Hi, everybody, and welcome.
My name is Jen, and I'm a career coach
at Indeed with over 10 years of experience.
I personally work with hundreds of jobseekers
from a variety of different roles.
Today, I'm going to share some advice on one of the most
common questions I get asked--
how can I change careers when I have
no experience in that field?
At the end of the video, I'll share the best place
to address a career change in a job application.
This is a great way to share your motivations
with potential employers to help you land an interview.
Let's begin.
The first step I recommend when changing careers
is to recognize your transferable skills.
In all of the years that I've worked with jobseekers,
I've rarely worked with someone who had no experience.
And I notice that it's very common for people
to discount the transferable skills that they have.
Changing careers can seem intimidating at first,
but in most cases, you're not starting from square one.
Start by assessing how qualified you are for the new role
by reviewing two to three jobs.
Take a look at the required and preferred skills
in the job description.
Keep an eye out for those transferable skills.
These are the non-technical skills that
can easily apply to new jobs.
So for example, I once worked with a client
who was interested in transitioning from store
management to recruiting.
At first glance, it really wasn't apparent to her
how her experience in management was applicable to the new role.
So we took a closer look at both responsibilities for the roles,
and there were some important shared skills.
For example, both positions had to accurately maintain records,
hire, and interview staff.
We then highlighted these soft skills in her application
and on her resume.
Don't neglect to share these soft skills with employers.
They're actually quite valuable.
During a job search, employers may
come across many candidates who have
similar educational backgrounds and technical skills.
So the soft skills, like being detailed-oriented or being
a team player could really be what sets you apart
from others.
If you're seeking an entry-level position,
one of the best traits you can exhibit
is having a positive attitude and an eagerness to learn.
Someone who can demonstrate the basics in addition
to having a can-do attitude is sometimes
what an employer wants most.
To learn more about transferable skills,
including the most common ones, be sure to check out
this Career Guide article.
So you've identified the skills and experience
needed to transition into this new role.
Now, it's time to set some goals that are
going to help you get there.
The length of your transition plan
is based on education needed, time
to gain new skills, relocation timeline, if applicable,
and if you plan to take any time off between careers.
Let's say you want to transition from restaurant management
to software development.
You'll find that boot camps can range from a 12-week fully
immersive program to a 9-month program that allows for more
flexibility for outside work.
Some boot camps also provide career services
to assist with job placement.
All of these factors might impact the timeline
to reach the goal of becoming a software developer.
I also recommend breaking down your long-term plan
into smaller benchmarks.
To do this, create a monthly breakdown of the steps
you need to take to become a qualified candidate
in your new field.
So let's go back to the example of the restaurant manager who
wants to transition to software development.
The monthly breakdown for this might include--
in month one, research three to five different roles
in software development.
This is a new industry, so I want
to learn more about specializing in front-end, back-end or
full-stack development.
Month two, identify the focus area.
I'm interested in front-end development,
so I want to learn from a structured program,
but I need to continue earning money.
So I'm going to research two to three boot
camps that offer part-time or flexible online programs.
In month four, I'm going to start a boot camp.
It's a 24-week part-time program.
Month six, create a personal website
to host school projects in order to demonstrate
the new skills I'm learning.
Month eight, attend one professional development
activity, like conducting an informational interview
with a front-end developer.
In month 10, update my resume and personal website.
In month 11, apply to three to five entry-level positions
per week.
To learn more about how to set SMART goals,
be sure to check out this Career Guide article.
So now that you've created your plan,
it's time to start gaining skills.
And this is also called upskilling.
The goal in upskilling is to refine or acquire
skills that are essential to the role you're seeking.
To identify which skills they might be,
refer back to the job posting that interested you.
Look at the required and preferred skills section.
Look for any gaps in your skill set
that would need to be filled to make you a stronger
candidate for the role.
You can also use free tools like Indeed certifications
to research what's required for the roles you're interested in.
There are a number of websites that
offer free or discounted courses on thousands
of different topics that can strengthen
your qualification for a role.
Once completed, be sure to add your newly gained skills
to a certification section in your resume.
It's important to make sure that your resume is
updated to reflect the skills that are related
to the industry and role.
Going back to school to gain skills might also be an option.
I would consider this in cases where the career you want
is unrelated to what you're doing currently,
and it requires in-depth knowledge and training
to be a qualified candidate.
While strong credentials aren't always
a substitute for work experience,
employers might be more likely to take a risk
on an entry-level candidate that shows
a strong educational background.
There are many benefits going back to school.
You can gain a network of professors and peers
that have similar interests.
You might also participate in an internship or training program
that offers on-hand experience.
In my opinion, one of the best perks
is having access to resources like career advisors
who are there to help you prepare for your job search.
For more information on how to find the right skills to focus
on enhancing, be sure to check out this Career Guide article.
Going back to school isn't always a necessary step
when changing careers.
So my next tip covers how to gain experience in a new role.
Employers like to see a demonstration of skills, even
for entry-level positions.
And there are many ways to gain experience
that don't involve participating in formal educational programs.
I work with so many people that are self-taught.
And a great way to gain and demonstrate your skills
is through personal projects.
This shows that you've got the skills required
for the work you want to pursue.
And it also shows you have an incredible amount
of initiative.
It tells employers you're so passionate about the work
that you want to do that you spend your free time doing it.
Taking free or discounted courses
through MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses,
can be incredibly beneficial to self learners.
These courses allow you to showcase the new skills you've
learned, which can be one of the most valuable things you
can show an employer.
Consider choosing courses that have a project built
into the curriculum.
If that's not an option, conduct a personal project
based on the course that you'll be
able to highlight in your portfolio or resume.
Another way to demonstrate your experience
is through freelance work.
For many careers, especially creative ones,
you can prove you're capable of doing the work independently
and getting paid for it.
If you want to be a writer, create an online portfolio
and see who needs freelance bylines in your network.
If you want to work in marketing,
see if anybody you know is hiring
a part-time or project-based contractor.
Freelancing your work means you're
getting paid to gain experience, and that's a win-win.
Volunteering is another way to gain experience that you
can showcase on your resume.
Look within your own community to identify opportunities
to gain work experience.
Some organizations ask for volunteers
to help with responsibilities like website
design, social media management, or event planning.
Volunteer work might also help you refine soft skills
like time management, creativity, and teamwork.
Now, before I move on, let me know
if this video is helpful by liking and subscribing for more
career and job search advice.
When you're interested in changing careers,
you want to let people know--
the right people.
And this leads me to our next tip
to help you change careers--
networking.
Networking is a key component of the job search
process, no matter which industry you want to work in.
Networking is really a long game.
So start having conversations with people
who might be able to help you find roles
in your areas of interest.
Here are some strategies to consider
to help you get started.
Reach out to your personal network.
Do you have friends or colleagues with jobs
you're interested in or who work at a company that
employs those roles?
Ask them to notify you when they see a job opening.
Conduct informational interviews.
An informational interview is a conversation with someone
who works in the role, industry, or company you're
interested in.
This is a 20 to 30-minute informal conversation
that allows you to learn more about a professional's
daily experiences and the qualifications
that helped them get the job.
It also gives you the opportunity
to get expert advice, like tips on how to find similar position
and ways that you can prepare for the role or interview.
Reaching out to strangers might seem awkward at first.
You might not become extremely close
with every person you talk to.
But the more informational interviews you do,
the more likely you are to build real connections that
could translate to professional recommendations later on.
So make sure to be friendly and appreciative
during these conversations and focus
on learning about the career and connecting with the people
that you're talking to.
Networking is not a skill that often comes
naturally or immediately feels comfortable.
To learn more about how you can improve your networking skills,
be sure to check out this Career Guide article.
Now, as a bonus, let's discuss an effective way
to address a career change before you get to an interview.
I've seen it be most effective to address a career
change before you get to the interview stage.
And there's one key place where you can do this effectively--
your cover letter.
When switching careers, I highly recommend submitting a cover
letter along with your resume.
Not all jobs are going to require a cover letter,
but if you have the ability to include one, even just
as an option, this is one instance where you really
should take it.
Create a cover letter that addresses
why you're looking to change your career,
mentioning what motivated you to make the change,
inspired you to go back to school,
or continue professional development.
Take the opportunity to sell your past experience
as an asset.
Address how it gives you a unique perspective that's
going to help the company achieve their goals.
So there you have it.
As a recap, when you're looking to switch careers
with no direct experience, you should
recognize your transferable skills,
establish a transition plan, fill in the gaps in your skill
set, gain experience that demonstrates your new skills,
network with the right people.
And our bonus tip is to use your cover letter
to tell a compelling story about what
motivated your career change.
For more information on switching careers,
be sure to check out this Career Guide article.
I hope that you found this information to be helpful.
Changing careers can seem like an intimidating process,
but it really doesn't have to be when you take time
to create a transition plan and hold yourself accountable.
If you thought that this video was helpful,
please share it with others.
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Thank you so much for watching, and we'll see you next time.