Dear Jobs Guru: ‘I want to change career but I don’t have any related expertise’
Reader Jan has decided she wants a fresh start – but she’s not sure her background as a medical receptionist will open many doors. Our Jobs Guru James Innes is here with some advice
Changing career can look tempting at the end of a long day(Image: Getty Images/Science Photo Library RF)
Dear James
I want to work in PR, but I have no directly relevant experience.
I’m currently a medical receptionist and I think this must mean that I have some transferable skills.
I definitely don’t want to start at the absolute bottom again and have to work my way up.
What advice do you have for me?
Jan, Leeds
Answer:
I think I’ll give you the good news first of all, Jan. Changing career is increasingly common, increasingly understood by employers and, consequently, increasingly easy to achieve.
The bad news, though, is that this is evidently a pretty dramatic career change. The two sectors are almost totally unrelated – and so, with zero experience in PR, you are inevitably going to have to start somewhere close to the bottom.
You just can’t expect to come into a role above people who have been working in that sector their whole lives…
You should be able to avoid the “absolute bottom”, though! And that’s where selling your transferable skills comes in. You have rightly identified that this is critical.
Clearly, your current role is one which involves a lot of ‘people work’ – and that’s also very useful in PR. What other qualities do you have which might be applicable? Some hard thinking is required on your part.
However, the best advice I can give you – not least bearing in mind what a competitive sector PR is – is to get some hands-on experience under your belt to boost your CV before you try to make the change.
Top Tip:
Volunteers are almost always welcomed with open arms and, if you’re planning a career change, this kind of real-world experience will undoubtedly facilitate your actual transition into a paid role.
Spotlight On: Volunteering
If you’re lacking in paid work experience for whatever reason – you’ve been out of work for some time, you’re looking to make a major career change, you’ve only just left school, etc. – then volunteering can be a really useful option to consider.
There are so many advantages. It demonstrates to a recruiter or prospective employer that you do have recent work experience, a strong work ethic and, evidently, a desire to progress. It also makes for a stronger and more interesting CV, of course, especially for recent school, college or university leavers.
But, also rather importantly, it can do wonders to boost your own self-confidence. Don’t underestimate how valuable that can be.
Get a head start in your job hunt with James’ new book, The Job You’ve Always Wanted – out now from Pearson at £16.99.
Our Jobs Guru, James Innes, is a best-selling careers author and founder of the world’s leading group of professional CV and resume writers .
