3 Concepts To Get You There

Changing careers can be a daunting task. You may find yourself researching an industry or function you are unfamiliar with and need a support system or network to rely on. It is natural to be concerned about the financial impact of the switch and the possibility that it may only pay off in the long run if you are successful in your new career. You may need more confidence about the career path you want to take, but you know you want to move away from your current one. You may be acutely aware of your skill gaps and need to realize the value and experience you can bring to a new industry or function.

These concerns, while valid, may be preventing you from expanding your network, increasing your compensation, and finding personal fulfillment in a new, growing, or mission-aligned career path. As you embark on this career shift, here are three concepts to help you navigate.

Barter Your Way Into Your Dream Job

Assess your career journey and compare it to your desired job in a new career path. Although there might be a slight overlap, landing your dream job is like bartering. Remember the story of a man who traded a paper clip and made fourteen trades to get a farmhouse – similar to that, you don’t need to achieve your ideal job in one leap. Focus on identifying areas of overlap. Even if your dream job seems far-fetched, you can offer at least one skill, experience, or value. Reaching your goal may require many steps, so start with the first step.

For instance, suppose you desire to transition from an human resources background to a project management position. In that case, you might find a company in a similar growth phase to your current company to bring your experience and angle. In this example, you would change only your job function while utilizing your experience working in a similar environment. Instead of being overwhelmed or discouraged by the gaps, focus on the value you can provide today to get your foot in the door.

Assess Your Priorities List

Everyone has a priorities list when searching for jobs: compensation, title, benefits, flexibility, team resourcing, or management level. Changing careers means, at least temporarily, rearranging your priorities. This doesn’t mean devaluing yourself but acknowledging that you may need (and appreciate) some time to ramp into a new career without the burden of being a function leader, a manager, or a highly compensated executive.

You may be an individual contributor while you refine the new job scope, and compensation may be commensurate with the limited remit. But once you have mastered the new trade, you will likely be able to climb the ladder faster than those who are doing this for the first time, or you are in a growing sector or more fulfilled. Priorities should evolve to enable you to be successful, and don’t be afraid of relinquishing prior career “must haves” to grow into the future.

Productize Yourself To Reinvent Your Brand

Apply the four “P’s” of marketing to your professional brand: product, price, place, and promotion. Apply yourself to this framework to develop a clear sense of your brand that will appeal to the new “customer”: new industry, role function, etc. What are you good at that may be applied to the new company or role type? Is your “price” fair (not just compensation, but training or education that may be involved in ramp-up)? How will you find the customers, and where will they learn about you?

As you enter the new career, it’s not just the job itself you need to learn, but all the essential auxiliary information about the job, such as major conferences, building out new contacts, and getting familiar with industry trends. This framework will allow you to objectively view what value you can provide the new industry and help you prepare for “FAQs” or preemptively identify and fill in significant gaps. Most importantly, get well-versed in the new brand story you need to tell about yourself: practice helps you project confidence.