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Burnout happens. Even to the best of us. The pandemic hasn’t helped burnout. In fact, it’s accelerated it in a number of fields including nursing and education. According to a survey by Healthcare IT News, ninety percent of respondents are considering leaving the nursing profession in the next year. When it comes to education and teaching, The National Education Association reports that according to a survey by GBAO Strategies, an alarming 55% of educators are now indicating that they are ready to leave the profession they love earlier than planned. So as a candidate or hiring manager, what do you do if you or your candidate is looking to leave a field and transition to a new one? Here are some things to consider when transitioning fields from both a candidate and hiring manager’s perspective.
Look at Complementary Industries
While a resume and good job history is important, it’s important to look beyond the current industry and look into complementary industries. For example, if you are a nurse you may want to consider nurse recruiting. As a hiring manager, hiring a former nurse can be lucrative to the business, as they have a number of connections that could potentially bring business into your door.
Another example is in regards to teachers and educators. With new concerns from both the pandemic and overall safety perspectives, many teachers may not feel comfortable returning to a physical classroom. They may opt to become full-time nannies, “pod” teachers, or even work for a virtual instruction company. Teachers are also prime candidates for Education Technology (EdTech) jobs.
Lastly, with the Great Resignation, many service industry professionals are opting for steadier employment, more structured hours, as well as, benefits like health insurance and 401k. This is leading to these people opting to leave the restaurant/bar setting and into a more of a traditional 9 to 5 role. Industries that may be complementary include at-home customer service roles, corporate hospitality roles, and/or event management/planning positions.
Look at Transferrable Skills
It’s important when creating your resume as a candidate or reviewing a candidate’s resume as a hiring manager, that you highlight or recognize skills gained and used in previous roles. For example, a car salesperson may be really good at analyzing numbers and crunching numbers to close a sale. This skillset could often be transferred to an analyst position. Or perhaps they are very good at marketing their product making them an ideal candidate for a full-time marketing position.
In regards to teaching, an English teacher may also be very good at writing, making them a good candidate for a copywriting or technical writing position. A math teacher is obviously good at numbers making them a desirable candidate for a finance or analyst position.
Lastly, service industry professionals typically have great customer service skills, leading them into customer service, account management, or customer success positions. They also know how to multi-task making them a great resource to a project management team as a project coordinator.
Look For Cultural Fit
While off the cuff, as a candidate, you may feel you are not a fit for a position based on the job requirements, but you feel passionate about the company or brand. This passion goes a long way. Many hiring managers are just looking for those who are passionate about the work and can easily be trained. It’s important as a candidate, to look for companies that are a cultural fit.
It is just as it’s important for a hiring manager to look for candidates that are a cultural fit. A candidate may be better on paper, but lack the personality and ability to be trained like another candidate in your candidate pool. No one candidate is going to be perfect. Sometimes it is worth taking the risk on a “greener” candidate, who has enthusiasm, passion, and is eager to be the face of your brand.
As a candidate, don’t think just because you started your career in one field, you are stuck in that field forever. With unemployment low, it is a job seeker’s market. Take the risk and apply for a job in a new field. After all, the worst that can happen is you are rejected.
As a hiring manager, just because it is a job seeker’s market doesn’t mean you, too, can’t be choosy. If someone interviews well, has a transferable skillset and has a go-getter mentality, they may just be the next leader for your company.
Want to learn how Aligned Solutions can help you find your next position or candidate? Contact us today to see how we can help.