How to seamlessly transfer your skills from one industry to another

How to seamlessly transfer yur skills from one industry to anotherFor most of us, our career paths dont go in a single straight line. Instead, there are plenty of twists and turns along the waysome expected and others surprising and unplannedas we develop, grow, and change over time. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1467144145037-0) ) Sometimes a change in jobs also means a change in industries, which, for many, can be a scary and anxiety-filled propositionespecially if the change isnt exactly what you were hoping and is instead the result of a job loss or shifts in your current field. The truth is, the prospect of starting over in a new career field can be daunting, especially if youre fairly established and far along in your current field and are worried that youll have to completely start over againbut it doesnt have to be.The not-so-secret secret to successfully navigating an industry change during the course of your career is to take full advantage of your transferable skillsthose finely-honed abilities that youve acquired thus far in your professional experience that you can put to good use in the next industry you work for. Yes, its truemany of the skills you currently have are not just helpful at your current job and industry, but rather can help you be effective and successful in your future endeavors as well.Transferring and leveraging these transferable skills from one industry to the next is the key to being flexible and malleable in todays rapidly evolving and volatile job marketand those who are able to competently do so stand the best chance of staying afloat. Consider using the following strategies to make aya that the skills youve built up during your career continue to serve you well as you move from one industry to another.Identify your skillsThis shouldnt be a major challenge for you, as its something youd inevitably have to do if you were updating your resume or simply looking to transition to a new job in your cu rrent industry. This should include skills both large and smallyou never fully know what abilities will come in handy when you start a new job, especially if its in a completely new field or industry. These include both hard skills (things like knowledge of computers or specific programs or instrumentation, an ability to speak a foreign language, any professional certifications youve earned, and basically any other measurable and quantifiable talent that youve developed) as well as soft skills (more subjective and harder to measure abilities that you possess but that come in handy at work all the time, such as people skills, motivation, leadership, patience, flexibility, and problem-solving). Both your hard skills and soft skills can potentially come in handy in a new industry.Identify the needs of your target industryNext step is to pinpoint the industry that youre hoping to move into and do your homework to identify its needs. Research carefully and get a good sense of the success es and pain points in the field and where things are likely to move. Look at the opinions of industry veterans and thought leadersmany of whom are likely leveraging social media to share their ideas. An even better potential strategy would be to identify specific companies in the industry that youd like to work at and get a sense of their needswhich will help you paint a clear picture of how you can come aboard and be a potentially valuable asset.Make the connectionNow that you have a clear idea of the abilities you bring to the table and what the needs of your target industry are, you can begin to identify the skills you possess that are potentially transferable. Use the information youve been gathering in your research to hone and refine your skills to best suit your new industry. For hard skills like computer knowledge or mastery of specific equipment, binnensee if the tools youve learned are commonly used if not, see if learning popular industry software and equipment makes sens e for you. Soft skills are more easily transferable and are more malleable and adaptable to new fields.Heres the bottom linemake the most of the skills you currently possess to meet the needs of the industry youre looking to move into, fill in the gaps where appropriate and realistic, and be confident that youre doing all you can to make this transition as successful as possible.