A career change can be both exciting and scary. The nervousness you may feel is common and also based on fact. Many people assume that their history of employment will become irrelevant when they are pursuing a career in a new field. This is by far the largest myth I encounter as a recruiter and as a strategy expert.
Companies want to hire experienced employees who have a wide range of experience. A former teacher has the best ability to communicate effectively, has exceptional patience, and can train others effectively in a corporate setting.
A retail manager knows the customer experience better than most, and that is invaluable to an HR representative. Your history is not a disadvantage; it’s your greatest competitive advantage if you learn to market it properly.
Step 1: The Transferable Skills Audit (Discovering the Gold In Your Existing Skill Set)
Prior to considering education, you must identify the skills you have developed and what those skills mean to potential employers.
The Recruiter’s Skills Matrix:
Identify your core skills: Record your top five hard skills (data analysis, budget management, and CRM software) and soft skills (client negotiation, team motivation, and public speaking).
Interpret, don’t discard: For every skill you listed above, write down how that skill relates to the field you are targeting. This is the most important part of this process.
Example: A project manager who wants to get into UX design would interpret “stakeholder management” as “exceptionally adept at resolving issues between developers and users regarding product needs.”
Example: A teacher who wants to move into edtech sales would interpret “curriculum development” as “the ability to quickly understand and articulate the educational merits of a software product.”
Pro tip: Identify the key terms used in job postings for the career you want to pursue and use these as a guide for translating your skills. If multiple job postings ask for “agile project management,” and you have this experience, then agile project management is a key term to include on your resume and in your cover letter.
Step 2: Take A Test Drive Of Your Career Change (A No-Risk Experiment)
One of the biggest mistakes I see is that candidates destroy their bridge to their old career before they’ve created a new career path. You need to test drive your new career before you jump.
Ways To Take A Low-Risk Path To Explore A New Career:
Informational Interviews: This is one of the most effective tools you’ll ever use to explore a new career. If you reach out to someone for an informational interview, say something like, “Hello [Name], I’m looking to explore how my background in [Previous Field] can be applied to [New Field].
I greatly admire your career and would appreciate your input on the skills necessary for success in [new field] today.”
An informational interview is not a solicitation for a job; it’s an opportunity for you to gain insight from a person who works in a field you’re interested in.
Side Projects: Whether you start a blog, take on a freelance assignment, or volunteer using your future desired skills to help a non-profit, this will provide you with experience and a tangible example of your skills that you can reference on your resume.
Real World Examples From My Own Practice: One client was a marketing manager and wanted to switch to a career in health care. Rather than quit her job immediately, she began to freelance as a social media manager for a small physiotherapist practice.
She completed this freelance work for six months, and during this time, she had a body of work to demonstrate to other healthcare-related organizations and ultimately landed a full-time job at a medical technology company, with no loss in income.
Step 3: Create Credibility (Avoid Using Student Loans For An Optional Degree)
In many cases, a college degree is not required to acquire a new career. What is needed is a specific, relevant, and legitimate credential.
The Strategic Upskilling Plan:
Tech Careers: In many cases, a recognized certification (Google Analytics, AWS Cloud Practitioner) carries more weight with a hiring manager than a general degree.
Creative Careers: A portfolio of real-world examples of work you’ve done is the most important factor in your ability to secure a creative job. How well you did in school is irrelevant if you have a good portfolio.
Licensure Careers (nursing, law): If licensure is required for your career, research options for accelerated degree programs specifically for career changers. These programs exist because your prior employment experience is an asset.
Step 4: Redefine Your Professional Brand (The Story Change)
At this point, you are in charge of your story. Your online presence and your resume/cover letter should clearly tell a consistent and compelling story of progression, rather than confusion.
Your Three-Point Narrative Change:
LinkedIn Header: Replace your old title with a hybrid title that indicates movement toward the career you desire. For example: *“Finance Leader | Transitioning to FinTech Product Management | Utilizing 10+ Years of Regulatory Expertise”*
Summary Statement on Resume: Get rid of the chronological obituary. Begin your resume with a concise statement of your mission. For example: “Experienced retail manager with ten-plus years of experience working with customers in a customer-centric operation.
Now transitioning into user experience research. Experienced in finding customer pain points and articulating how to utilize those findings to develop user-friendly digital products.”
Elevator Speech: Develop a thirty-second speech that clearly explains how your background relates to the career you want to enter. For example: “My accounting experience isn’t a detour; it is a great asset for me to have when I am doing data analytics.
I have been trained to find the story in the numbers, which is exactly what this career does.”
Step 5: Complete The Career Change (The Multi-Phase Process)
No longer can you simply leave your job on a Friday and start your new career on a Monday. Modern career pivots are multi-phase processes.
The Hybrid Career Transition Model:
Phase 1: Learning & Networking (6-12 Months): Continue to work at your current job while learning and networking for the career you want to pursue. Spend your evening and weekend hours on coursework, side projects, and informational interviews. This is your discovery phase.
Phase 2: Building Momentum (3-6 Months): While continuing to work at your current job, begin to take on paid freelance or contract work in your new career. This will build your resume and your confidence in your new career, without risking your financial stability.
Phase 3: The Career Leap: Once you have a portfolio of your work, a network of contacts, and some paid freelance or contract work under your belt, you will be able to confidently apply for a full-time job in your new career.
At this point, you will no longer be considered a risk by potential employers; you will be seen as a commodity.
Making a career change can be one of the most empowering decisions you can make for your career. It is not about eliminating the past; it is about building upon it. With the right plan and strategy, you can successfully transition to a new career, utilizing the skills and knowledge you’ve already acquired.
Conclusion
Schedule an hour to complete your Transferable Skills Audit. You may be surprised at how prepared you are for your next career.
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