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When you are looking for a career change or even offering assistance, it helps to find ways to use your expertise in other fields. It can be tricky. But here are some tips to get you started.
Highlight Skills You Can Offer
Start by making a list of the skills you’ve learned in your current job. These could be hard skills, like coding or design, or soft skills, like being able to communicate and lead. Then, think about which of these skills you can use in other situations. People who are successful, like Travis Preston with CalArts, have a wide range of skills that go far beyond stage production. The skills needed for this job can be used in other fields, like media production and advertising.
Identify Other Fields that are Similar
Once you know what your transferable skills are, you can look into other industries or fields that might be able to use them. For instance, if you are a graphic designer, you might think about using your skills in advertising, publishing, or film. Or, if you are good at talking to people and don’t mind working with them, you could think about working in health care. These skills will help you get jobs in health care, medical writing, and administration, specifically in the medical field.
Build a Solid Network to Use Your Expertise
If you are afraid of being turned down, you might not want to network. Some people can’t move because they’re afraid to talk to strangers. But networking can help you meet leaders in other industries who can help you figure out how to use your skills in their field. For better networking, you should think about going to events in your field and connecting with people on platforms like LinkedIn. You can also reach out to college and university graduates who work in other fields.
Expand Your Knowledge
If you want to make a change, learning about more things can help you a lot. If you need to fill gaps in your skills in order to work in a new field, you might want to take classes or get certifications to learn new skills. Many universities, trade schools, and online learning platforms offer classes and certifications in a wide range of fields. You can always learn more, no matter how old you are. But keep in mind that changing fields takes a lot of time, effort, and dedication.
Get More Hands-On
Education and training aren’t always the best ways to learn more. So, you should look for ways to get hands-on experience in the new area that interests you. This could include internships, volunteer work, or projects that you do on your own. This will help you build a portfolio of your work in a new field and show potential employers what you can do. A lot of employers also want to hire people who will volunteer their time to help nonprofits, charities, and volunteer work.
Summary
There are many ways you can use your expertise in other fields. These include first identifying your skills. Then try building a reliable network and gain practical knowledge with experience.
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