7 Tips For Pivoting To A New Industry

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How do you pivot your career into completely different industries? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Answer by David Garcia, President of New Stand, on Quora:

For many, the last several years have created not only major transformations in the workplace but in how we think about our relationship with work. Millions of people are using this as an opportunity to change the course of their careers.

If you’re hitting the job market, either by choice or by force, pivoting is one of the most rewarding and challenging moments of your career. Rarely does life give you the chance to recreate who you are and give the opportunity to put to work all of the learning you’ve accumulated without any of the baggage.

Here’s a quick explainer on how to make one of the biggest moves of your career.

Define what WINNING means to you.

Set your north star by asking yourself why you want to make the move and what outcomes you want to achieve. Whether it’s creative fulfillment, financial gain, or working on something with meaning, set your north star and don’t accept a job if you don’t win.

Bet on the right horse.

Pick high growth industries and do your homework before you place a bet — if you're pivoting into emerging tech (such as, crypto, drones, and VR) these are radically different markets and you have to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the markets and players BEFORE you make a move.

No one wants to hire a college grad.

Self-educate because the biggest hurdle you’ll have to cross is “Do I think this candidate can do the job?” Demonstrating understanding of core concepts and second/third order effects will go a long way in getting sponsors to refer you, recruiters to screen you, and hiring managers to select you over other candidates.

Double down on betting on yourself.

If getting into the company or industry matters more than immediate financial gain or scope, don’t be afraid to accept a lateral move or take a step back — you’re already betting on yourself. Breaking in through the proverbial mailroom is still better than not breaking in at all and once you’re in you can show and prove your way to the top.

The internet is not your friend.

Your candidacy runs counter to all pattern recognition at play in the system — you will be automatically disqualified by applicant tracking systems and deprioritized by algorithms. Leverage your network to get intros and meet people. If you don’t have a network to activate, cold email and call your way into the recruitment process.

Always be closing.

Every interaction is part of the interview process, sell yourself in every moment until they start selling you. Key to getting over the goal line is addressing your perceived weaknesses. Take the 8-Mile approach and be the first to raise potential concerns: “I know I don't have the healthcare background that you're usually looking for, but let me tell you why I'm still the best candidate…”

You made it happen, don’t mess it up.

The first 90 days are critical in demonstrating to the hiring manager and company they made the right decision in selecting you, don't mess it up.