agonyaunt

I am convinced that all of us have basic, professional skills that are transferable across career lines. For example, if you are in sales, project management or accounting, you should be able to move to new and exciting projects easily across companies.
WHY is this important? So that one can always be in a growth business.
HOW can you do this? Here are three steps (with an example)

- ANALYZE: Evaluate your job skills now and write down what you do in a general way. Example: Email, writing documents, problem solving, spreadsheets
- NETWORK: Shortlist one person in your circle of acquaintances and friends that can offer some insight on your new area of interest. Ask questions such as: “What sorts of roles will require these skills? What is the work culture? Benefits?” – on topics that your employer will not tell you about.
- PREPARE: Rewrite your resume to match this “role”; rephrase your skills to appeal to the new target audience. Finally, take some additional training, if relevant, to show that you are really committed to this new line of thinking.

For example: switching from a paralegal to a librarian.
Common skills: Ability to read, process complex information and methodically handle information. Practice in research of new topics.
Network: with librarians in the local area, starting with the neighborhood public library or your kids’ school library.
Training: Library science (optional)

Good luck! Remember your enthusiasm and passion have to come from within; and showing that you have prepared and thought about the problem is a KEY aspect of switching roles, tracks – to change your professional life.