Over my career, I have transitioned between careers a handful of time, moving from sales to human resources to database administration to training and landing in career coaching. And many people have asked me how I did it. How did I go from a job in sales to landing something in HR? How did I go from HR to database administration and training? And how could I do this, while still increasing my salary every time?
Well, the key to my success has been innovation.
When I look for work, I do not start in the usual places, trying to figure out who will hire me and where my skills fit. Or trying hard to figure out what type of job I can do and get paid for.
Instead I take a fresh look at what it is I want to do. I start by taking a look at it in a new way, devoid of a job title. Then I start looking at other industries. And I try to keep an open mind, giving myself permission to explore options outside my industry and allowing my self to come back to the same industry if it suits me. The key for me is no judgment, only possibilities.
Then and only then, do I go on to research job opportunities. Often, I’ll look outside the realm of jobs I have looked at before, and consider everything before narrowing it down. I will also experiment with using different key words like process or coaching that might be imbedded in the job description, instead of Process Coordinator that is more likely to be a job title.
So…what would I tell you to do if you find yourself stuck in your job search with little or no success in finding work? INNOVATE. Take a look at what you want to do and your skill set in a new way. Look for opportunities that you may not have considered before, and determine if they are a good fit for you based on the role and duties, not on the job title. And then find a way to communicate that you have what it takes.
Happy Hunting!
