| My Experience is Unrelated to My Goals |
With the pace of business accelerating ever more quickly as we enter these first years of the 21st century, many industries that might have taken decades to decline gradually in the 20th century, now experience substantial downturns in just a few years or less.
Even in growth industries, individual units are shed or dissolved if they don't measure up to expectations for return on investment. Downsizings continue, meaning the loss of a significant number of middle management jobs in many industries. As a result, lots of hard-working, well-qualified people find themselves forced to look for employment in a different industry, or a segment of their current industry where they have no experience.
The obvious concern of the employer is that your lack of knowledge will keep you from performing as well as someone who "knows the industry" or is "familiar with our specialized services." In many instances, this can be a difficult obstacle. You have a "credibility gap," and it is up to you to close it. Fortunately, there are a number of ways this can be done.
Mindset
Do not lose sight of the fact that you have proven your ability to make contributions, using ... skills in certain functions ... personal strengths that enable you to get things done effectively ... and knowledge required for the industry in which you worked. Also remember that right now, people with the same skills and functional strengths are making solid contributions in the industry you are targeting. The only component you are missing is the specialized knowledge that may be required to function most effectively in that industry or industry segment.
Last, don't forget that if you've rapidly learned anything new in the past, it's logical to assume you'll learn just as quickly whatever is required for you to function effectively in the industry you're targeting.
Resume
Structure your resume so that the employer can easily see the parallels between the functions they need and the functions in which you have experience. Highlight achievements where you came into a situation and needed to learn quickly in order to reach goal. If you were thrown into a new project, assignment or product area where you learned so quickly that you soon outperformed others who'd been in that function for a long period, make that clear.
Show achievements in as many different product lines and markets as possible. 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.
Interviews / e-mail / Letters
In interviews you will have more latitude in tailoring the presentation of your talents to the needs of the organization. Anticipate the areas in which this company expects the most help from the person who eventually fills the position. Ask specifically if those are not some of the most important requirements. If they are, relate examples in a situation-action-result format which demonstrate how you have solved problems, made the most of opportunities, and achieved results in those precise areas.
In correspondence and in interviews, give examples of how you were thrown into new situations, learned quickly, and soon outperformed those who had been active in similar functions for a long time.
An approach that has often been effective is to conduct research, as recommended in the "Actions" segment that follows, and write a paper that addresses major trends and issues in the industry you are targeting. You can then attach to your e-mail or enclose with your letter the paper, pointing out in your correspondence that you think one or another trend is especially significant for the function you are targeting. This switches the focus of communication away from questioning your industry knowledge, which you obviously have, to how and why your talents might apply to helping the employer in the future, specifically in light of the trends you cited.
Because hiring decisions are seldom made purely on the basis of a logical match between needs and strengths, make sure you have all the intangibles going for you. Project enthusiasm, show that you've taken the time to learn a lot about the company and the industry, and ask what personal qualities are important for the position, then relate examples of how you've used those same qualities for the benefit of a previous employer.
For example, if you can give an example of how you were thrown into a new situation, learned quickly, and soon outperformed those who had been active in similar functions for a long time, it shows that you can be expected to make significant contributions in a very short time.
Actions
If there is a course you can take, or information you can study that would help prepare you or make you more knowledgeable about the type of position you are targeting, get started on that as soon as possible. If you can talk with people currently active in that type of position, arrange to meet with them and get their input.
If there is a trade or professional publication geared to that function or field, subscribe to it or read back issues in the library. If there is one time when coming from another industry will be a less significant obstacle, it is when you can show you also have far better than average knowledge about the field you are targeting. This is one way to get it.
When choosing the type of positions and industries you are targeting, give a lot of thought to how closely you can match your strengths and achievements to those which are likely to be required for those positions. Ask yourself, "If I were doing the hiring for that position, why would I hire someone with my background?"
Examine your past contributions closely, and take sufficient time to prepare and rehearse several action-oriented stories that demonstrate your talent for moving rapidly to get results in the types of situations that resemble those likely to be faced by the person who wins the job you are seeking. Look for as many specific result indications as possible. Be prepared to give a wealth of evidence in the form of these memorable stories. They will reassure the prospective employer that you can apply your proven talents in a new industry.
Develop and coach enthusiastic references from selected individuals you can trust inside your employer organization, if possible, but if not, from outside of it, e.g., customers, suppliers, sales reps, consultants, etc., who will be happy to attest to your action orientation, and ability to deliver results in a variety of specific functions.
Review your resume with these references, and make sure they keep a copy available to scan when and if they are called. You can if you choose give them "special assignments," where in addition to an overall enthusiastic endorsement, each of them will be expected to emphasize a different strength or ability in a special functional area.
This step will enable you to make the statement in an interview that, "You've heard about my achievements, but only from me. You really need to hear it from people who have seen me in action. Experience in Function X is important to you, and for that I suggest you contact Mary Jones. Experience in Function Y is also essential, and for that you'll get good input from Phil White. Personal traits A and B are needed for this job, and the people who would know best about that are Sue Griffith and Tom Robbins." It would be to my benefit if you contact all of them, and I hope you will." Such a statement will reinforce your suitability for the position, as well as your versatility and adaptability.
Most important, as mentioned in the section on letters and e-mail, conduct research on any industry you are targeting, using the Internet and/or resources in the Business Reference section of a good library. It will be a major significant advantage if you then write a small article about the major trends in that industry as they affect someone in the function you are targeting, whether it is general management, purchasing, sales, production, marketing, finance, customer service, information systems, or any other function.
In your initial correspondence you can then refer to the document enclosed or attached, with certain sections highlighted or emphasized, pointing out that those sections are, in your opinion, particularly significant because they will impact the way the person who fills the job you are seeking, will need to perform.
Not only does this show enthusiasm and initiative. It also takes the focus of subsequent discussion totally away from questioning whether you have industry knowledge, which you obviously do, toward specific ways you might contribute to the potential employer in a selected function. The anticipation and excitement that is often generated in such future-oriented discussions is a key ingredient in a positive hiring decision.
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