irrelevant’ experience. Additionally, try to tie in your strong and extensive experience in another field to the objectives of the position that you are targeting.
Tailoring your talents and accomplishments in accordance with the needs of the organisation will direct attention towards how your unique perspective can prove beneficial in the future. This dynamic tone will pitch you as a forward-looking candidate who can more than adequately achieve significant results.
• Close the ‘credibility gap’ – Highlighting your versatility and adaptability will go a long way in convincing the recruiter that you can learn new things rapidly and apply them to meet the new challenges in a short time. Examine your past contributions and pinpoint different scenarios where you were thrown into a new project, task or responsibility, and yet, you not only managed to stay afloat, but also adroitly learnt the necessary skills and went on to attain substantial goals.
Develop action-oriented instances that stress on your flexibility to utilise new opportunities and quickly grasp skills required to function effectively. Focus on reassuring them that you can and will swiftly apply your proven talents in the new setting too. As top consultant Robert Gerberg advises, “Give lots of solid evidence that you contributed in short order after you came into these areas. This will help dispel any concerns that you might not be able to contribute quickly because you lack direct industry or segment experience”.
• Demonstrate transferable skills – Shift the focus from your lack of specific industry knowledge to your proven strengths, attitude and abilities that will stand you in good stead in any job setting. Discuss your work ethics, determination to succeed, knack of solving problems, and ability to cope with change that helps you get things done in varied functions. Accentuate personal qualities like enthusiasm, self-confidence, industriousness, initiative, reliability, commitment and team spirit in a way that reinforces your suitability for the position in question.
• New learning – To get things going, overcome the last remaining obstacle of lack of specialisation by acquiring job specific technical or specialised educational qualifications. Enrol for courses of study and acquire certifications (distance, part-time or online options are available) to develop job-specific skills for the position that you are targeting. Also, conduct research, read trade publications or network with your contacts to identify major trends and gain better insight into the industry.
In essence, overcome the ‘outsider disadvantage’ and prove that you have the ability to do the job as impeccably as the people who have been in the field for years.
Hiring executives normally look for a match between the needs of the organisation and the strengths of the candidates. They fear that ‘outside’ applicants will fail to perform well as they are unfamiliar with the industry and its specialised work. The onus is on you to eliminate employers’ prejudices and convince them that you are most suited for the job.
So, quit undervaluing your ‘unrelated experience’ and believe in the diktat - any type of experience does matter! Concentrate on presenting it in a positive way that effectively challenges and nullifies employers’ perceptions. Here’s how:
• Redraft the resume – Structure a functional CV that showcases your varied skills rather than ‘irrelevant’ experience. Additionally, try to tie in your strong and extensive experience in another field to the objectives of the position that you are targeting.
Tailoring your talents and accomplishments in accordance with the needs of the organisation will direct attention towards how your unique perspective can prove beneficial in the future. This dynamic tone will pitch you as a forward-looking candidate who can more than adequately achieve significant results.
• Close the ‘credibility gap’ – Highlighting your versatility and adaptability will go a long way in convincing the recruiter that you can learn new things rapidly and apply them to meet the new challenges in a short time. Examine your past contributions and pinpoint different scenarios where you were thrown into a new project, task or responsibility, and yet, you not only managed to stay afloat, but also adroitly learnt the necessary skills and went on to attain substantial goals.
Develop action-oriented instances that stress on your flexibility to utilise new opportunities and quickly grasp skills required to function effectively. Focus on reassuring them that you can and will swiftly apply your proven talents in the new setting too. As top consultant Robert Gerberg advises, “Give lots of solid evidence that you contributed in short order after you came into these areas. This will help dispel any concerns that you might not be able to contribute quickly because you lack direct industry or segment experience”.
• Demonstrate transferable skills – Shift the focus from your lack of specific industry knowledge to your proven strengths, attitude and abilities that will stand you in good stead in any job setting. Discuss your work ethics, determination to succeed, knack of solving problems, and ability to cope with change that helps you get things done in varied functions. Accentuate personal qualities like enthusiasm, self-confidence, industriousness, initiative, reliability, commitment and team spirit in a way that reinforces your suitability for the position in question.
• New learning – To get things going, overcome the last remaining obstacle of lack of specialisation by acquiring job specific technical or specialised educational qualifications. Enrol for courses of study and acquire certifications (distance, part-time or online options are available) to develop job-specific skills for the position that you are targeting. Also, conduct research, read trade publications or network with your contacts to identify major trends and gain better insight into the industry.
In essence, overcome the ‘outsider disadvantage’ and prove that you have the ability to do the job as impeccably as the people who have been in the field for years.
PAYAL CHANANIA
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