CAREERS NOW 03-30-08

Switching Industries Easier Than Changing Careers

DEAR JOYCE: The signs are showing up on my office wall: my end is near. Dozens of us are being let go for financial reasons. My industry is impacted and I was wondering if I should change careers? - P.S.R.

Your career field - also called your functional area - is the kind of work you do. Your industry is where you do it.

When you're under pressure and rushing away from a disintegrating situation, rather than marching toward a well-reasoned goal, jumping into a new career field can be a fundamental error that will squeeze your livelihood for years to come. Mistakes are made; careers become disjointed; financial hardships occur. If you must change something at this moment and can't find a similar job with a competitor, think instead about changing industries while holding on tight to your functional area.

SWITCHING INDUSTRIES. Depending on the work you do, many industries may be open to you. Or not. When you're an accountant or sales person, theoretically you can find a home in virtually any kind of industry. But when you're an aerospace engineer or personal fitness trainer, your industry options are concentrated in aerospace or fitness.

The further away you travel from your experience base, the more challenging the switch-over. In rank order of increasingly difficult moves, it's easiest to relocate your functional area in your current industry, somewhat less easy in a related industry, and hardest to do in an unrelated industry.

The reasons: Many employers make industry experience a requirement. Without it, no sale. The requirement perception is that a candidate who's worked in the industry, preferably doing a similar job, is the safest bet.

Reasons why hiring authorities insist on industry experienced people include their desire to eliminate time and money to train and reap immediate productivity, to attract competitors' employees who will bring "best practice" ideas and customers, and to cover their behinds if the new hire flops, telling their bosses the failed person "came from our industry so it's not my fault."

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS. How can you get around such barriers when you're trying to transition to a new industry? Here are possibilities:

-- Make convincing competency- and skill-conversion arguments in your resume and other marketing materials and interviews. Leverage your experience to show how it fits hand-in-glove with the open job.

-- Emphasize the benefits of cross-fertilization of thought, especially for times when new business trends call for new answers. (Google for a helpful, detailed article on this point by Cleve Rowley, "How Important is Industry Experience in the Job Search?")

-- Identify all the likely industries where you could score a good connection. (Among useful free resources: Hoovers - hoovers.com, click on the Industries tab; and The Riley Guide - rileyguide.com, click on the industry data in the A-Z Index. Large general job boards list job opportunities by industry.)

-- Bone up on basic industry knowledge to boost your credibility. Read trade publications, industry blogs and newspaper business pages. Attend trade shows and talk with people in the industry. Watch for new products, industry trends and challenges.

-- When attempting an industry switch, remember that more jobs emerge in the small and mid-sized companies than in large ones. Because you may be required to wear several hats, your experience in another industry will be more valued in the smalls.

-- Consider contract jobs. When an industry move is iffy because employers aren't sure you can do the work or you're not sure that you want to do the work, a short-term assignment may iron out the wrinkles.

CHOOSING UPBEAT INDUSTRIES. If the job market continues to soften, job seekers are likely to bump up competition in a wider universe of industries. Most will head for industries that appear to be growing, or at least are holding their own, such as healthcare, education, energy and security. (Google for "Monster Local Employment Index" to see a very general snapshot of online recruitment activity in various industries.)

When you're forced to move on, opt to ply your trade in the same or another industry and stop there. Wait until you're calling the tune to change your functional area - if that's what you really want to do.

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