• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Career Connectors

Connecting professionals in career transition with hiring companies and quality resources

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Subscribe Here
  • Job Seekers
    • Events
      • Event Schedule
      • Webinar Recordings
      • Event Recaps
      • Prepare for an Event
    • Resources
      • LearnKey
      • Community Updates
      • Career Chats
      • DISC
      • Business Portraits
      • Career Advice
      • Trusted Resources
      • LinkedIn Basics
    • Featured Companies
    • Volunteer
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Volunteer Application
  • Employers
    • Hiring
    • Outplacement Services
    • Partners
  • About Us
    • Donate
    • Applause & Testimonials
    • In The News
    • Mission Statement
    • Board of Directors
    • Contact

12 Tips To Help You Transition Industries in Your Career

Jul 28, 2022

To help you best transition industries in your career, we asked career coaches and business leaders this question for their best advice. From creating a financial cushion for support to engaging with the right professionals on LinkedIn, there are several practical tips that may help you best maneuver your career change from one industry to another.

Here are 12 tips for transitioning industries in your career:

  • Create a Financial Cushion for Support
  • Consider Owning a Franchise
  • Don’t Be Ashamed of Switching Fields
  • Clarify and Focus on Where You Want to Be
  • Attend Industry Events
  • Subscribe To Industry Publications Or Websites
  • Uncover Milestones in Your New Field
  • Find a Mentor in The New Area To Guide You
  • Focus on Transferable Skills
  • Ask for Help From Friends
  • Get Ready To Double Your Efforts
  • Connect and Engage With Professionals on LinkedIn

Create a Financial Cushion for Support

It’s normal to feel anxious over making a career change, but you’re presumably doing it for the right reasons. Changing careers, on the other hand, sometimes means beginning from a position that is lower than your present one. As a result, the greatest professional advice I can give you is to create a financial “buffer” that you can tap into until things really take off in your new career.

Hector Ruiz, BBQ Grill Academy

Consider Owning a Franchise

Transitioning industries may seem like an impossible challenge to overcome. However, one path people can take is to consider owning a business through franchising. The best franchise models will provide full training and ongoing support to the franchisee, and so you don’t need to have industry experience. Of course, it’s important to do your research and see which industry and franchise might be right for you. Franchising is also a great way for military veterans to transition into business ownership.

Chris B., Minuteman Press International

Don’t Be Ashamed of Switching Fields

As someone who explored many careers in my early professional life (from law school to marketing to running a team building company), my best tip for transitioning industries is not to be ashamed of not fitting in the first field you try. Most professionals in the modern world cycle through multiple jobs, and few folks stay in one industry for the entirety of their careers. Having experience from other industries can give you a unique perspective and advantage in the job market and new roles. Not to mention, the topic can be a great conversation starter and a way to connect with new coworkers. Instead of hiding your earlier work, embrace it and find ways it can benefit you in your new working journey.

Michael Alexis, TeamBuilding

Clarify and Focus on Where You Want to Be

Do you know which industry, or sector, you want to go into? Figuring out your game plan is the key to successfully transitioning industries. For instance, where will your skills and experience be of the most use? More importantly, what do you really see yourself doing? Where do you think you can make a difference? Deciding all that first, will give you clarity and focus to drive your career transition. Good Luck!

Linda Scorzo, Hiring Indicators

Attend Industry Events

If you, like many others during this time, are considering a career transition, you should try to attend at least one industry event within the space you are looking to move into. At these events you can attend different talks that can give you a glimpse into what a typical workday will look like. You can also start to gain quality contacts that can give you their thoughts on how to best break into the industry as well as quality information on their experience working within that space. Who knows, these contacts can even become references that can help you land that first job.

Brandon Brown, GRIN

Subscribe to Industry Publications Or Websites

Learn the lingo and trends of the industry that you are considering by subscribing to industry publications, podcasts, websites, LinkedIn groups, etc. You will be able to demonstrate your understanding of the industry, including challenges and opportunities, and articulate how your previous experience is relevant during an interview. You will also gain a deeper understanding if the new industry is an area where you can be successful.

Scott Baker, Stage 3 Leadership

Uncover The Milestones in Your New Field

Beginner’s Syndrome or even Imposter’s Syndrome is nearly inevitable when you’re transitioning from one industry to another. A way to curb the fear of inadequacy is to take time to chat with peers and research the milestones you can expect to hit as you move forward. For instance, if you’re transitioning into educational technology, some of the early milestones might be to understand the prominent learning theories that instructional designers focus on. A more graduated milestone might be mastering a learning management system (LMS). If on day one you haven’t mastered the LMS, knowing that there are many stepping stones before you get there will make the transition less stressful.

Carla Andre-Brown, Mailbird

Find a Mentor in The New Area To Guide You

Think about getting a mentor. Finding a mentor in your area is helpful since they have already been in your shoes and have the expertise necessary to provide you with the most effective advice to become successful. Keep in mind that the shift into a new job or sector can be difficult at first; finding people to connect with and the skills you need can be a scary process. Working with a mentor can help you get started on the correct path. Mentors can also recognize your existing talents and areas for improvement. Mentors also have important connections in the sector, which might help you along your path.

Ryan Warner, 1AND1 Life

Focus on Transferable Skills

Transferable skills are those that can easily be leveraged across industries and sectors. Professionals who are pursuing a career transition should focus on identifying and then amplifying the skills they have that are value additive across industry and sector. They should think broadly about the skills they’ve gained in different job roles, community engagement, leadership initiatives, degree programs, and even within the home. 

You can assess transferable skills by assessing the skills you leverage that are equally as beneficial to a specific role. While the skill may have been used in one way within one sector, that same skill could be reengineered to support another sector. An example might be: critical thinking. The skill could have been used to improve operational processes within the tech industry but be reengineered to support special projects in the transportation industry. The same mindset and competencies can provide value and steer innovation within a new space or place.

Chelsea C. Williams, Reimagine Talent Co.

Ask for Help From Friends

Remember your classmates. Don’t be afraid to reach out to people you went to college with that may be able to help with a referral. Put yourself in your college friend’s shoes. If you could help her you would, right? A referral from someone within the company is worth more than almost any amount of experience! Scroll your alumni Facebook page!

Erin Banta, Pepper

Get Ready To Double Your Efforts

Transitioning industries, even when it is a well-thought-out move, requires extra work. For starters, you have to acknowledge that people who work the same job positions in different industries handle very different tasks and responsibilities. For example, even a generic position like that of a personal assistant will have a very different profile from one industry to another. So get ready to double your efforts and know that despite the experience you may have in your position, shifting industries would mean learning just about everything from scratch.

Kris Harris, Nootka Saunas

Connect and Engage With Professionals on LinkedIn

As you’re considering a transition, start connecting with people on LinkedIn who hold positions you’d like to have. Pay attention to what they’re posting and engage with their posts. Once you’ve formed an online rapport with them, ask them if they would be open to a phone call for some career advice. Most people want to be helpful especially if you’ve demonstrated that you’re sincerely interested in what they do.

Susan Siravo, Susan Siravo Media
Terkel creates community-driven content featuring expert insights. Sign up at terkel.io to answer questions and get published.

Markitors

Filed Under: Career Advice Blog Tagged With: career advice, career transition

Primary Sidebar

Recent Event Recaps

10 Strategies for Making a Great First Impression at a Job Fair

06/19/23 ARIZONA@WORK and Career Connectors Pinal County Career Expo Recap

05/03/23 Superior Career & Hiring Expo Recap

2/10/22 – Getting My Career SHIFT Together

More Event Recaps

Career Advice

10 Ways Networking & Professional Relationships Help With Career Transitions

Using Generative AI In Your Job Search

12 Strategies for Incorporating Professional Development into Your Daily Routine

7 Ways Volunteering Can Boost Your Job Search Strategy

12 Top Tips for Preparing for a Panel Interview

More Career Advice

Footer

Charity Navigator Rating for Career Connectors

https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/453042629

Socialize with us!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

GuideStar Transparency for Career Connectors

Testimonials

I want to follow up with you about the position I had hoped to get. I got it! And thanks to Jack Milligan’s Salary Negotiation talk, for the first time I didn’t feel like an idiot when I accepted a job. No one else offers that kind of information.  Thank you for all you do. I appreciate your efforts to bless others.  May you and yours be blessed every day. Thank you for everything,
Cheryl
Navigating the world of career transition can be an overwhelming experience.  In addition to the mechanics of transition (updated resume, career search strategies), there is the deeper need to connect to people who are in the same situation as you are.   For me, all of this was answered by Career Connectors!  Had it not been for this organization, I might still be sitting in my house, wondering what to do next!  At just one Career Connectors meeting you can be inspired by great speakers, … Read more
Iris M.
Thank you for all you do! I’ve been nine loooong months looking for a full-time position and Career Connectors was a real life-line. I was pretty discouraged by the time I found your organization on-line and first visited. The speaker provided some great information but most importantly, encouragement and hope. The panel discussion on resumes was incredibly helpful! Last month I had the opportunity to sit with Brenda and she suggested I really pare back all but the last 10 years of experience an… Read more
Robin C.
I own a Leadership Company, and have enjoyed attending the Career Connector events. With gratitude I listen to the speakers you line up… they offer phenominal and practical information. What has struck me each time has been the audience. My heart hurts for them. They are in a desperate place in their lives. I have had the opportunity speak with a few of the people in attendance, and they have shared their stories… I walk away thankful to God for the opportunity to meet these people and they … Read more
Bonnie M.
Thank you, Jessica. Although I wasn’t able to meet you personally, I was able to see you working with another applicant and was impressed with your efforts and the excellent platform that your team presented. Thank you very much.
Luis R.
I just wanted to let you know that there’s a reason why I haven’t come to any recent Career Connectors events. It’s because I found a job! This past week, I started working as a data scientist for a technology startup in the financial services space that’s based in downtown Phoenix. It’s an ideal opportunity for me to break into the data science industry with an exciting company. I wanted to thank you and your staff for putting together all of your fantastic networking events and bringing … Read more
Chris M.
I am profoundly grateful for all of the support Career Connectors has provided during my recent job search – from the exceptional speakers to the participating employers, LinkedIn experts (Ted Robison is amazing with his individualized approach), resume experts, photographers, and of course the great opportunity to network! I felt like I had an army of support with me every single day. I appreciate all the time and effort invested by many and am particularly grateful for Jessica! You have a fi… Read more
Cindy G.
Good news. I have landed. Thank you for your support throughout my job search journey. You and your organization has lots to offer besides the positive energy, uplifting of self confidence and immense networking opportunities. I am very appreciative of the efforts and time put forward by you and your team.
Kirtida A.
Fantastic! Good variety of roles, Obvious interest in quality candidates, really good solid leads. Great investment of time.
Alicia
Career Connectors offered me a one-stop-shopping capability for all of the coaching, resources and connections I needed to perfect my job searching skills.  The package of services, and support I found while attending these workshops over the past 7 months was unique to, and more productive than any other networking venues I attended. I am thrilled to share that I’ve landed with B/E Aerospace in Tucson.  I recommend to all Job Seekers to find out what works for you, and exploit it for best r… Read more
Aidan F.
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Services

© 2023 · Career Connectors. All Rights Reserved.