Forging the path towards a professional career can be exciting yet daunting. You might be dreaming about the possibilities of a fresh start, but there are still many unknowns. Sometimes the risks of starting a new job might even hold you back from pursuing your interests. Many candidates ask themselves: Am I qualified for these types of prospective professional jobs? What if I don’t have relevant experience? Will my previous experience help me land the role and ensure I’m successful?
We’re here to give you the push of confidence you might need to pursue a new opportunity! Keep reading to learn how to apply previous work experience to new roles and how to decide if you’d be a good fit for a prospective employer.
How do I Apply Previous Experience to a New Job?
You’re ready to start a new professional career, but you’re wondering if you have enough experience – or the correct experience. Fortunately, even if your past jobs, internships, or education do not seem applicable, there are ways of correlating that experience to future roles.
When considering if you’re qualified for a new role, you should contemplate more than just the actual daily tasks you do now. While they are something to consider – and can increase your chances of landing the job – you should also think about the core skills and measurable outcomes that you provide to your current employer. There are many different types of professional jobs, and you’d be surprised how many require similar core skills.
For example, let’s say a 9th grade English teacher is looking for a new professional career. He searches “professional jobs hiring near me” and sees that a local marketing agency is hiring a project manager. Currently, as a teacher, he arranges lesson plans, disciplines unruly teenagers, collects and grades homework, and more. While his daily tasks would look completely different as a marketing project manager, he is already practicing very similar skills. From organizing project timelines, aligning each aspect of a deliverable, and motivating distracted creatives – he might just be the perfect fit for the project management role!
Making the jump to a professional service job might be easier than you think. Keep reading to consider if a change could be right for you!
Three Considerations When Applying For A Professional Job
Before starting the process of those pesky job application emails, stop for a minute and think through the following considerations. They will help you adjust your resume, prepare for an interview, and even decide if this job is right for you.
You Might Have More Experience Than You Think
Start by thinking about all of your previous experience: jobs, internships, apprenticeships, education, or volunteer work. Is any of your background in the same field as this prospective job? If so, be sure to highlight that on your resume, job application emails, and interview. Your experience may seem minor to you, but it could be the tipping point that lands you the role over other applicants.
Furthermore, if you can describe your experience through quantifiable metrics – that’s even better! Your goal is to show how your skills and experiences will be an asset to this new job. Hiring managers don’t want to take risks when filling roles, so it’s important to show them you have a proven, measurable record of success.
You Can Get Creative When Applying For A New Job
Remember how we applied the English teacher’s experience to a project management role? This is where you can get creative with proving your core skills crossover to a new role – even if it is a different type of professional job.
To do this, make a list of your current daily tasks. Then ask yourself: what core skills make me successful at these tasks? Think about core skills as competencies such as organization, time management, active listening, and attention to detail. These skills are important in many different types of professional jobs and are easily transferable!
When You Can’t Find Any Similar Experience
One caveat to consider is if your lack of experience might hinder your ability to perform in a new role. While we believe many skills are easily transferable, you might not be ready for a career shift immediately. When you are making a list of your daily tasks and core skills, you might not see any crossover between your past experience and a new role.
If that’s the case, it might not be time to jump into this professional career change. Instead, take time to grow in the skills you need. Register for classes, seek out mentors, find books to help you grow, and consider if there’s a smaller job change that will get you closer to your end goal.
Another thing to consider if there isn’t any crossover in experience: are you still interested in this job? Sometimes, thinking through your experience shows you that you’re actually a better fit for a different career path. Wherever this road leads you, know that there is a fulfilling job for every skill set. You just need to find it!
Work with Friday Staffing Services to Get the Best Job For You!
Need help finding that perfect job for you? Work with Friday Staffing Services. We bring the right people to the right job – every time. Get started today!
