How to Succeed in Switching Careers

Switching careers, especially in different industries, is no easy task! It can take a long time to land an interview and get a job offer.

But that doesn’t mean you should give up!

Here are the some steps you can take to succeed in switching careers and getting your new job.

*This post contains affiliate links.

Figure Out What You’re Interested In

The first step in switching careers is figuring out what the next best step for you is. I know, I know…a lot easier said than done. Who really knows what they want to do for the rest of their lives?

But, a good way to start would be to think broadly about your long term career and professional goals and what style of work you enjoy: 

• Do you want a job that’s fully remote?  
• Do you want to work during a typical 9-5 schedule or do you want something more flexible?  
• Where do you see yourself in 10-20 years? 
• Do you want to be a specialist in one area, or would you prefer to have knowledge in many areas?
• Is your goal to be a high-level executive and work your way up, or do you see yourself staying as a manager until you retire? 
• Do you see yourself working for a company for the rest of your life? Or do you want to start a company of your own? 
• What kind of company culture are you interested in? Do you like having an open space environment or do you like having your own assigned desk and space? Do you like joining office happy hours or do you prefer to spend your time after work on your own?  
• What fields are you passionate about? Which areas do you want to learn more about? 
• What are you naturally good at? What can you easily teach others about?

Here are some examples: If you were to switch your career to investment banking, you would probably be working 60+ hours a week with limited flexibility. On the opposite spectrum, if your next job was at a startup, you would probably have a more flexible office culture.

If you’re still unsure, talk to people that are in fields that interest you and research companies and jobs online! Make sure that the career you’re switching into is one you’ll enjoy!

Get More Experience

After figuring out which careers or new job opportunities you might be interested in, it’s time to get some experience in the new area you are trying to move into. This part is super important otherwise it will be difficult to get interview opportunities and get your new job! 

While you try and get additional experience, you should keep your current full-time job until you have some experience under your belt and can start applying to the new field you are interested in. (Yes, that probably means working a few extra hours a week!) 

If you don’t have any experience: 

Network with people at your current company: Find people in the field you are trying to get into! Ask them for advice on switching into that area, ask about the skills that are needed and what the expectations and qualifications are for the job. You can also ask them about their day to day activities to get an understanding of the role to figure out which areas you might need to gain more experience in. This would also be a good time to ask them what technical skills are needed for the job. 

Look at job descriptions: Review the job description of the role you’re interesting in transitioning to. See what skills and qualifications they require, how many years of experience they ask for, and start thinking about how you can find that experience in the meantime.  

Get certified: Try and see if you can get certifications, licenses, or technical training related to any area of your ideal next career. 

Here are some certifications you can get based on areas you’re interested in:

• Human Resources Certifications (PHR, SPHR, SHRM)
• Project Management Certifications (PMP)
• Sales Certifications (Challenger Sales, Sandler Training)
• Help Desk/Desktop Analyst Certifications (A+, Network+)
• Network Certifications (CCNA, CCNP, CCIE)

Get a part time job: There are a lot of part time jobs that only require you to work 3-5 hours, but you can work more if you want. Spend a few hours a week getting paid to get experience in the field you’re trying to get into! Switching careers is a lot easier when you have relevant experience beforehand!

Here are some job sites that make it easy for you to find a part time job:

• Upwork
• Simply Hired 
• PeopleperHour 
• Aquent 
• Glassdoor (part time jobs) 
• Indeed 

Read books: Buy books on topics that you’re looking to get more information on.

Tailor Your Resume– Make it Clear You’re Switching Careers!

Now that you’ve got the experience you need, it’s time to edit and tailor your resume! Start summarizing your accomplishments and brainstorming how to showcase the skills you’ve learned.  

The best way to tailor your resume is to create a new resume or edit your resume for each job and company you apply to. Before tweaking your resume, review the company values and culture. Look at each job description for the roles you will be applying to. See what skills they highlight under minimum qualifications, required qualifications, and preferred qualifications and job responsibilities.  

Identify the top personal and professional skills they are looking for (see example at the bottom of this article on how to extract important skills and qualifications from job descriptions). Include those personal and professional skills in your resume! 

You can also utilize LinkedIn by finding associates that currently work at the companies and careers you’re looking to switch to. Look for the skills and job responsibilities they list under their current and previous roles.  

After doing a deep dive of the company, edit your resume to mirror what the company is looking for.  For example: if the company states they’re looking for someone that can analyze business metrics, lead large teams, and prioritize different tasks and responsibilities, make sure you find some way to show that you’ve analyzed the business, led teams, and prioritized competing tasks (without directly copying the exact sentences.) 

Get the Interview– You’re Halfway There!

Now that your resume is good to go, it’s time to start interviewing! Many people struggle with getting interviews when switching careers, especially if you don’t have a ton of relevant experience.  

One of the best ways to get more interviews is network! Look for employees that currently have the job you’re interested in on LinkedIn as well as HR professionals or recruiters at the company you’re trying to go to. Reach out to as many people as you can by messaging them on LinkedIn. You don’t need LinkedIn Premium to do this, but you will have to “connect” with others before messaging them. LinkedIn does have a limit on how many people you can connect with that you aren’t in the same network with, so don’t add too many people in one day.  

Once you connect with associates that are working in the company you want to work at, message them and see if they’d be willing to help you or refer you to the right person. If not, you can also see if they’d be available for a fifteen-minute coffee chat to help you learn more about the company and culture. Even if they don’t share your name with a recruiter, you can still gain inside knowledge about the company that you can use during your interviews to show you did your research. 

You can also apply through multiple career sites! Cast a wide net and apply to companies and industries you might not have considered originally. The more you apply to, the greater chance you have in getting an interview.  

If you aren’t getting traction with the job you applied to, chances are you’re applying to the wrong level (“associate” instead of “assistant”, “manager” instead of “associate”) or you need to find a different way to get your foot into the door. Try tweaking the titles around and looking at other similar opportunities as a way to switch into the field or career you’re interested in. 

Before the Interview – Study, Study Study!

Once you get the interview set up, it’s time to dig even deeper.

Research the company: Find out what their values are and make sure you really understand the company culture. Understand what they look for at each level of the company and identify what you can bring to the table. Research what initiatives the company is leading and how they are different than competitors. 

I find interviews the easiest when I can truly imagine myself at the company. Try to visualize what working at the company means to you–this can help you have more confidence during the interview!

Understand the job: Make sure you really understand the job description and can explain how you can contribute to each task. Switching careers will be easier if you can understand and accurately depict what the new job consists of. Interviewers will be able to see right through you if you pretend to do your research but don’t actually know the material!

Know your resume: Be able to speak about any experiences listed on your resume in depth and show how you added value to each company or group you joined. 

Come prepared with examples to all behavioral and situational questions. Practice answering interview questions out loud or with a friend and make sure you sound confident in your answers.

Practice Using the STAR Method:  Make sure that when you answer questions, you address the Situation, Task, Action and Result.  Your answers should be well formatted and the interviewer should be able to follow your story.

Ace the Interview

Dress for success: You want to make sure you match the company culture when you interview. If the company dress is extremely casual, you probably don’t want to show up in a full suit, however you can wear what you think is right!  

I personally find that I perform better at interviews when I’m more formal, because it reminds me to be extra professional and make the best impression possible. I also try not to deviate too much from my original style because I want to represent who I am as well.

Ask questions: Come prepared with relevant questions that are unique and can extend the conversation. After asking questions, make sure you are actively listening and engaging in the conversation, rather than firing questions back to back.  

Be conscious of your surroundings: Your interview starts the minute you walk onto the street of the company door. Be careful what you say outside and inside of the office. From the minute you arrive in the building, have your game face on! Be nice to everyone you talk to, because people talk and chances are everyone knows each other.  

Be yourself: Make sure you are displaying your personality. The company wants to make sure you’re a good fit for them, but you also want to make sure you’re going to enjoy working there. The best way to figure out if you’re a match is to be yourself. See if conversation comes naturally and allow the conversation to flow! 

It’s important to make sure you’re being yourself and that you really see the company as a good fit for what you’re looking for. Switching careers would be so painful if you ended up at a company you don’t like!

Watch Your body language: Be engaged, make eye contact, and smile when needed. Make sure you’re facing you’re interviewer and that you’re professional and poised. Mirror your interviewer’s body language.  

Be confident:  If you’ve gotten this far, you’re clearly a good candidate for the role. Be sure about your answers and take initiative to drive or lead the conversation when necessary.  

After The Interview- Follow Up

Say thank you: Make sure to say thank you after each interview you have in person. Once your interview day is over, send a thank you email! Include what you learned about the company and what you enjoyed about your interview.   

Related Posts:

[RELATED: How to Prep for A Digital Interview]

[RELATED: 7 Reasons Why You’re Not Getting Promoted]

[RELATED: How to Be Positively Relentless in Your Career]