Thinking of changing industries? Here’s how you can make use of your current job experience in your new job.

For many, the last two and a half years have been a reckoning of sorts.

I had to ask myself tough questions about the trajectory of my career path, and whether the skills I had gathered so far were capable of taking me there.

In case you’re wondering, I started my career as an academic researcher; but since transitioned to the media industry — an industry that requires a rather different set of skills.

While I made the move into a somewhat related role, my new gig required me to work on things distinctly different from what I was used to.

So while many of the skills I had remained relevant, there were also a number of skills I had to either unlearn or relearn.

During my job search, close friends had urged me to seek the help of the Employment and Employability Institute — more widely known as e2i.

As a non-profit organisation led by the National Trades Union Congress to support nation-wide manpower and skills upgrading initiatives, I knew they could help me as I took the next step in my career.

Not only did they help me appreciate how important career guidance could be, their services are also complimentary for all Singaporeans!

Four tiers of challenges

I spoke to two e2i career coaches, Jurcannie and Boon Peng, who systematically broke down the challenges one might face amidst switching industries.

From my understanding, there are four tiers:

1. No switch
2. Switching industry
3. Switching functional role
4. Switching industry and role

While it might be relatively straightforward for someone who is, for example, a recruiter in a recruitment agency to move to a talent acquisition role in the tech industry; it would be far more challenging if the same individual were to move to a marketing communications role.

The career coaches also broke down the various reasons for why one might choose to change industries.

Some might find themselves compelled to change roles or industries due to circumstance rather than choice.

Others might do so in search for a career that comes with added benefits such as better pay and working conditions, or a higher level of work satisfaction.

The fear of potential pay-cuts, self-doubt and uncertainty

The career coaches opined that the willingness of workers to attempt the transition was highly dependent on the worker’s tolerance for uncertainty.

Those at the beginning or end of their careers might find themselves with less pressing family or financial commitments, as they would either just be starting out or preparing for the sunset of their careers.

It was particularly interesting to hear of people who were over-60 who had - in more recent times - found the motivation to pursue new interests.

Contrarily, it was those who were in the middle of their careers that felt they had the most to lose.

These individuals typically valued stability, and felt more restrained by the potential downsides of such a shift, such as self-doubt, potential pay-cuts, or the period of unemployment they would have to endure while retraining and searching for a new role.

Highlight your value to prospective employers, especially for career switchers

Then there are the struggles faced by those looking for a new job.

The first set of struggles being internal, how one approaches change, and even how individuals present themselves to potential employers.

The mindset of “starting all over again” was something I could relate to.

While both my former and current jobs involve writing, the target audiences are very different.

Academia’s readership leans towards longer forms of writing that require the use of jargon, while general audience members expect write-ups that are more “straight to the point”.

A few things new entrants to an industry can do to help themselves transition is to:

• Be observant
• Have a good attitude towards learning
• Manage expectations

Sufficiently researching a new role and industry is one way to keep your expectations realistic and prevent disappointment.

To settle in better, one should also be open to building relationships and asking for help.

Part of this involves maintaining a positive learning attitude and being open to the changes a new environment requires.

The career coaches also shared that there is the need for flexibility and tenacity during the search for job opportunities.

An analogy used was that of rock climbing; individuals should always remain adaptable and change their trajectory in order to overcome obstacles.

At the same time, the coaches warned that one common obstacle career switchers have to overcome is resistance from new employers.

After all, it is easier for an employer to hire someone with relevant experience and industry knowledge, as it would require lesser resources to train them.

Therefore, it is necessary for prospective employees to develop a narrative of how their previous work experience is relevant to any future employment.

Courses and skills training are also a core component, and just simply obtaining certification for a skill is not sufficient.

Industry change is not uncommon

Despite these challenges, the career coaches assured me that industry change is not particularly uncommon.

Even now, while there is renewed interest and emphasis, there are always people who seek out new roles in unfamiliar industries.

Regardless of industry or career stage, it is vital for workers to be agile, adaptable, and constantly evaluate the relevance of their own skill sets.

It is important to also unlearn and relearn, in order to acquire new skill sets.

It was through speaking to these coaches that I learned the value of career guidance - and how e2i provides it for anyone considering a career transition.

If you’re considering making a job transition, find out how e2i can help you here.

Top image via Mikhail Nilov on Pexels

This sponsored article by e2i made the writer feel very lucky in his job hunt.