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Friday, December 18, 2009
Layoffs Lead to New Paths
Dear Leslie:
I was laid off after 14 years of working in managerial positions in manufacturing plants. Since finding employment in this sector is nearly impossible right now, I'm thinking about trying to transfer my negotiating experience and other people skills to sales or customer service.
Any advice on how to be a convincing applicant in a new field?
Dear Reader,
Many people are turning the necessity of finding a new job into an opportunity for reinventing themselves. While you might never have made a career switch unless forced, one of the very few silver linings of losing a job in a declining industry is that it gives you a chance to reassess your skills and find new ways to package them.
You may find that some of the minor responsibilities you had at your old job could play a major role in landing you a new position. "If you were the point person for deliveries to customers, for example, or a problem solver, all that is relatable to a customer service job," says Jackie Kim, manager of the San Francisco branch of OfficeTeam, a temporary administrative staffing service.
Kim's advice to career switchers is to start out by doing extensive research into your prospective field. Do you best to determine the exact sorts of positions and specific companies you believe would make the best fit.
Next, look at the qualifications of appealing jobs that companies describe in the "Careers" areas of their Web sites or that you can also find by sifting through jobs advertised online via free job boards. "You may find skill sets that you already possess," she says.
Another way to research an unfamiliar field is to ply your network, both personal and on networking sites like LinkedIn and Facebook, for information. Ask those who work in the field, or who work in companies with departments in the area you want to join, to educate you about the necessary qualifications. "People who are looking for jobs do not do enough socializing about it," Kim says. Your contacts "may know a lot that you don't know."
Once you identify the assets you already have that will serve you best in your newly chosen field, rewrite your résumé to highlight the skills and experience that would most impress an interviewer. If you decide to pursue jobs in both customer service and sales, for example, you'll need two different résumés. If you are lacking in some area, try to get extra training while you are job hunting.
Use your cover letter to educate your prospective employer about why you would be a promising candidate. Make the connections for her by explaining exactly why various past experiences have prepared you for the new position. Also key, says Kim, is preparing for a possible interview. Be ready to elaborate in person on the claims you make in your cover letter. To be convincing, "you need to feel confident."
Leslie Whitaker is co-author of "Good Girls Guide to Negotiating." E-mail her at Leslie@ctwfeatures.com and join the conversation at www.lesliewhitaker.com.
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