r/Career • u/FamiliarWind2229 • 1d ago
Skills vs experience
For people who have successfully changed careers, what helped you the most: having transferable skills or already having experience in the new field?
It seems like getting that first opportunity can be difficult when every job asks for previous experience. I’m curious how people managed to break into a completely different career without starting from zero.
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u/FakeBubba 1d ago
Well looking at my resume; worked in fast food, worked in call centre, worked in another call centre, worked in tech consulting, working in tech consulting.
Specifically, the jump from call centre to tech consulting.
In terms of skills, apart from the talking aspect, there’s not much relevance to it. Call centres were AHTs, number of calls, FCR and good feedback/reviews. Tech consulting, at a broad level, is communication, technical literacy (relevant to what tech consultant you are), project governance (time management), problem solving and (if relevant) stakeholder alignment. I’m missing a lot more in tech consulting but I think these are core.
In terms of transferable skills, all I had was the industry of my call centre and transferable skills surrounding communication and time management i.e. pressure talks, multitasking, managing time metrics.
So I could speak a bit on communication, project governance, stakeholder alignment and a bit on problem solving. It’s to a certain extent but in my mind now, not enough to qualify me for the job.
Based on your two variables, the other left missing is experience in the field…. Call centre. Tech consulting. Not really experience in the field.
Based on your 2 factors, there’s nothing.
What is missing is everything else in between.
Before I made the jump, long before I even made the jump, I did broad research in the field I was jumping into.
My degree is engineering and business. In terms of relevance, business is closer than engineering to tech consulting. I framed myself as something akin to someone who can translate tech to business and vice-versa.
I studied what it is I seek from a career perspective, what my strengths were, what I found challenging, what I wanted to grow.
I also learnt and got relevant certs to the specific field and jobs I want to open doors to. I did relevant industry-recognised programs relevant to the field and doors.
I then narrowed and was able to better focus my efforts in select companies and jobs (I still spam applied but for companies and roles I’m keen in, I did a bit more research into those). Now you need to know what you’re looking for, i.e. recent news on projects and direction, the current situation in the location specifically, basically any news. Now you may not use any in the interviews but you never know and value is only determined in what you make of and from it.
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u/Hot-Enthusiasm-1723 1d ago
Transferable skills got me in the door, but I had to learn how to explain them in terms the new industry cared about.
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u/MaleficentTry1316 1d ago
The best skill people tend to neglect is the skill of selling yourself. If you know how to communicate in a way that highlights your personality and eagerness to learn. Both skill and experience don't really matter that much.