Written by: Aileen Carson, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
If you’re considering a career change or if you are returning to work after a career break and want to try something different, it can be difficult persuading employers to hire you.
Some employers still value experience above all else and are reluctant to take on people without a certain amount of experience in a similar job. What can you do to convince them that you’re a suitable candidate even if you haven’t done this type of work before?
Identify your skills
Start by identifying your transferable skills. These are skills that you can take with you to any job. To do this, look at the jobs you have done in the past. Break down the tasks you did and look at what skills were needed to be able to do them well. Did you already have these skills or did you need to learn them? How quickly were you able to learn them?
Think back to times when you were given feedback at work. Were there any areas of your work that your boss or your colleagues thought you were particularly good at?
Then look at other areas of your life, such as your family life, interests or hobbies, voluntary work or any other activity you have done. What skills did you gain?
Have you studied for a qualification while holding down a full-time job? This demonstrates commitment, an ability to work hard, and determination to learn new skills or gain knowledge that you might not acquire through work alone.
If you’re finding it hard to identify your transferable skills, ask a friend or colleague what they think you’re good at. Sometimes other people can see things in us that we can’t see in ourselves.
Put some time aside to do this exercise as it will be difficult to do it effectively while you’re juggling everything else in your life. Find a quiet space and reflect on the jobs and other activities you have done throughout your life. Give yourself time to do this and you’ll find it easier to identify your skills and abilities.
Demonstrate your skills to employers
Once you have identified your skills, think about which ones are transferable and how you can demonstrate these to potential employers.
Some skills are useful in any job. These include:
Interpersonal skills – do you have self-awareness and emotional intelligence and are you able to build relationships with people?
Coaching skills – can you get the best out of people? Do you encourage them and help them develop rather than telling them what to do?
Written and verbal communication skills – can you get your ideas across clearly and adapt your communication style to your audience?
Personal development – can you demonstrate that you are a lifelong learner and that you are keen to expand your skills?
Dealing with change – how do you adapt when going through a period of change? How can you demonstrate your resilience and your ability to juggle tasks? Perhaps you were homeschooling while trying to hold down a job throughout the pandemic.
There are lots more transferable skills and you’ll be able to identify them when you start looking for jobs and see what kind of skills employers are looking for.
Practical tips
Once you have identified the transferable skills you possess, make sure they are relevant for the job you’re applying for. Check the job description and person specification and ensure these skills are mentioned there.
It’s amazing how many people mention on their applications that they have skills or experience that aren’t relevant for the role they’re applying for. This means you need to alter your CV or application each time you apply for a job to avoid submitting an identical application for each job you apply for.
If this whole exercise feels like too big a task, remember you’re not starting all over again. You’ve already gained lots of skills from previous jobs and from other areas of your life which you can use to demonstrate your ability to do a different job. Don’t let lack of experience be a barrier to your chosen career.
If you’d like help identifying your skills to help you to move on to another job or to get back into the workplace after a break, get in touch.
Aileen Carson, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Aileen Carson is a professional coach who specialises in helping managers find ways of reducing stress and avoiding burnout to help them gain clarity on the next steps of their career.
Aileen works with people who are unclear about where their career is heading as they are under constant pressure to achieve results. She helps them work out strategies to deal with stress so they can focus on their career ambitions.
Aileen’s own career transitions and personal experience of burnout have given her valuable insight that feeds into her coaching work. Her previous clients have learnt to recognise their own needs, improve their wellbeing, work out their next career moves, recognise the signs of burnout, increase their confidence and improve their leadership skills.
