The pandemic recession has left millions unemployed in the US.
Many of those people are looking for new jobs. Some will have to reinvent themselves if the industries where they once worked are on shaky footing.
That transition can ultimately be a good thing. In a survey conducted by Prudential and Harris Insights in February and March 2020, 83% of professionals who had switched jobs voluntarily said they were satisfied with the move.
But trying to change too much at once can backfire.
That's according to Erica Keswin. As an executive coach at New York University's Stern School of Business, much of Keswin's day-to-day involved dealing with clients who, for a variety of reasons, wanted to make a career change.
Keswin, who is a workplace strategist and the author of the book "Bring Your Human to Work," told all those clients, "It's very difficult to change industry and function at the same time." Too many people get overeager and want to do a total 180-degree turn when making a career transition.
How to apply your skills and experience in a new context
Say you currently hold a finance role in the fashion industry. Keswin recommends that you consider either staying in fashion and moving to the role you'd prefer or staying in a finance role and moving to the industry you'd prefer. Once you have some experience with either a new role or new industry, you can think about making a bigger switch.
Keswin also led many coaching clients through an exercise in which they mapped their transferable skills.
"These are some jobs that I'd be interested in; this is what I used to do," Keswin said. "On paper, [the new job] looks nothing like [my old job]. But when I really peel back the layers, it's clear that I have many of the skills that would enable me to do [the new job]."
It all comes down to being patient, cautious, and thoughtful — traits that, admittedly, aren't so easy to display when you're fed up with your current job or when you're out of work.
The Prudential survey found that roughly 75% of job-switchers changed roles for financial reasons, like getting promoted and making more money. Financial switchers also took a more long-term approach to changing jobs, the survey found. For example, they researched their options; they consulted recruiters as well as family and friends; they evaluated the pros and cons.
Indeed, career coach and former Googler Jenny Blake guides clients through a four-step process when they're making a career change, whether that's moving into a new role at their company or launching a startup. The first step involves figuring out what's working well in their current career stage and how they can leverage that.
Narrow down your options to three new opportunities
Once Keswin's clients completed the mapping exercise and pinpointed some potential new gigs that wouldn't look too dissimilar from their old role, Keswin would advise them to narrow down their options to three opportunities.
That's because, she added, "most people that I work with end up getting that first interview or that next opportunity through some type of relationship that they have built," and not through submitting their résumé online.
So you'll want to invest the appropriate amount of time and energy in forging those relationships — think reaching out to former colleagues or classmates. "You can't really go deep enough to make traction if you're looking at any more than three opportunities," Keswin said.
