Ready to Make a Career Move?
Changing your career trajectory is completely doable. You’ll need to prepare, plan, and execute a strategy.
Research, Explore, and Evolve
Explore and learn everything you can about the position you want to move up to. Grow and cultivate your network of connections. Networking is one of the most successful ways people find new jobs.
It’s a small world and you never know what networks people have access to. Be open, interact, share your career aspirations, and reach out. Expand your circle of friends and acquaintances. Grow your community.
Be curious and interested in everyone you meet. Ask about their work.
Ask about their career journey. Ask if they have advice to offer.
Build genuine relationships with people.
Share your career plans with your network of connections.
Consider these ideas to grow your network of connections.
If you’re not already a LinkedIn member, join LinkedIn and set up your profile.
Join appropriate LinkedIn groups, introduce yourself, and start a conversation.
Attend workshops, events, and conferences of interest.
Join applicable professional organizations, associations, and Meetups.
Talk with as many people as possible about the change you’re making.
Share details about your recent achievements, interests, and insights.
Ask your connections for suggestions regarding people to talk with about the change you want to make.
Request to set up 10 or 15 minute virtual or in-person meetings with people to gather information about opportunities you’re interested in.
Stay in touch. Offer to help others. Say thank you.
Your Achievements and Contributions
Begin a list of your transferable skills and experiences that will indicate some of the benefits and value you can bring to the new position you seek. How do your skills and experiences align with the position you’re seeking?
Have you received promotion(s)? Special recognition?
Have you decreased costs or increased revenue?
Developed, implemented, or streamlined processes?
Prepared/delivered presentations?
Completed special projects? Delivered training?
Led a team, invigorated performance?
Implemented a new software?
Improved customer service? Solved a problem?
Social media expertise?
Any relevant volunteer work?
Social Media
Most recruiters do a social media search when looking for potential candidates. Be sure to delete any social media posts that could negatively influence a future employer.
LinkedIn profile update
Recruiters search LinkedIn for potential candidates. As you move forward with your career transition remember to refresh, update, and make appropriate changes to your LinkedIn profile. You should display who you are, what you can do, and how you want to be known. Highlight your movement toward your new goal.
Build two spreadsheets to help you stay organized.
The first spreadsheet is to help you keep track of your expanding network.
You can track contact names, contact details, company names, how you met, notes to remember, follow up dates, and assign columns for additional information you want to monitor.
The second file is to use when you’re ready to track job applications, interviews, and follow up details from your career change journey.
You’ll want to know what positions you’ve applied for, application dates, who you’ve communicated with, email addresses, phone numbers, interview dates and participants, follow-up activities, and any other information that will help you feel organized.
Be a Duck
An old saying attributed to Indiana poet James Whitcomb Riley states: “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”
Complete your due diligence and research, explore the industry and position you seek, educate yourself, and identify the ins and outs of your target opportunity. Become known in the community you want to be part of.
Imagine you are already working in your new career and take on activities that would contribute to your success. Concentrate on professional development, attend industry events, get to know people, follow leaders in your new industry, read industry articles, and author you own articles that will spotlight you and your knowledge. Be a Duck.
You will become known as a duck who will be welcome in the pond you want to swim in.
This process enables you to be perceived as a person who will fit in and bring value to the opportunity you seek.
Fitting into a new job is ALWAYS about marketing who you are and what you can do. It’s a branding process. How do you want to be known? Let everyone know. Be a Duck.
Update your resume
Once you’re comfortable in the duck pond and you have connected with your new self, it’s time to update your resume. Your networking and rebranding activities can lead to opportunities that can arise quickly. Make sure you’re ready with a resume that targets the new opportunity you seek.
Your resume needs to showcase the value you can bring to your new employer. Show you are moving toward a goal and not away from a tough situation.
Focus on the future and your past will simply become the springboard to your future successes.
Would You Like Some Help?
Simply fill out the quick form on my “Contact” page or email me at DLHedits@gmail.com, and we can set up a time to chat. The chat is complimentary.