Making a career change is not impossible, but you must be willing to make the commitment necessary for success
A study conducted by DBM revealed that one in two people who find themselves in career transition, are changing industry or job function, do so successfully.
The biggest challenge to changing careers is identifying your transferable skills and then learning how to package them to appeal to an employer in a different industry. An accountant with several years of experience may have an easy transition period from one industry to another due to a core capability that applies across industries. But a teacher trying to move to a sales role may have a difficult time transitioning due to the wide gap of skills requirements between the two jobs.
The larger the gap between the experience requirements of your current industry and the new one, the harder it becomes to make the switch and the more compromises you must be willing to make.
The stronger your skills are and the broader your knowledge base is, though, the more credibility you will have and the easier it will be to make the change.
There are several key considerations to keep in mind when contemplating a career change.
1. Plan for a longer job search. Changing industries requires research, which requires time. Assess your financial situation and make realistic decisions. You may have to consider an interim position or part-time work to form a bridge to your new career. Stay optimistic and be realistic at the same time, knowing that in Malaysia the average job search period is 6.5 months. Be mindful that the longer you stay out of a job the more difficult it gets to land a new one or to explain the ‘gaps’ in your resume.
2. Use outplacement (a term used when a company releases an employee) services, such as DBM, to your advantage.
With more and more companies providing outplacement services to employees, it is to your advantage to use this service to get a new job.
3. Stay grounded in reality. Successful career change is based on setting realistic goals and making an honest assessment of your skills, then matching those against the current market conditions. If you need to gain some skills to be able to move from one industry to another, consider taking up short-term courses that will equip you with some basic skills.
Stay in tune with what’s happening in your industry or the industry where you want to move into by monitoring the big companies or employers, the current salary range and available positions.
4. With the exception of entry-level positions, companies run advertisements to recruit prospects with specific experience.
This is also true of search firms, which are paid to find highly experienced talent that matches the job description exactly. In some cases, critical or sensitive roles are not even advertised, so don’t just rely on what you read on the newspapers or the Internet.
5. Network, network, network. Networking is the key to any successful job search, especially in the case of a career change. The most effective way to transfer skills to a new field or new career is by using your contacts. Companies are more willing to take risks on people who are referred to them by individuals who can account for the candidates’ abilities and potential.
6. Learn the language. Every field has its own culture and language. Assess your skill set and align it with industry needs – then translate your skills into language that resonates within that industry.
7. Learn the business. Professionals today are expected to have an understanding of their industry – current issues and challenges faced. Read every article you can find on the industry, so that you can leverage your skills in offering solutions to industry challenges and demonstrate the value you would add to an organisation.
Do a thorough research of the company or industry you want to move into. Use all the resources available to you including the Internet, libraries and other publicly available materials. Just as companies would ask for references before hiring anyone, it would be worthwhile talking to current and previous employees of a company you’re eyeing to join. This would give you some ‘insider’ view of how the company works, its culture, vision and values.
Making an industry or career change is not impossible, but it will increase your job search time and the amount of research you have to do to be successful. Before you make any firm decisions, consider the positives and negatives carefully and seek advice from knowledgeable friends and colleagues, so that you can be sure you are willing to make the commitment necessary for success.
Article contributed by Mastura Diana Jaffar, managing director of DBM Malaysia, which offers human resources solutions.
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