Don’t necessarily limit yourself to one industry

October 21, 10:07 AMEntry Level Careers ExaminerHeather Huhman

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Landing an entry-level job these days is no small feat. If you’re a regular reader of my column, you have plenty of tools in your job search arsenal already, but today’s tip is one I haven’t discussed much: don’t necessarily limit yourself to one industry.

And it makes sense, right? If there aren’t enough jobs available in your primary industry, start looking past it for other options.

In a recent interview with Robert Gerberg Jr., CEO of ITS, he provided five tips for broadening your horizons to other industries:

1. Identify industries similar to yours. You'll need to put some time in on search engines, but this is important and worth the effort. Search for names of industry trade magazines that interest you. Scan the headlines of articles for key information, then read the two or three lead articles. It's surprising how informed you can become in just a week or two.

2. Know and sell your transferable skills. Ask yourself, “What skills do I have that could be put to use in a target industry?” Once you've identified these, it will help your case even more if you cite examples of how you used them to the benefit of past employers. Naturally, if target employers are facing similar challenges, they start to realize you are a good match.

3. Develop your selling proposition. This is a brief statement of the major benefits you bring to an employer. The more specific, the better. Make sure this is evident at the beginning of any letter or résumé, and like anything else, you'll make a more powerful impact if you give examples of how you've done things in the past that the employer needs done today.

4. Identify enough possibilities in industries of interest. You have to contact enough good prospects and the right person. The way the job market works, you need to make a lot of contacts to find the small percentage where the timing is right.

5. Target growth firms. Why are growth firms such good targets if you want to switch industries? They are often in newer industries and can't find enough people with industry experience. So, they are forced to look elsewhere for people with the right skills.

For more career advice, visit my new blog at HeatherHuhman.com.