At last, my long promised blog on transferring skills! This will hopefully answer the question “how can I transfer my skills from one industry to another?”
In the Health and Safety job market most advertisements and descriptions require previous experience in a specific area and this leaves applicants trying to move sectors in a “chicken and egg” situation. No experience, no job; no job, no experience… So, how do you get around this? People manage to move from one industry to another all the time; you just need to increase your chances of being selected! Here are some tips:
First of all, do the obvious – demonstrate commitment and try to get some experience in your target sector. Seek out opportunities within your current organisation and look at other options such as a secondment, voluntary work or perhaps shadowing an experienced practitioner.
But even before you do any of this, do your research to ensure that it really is what you want to do. Make sure that you have a sound understanding of what you’re getting yourself into and your reasons for doing it (sorry but “it pays really well” and “there’s lots of jobs in that particular sector” don’t count!).
Then talk to the people who are going to be able to help you move:
· Network with other safety professionals and try attending special interest group meetings http://www.iosh.co.uk/index.cfm?go=groups.main http://www.iirsm.org/NEW/events/events.html
· Speak to local employers in your target industry
· Register with specialist agencies (like ours, www.newlevelrecruitment.com!) and contact local recruitment companies too as they may have contacts in your preferred companies.
That’s a lot of people to contact so keep a record of them and be selective about where you actually send your CV – sending it to everyone won’t help, it’ll have the opposite effect!
The next step is to apply for the right jobs:
· If the advert says previous experience is essential then it almost certainly is - if only because you’ll be up against other candidates with that experience!
· Obviously, keep an eye out for roles offering training opportunities J
· Try registering your interest with the companies advertising for experienced applicants, but don’t apply for those jobs without an explanation of what you’re seeking! Wait a few days and send a covering note asking them to keep your details on file for more suitable positions.
· Bear in mind that larger organisations with a team of H&S staff might be able to offer you more support than a smaller company looking for a sole H&S Advisor (would you be able to perform the role of competent person without previous experience??).
· Think local - location can crucial, so where possible concentrate on local jobs that are within an easy commuting distance.
When you apply for jobs, think about the person reviewing your application and make their life easy for them!! After all, your mission is get into the “yes” pile and at all costs to avoid the “too hard basket”. So,
· Make sure your CV is fabulous – job-specific, professional, concise, up to date, well presented, spell-checked etc, etc, etc (see our earlier blog on this) and especially that it includes any experience you have of your target industry!
· If you don’t have any relevant experience to mention include a Personal Objective section outlining your plans on the first page. Obviously this information will be in your cover note but they’re not always forwarded on to the hiring manager.
Then, follow up your applications and speak to a real person (if you can) to get feedback.
Finally, when you do get that call – make sure you’re prepared for the interview (if we haven’t covered this in the blog already then I’ll add it to the list!).
Hope this helps. Additional tips are most welcome!
Best of luck!
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