Although there's definitely something to be said for having experience within a specific industry, there are times when a company is looking for fresh talent with the right mix of job skills and outside experience. Being able to sell yourself to an experienced recruiting staff is also very important if you're trying to break into a new industry.
Regardless of the specific reasons why you are looking at positions that are outside of your current industry, here's exactly how you can pinpoint the top transferable job skills you will want to focus on during interviews:
Even though this may sound obvious, far too many job seekers simply gloss over taking the time to really inventory their skillset. By taking the time to get all of your skills down on paper, you'll put yourself in the best position to accurately analyze exactly what you bring to the table for a potential employer.
Staying within the same industry doesn't mean you've had the exact same position for your entire career. Since chances are your roles have changed over the years, look at each one and determine which skills you've brought along with you.
No one is the best at everything. While the stress of looking for a new job can cause someone to feel like they have to be amazing at anything a recruiter asks about, the reality is you're going to be much more appealing as a candidate if you have a handful of specific skills you can focus on and explain with evidence why an employer should take note of them.
Steps one and two will likely result in a long set of skills. And even with the editing down you do in step three, you'll probably still have a lot of potential skills that you could focus on. That's why it's important to continue this process by matching the skills on your list to what's in demand for the type of position that you want to secure.
Finding alignment between your skillset and what employers want for a specific position will allow you to make a very compelling pitch for yourself. All that's left is to find a way to communicate those skills on your resume and in interviews. By creating a compelling story about yourself that includes concrete examples of your top transferable skills, you will immediately set yourself apart from other candidates who are less detailed and more generic.
If you're planning to make a career change, using these five steps to pinpoint your top transferable job skills will put you in the best position for securing a great new job in 2016.
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