Seeking a change of career? Lacking relevant experience? Here are Senploy’s tips for success!
Seeking a change of career? Lacking relevant experience? Here are Senploy’s tips for success!
Do you feel dissatisfied with your current role? Are you stuck in a rut? Is the time right to seek a more rewarding career path? Don’t let lack of experience hold you back you. It’s never too late to try something new! Read this article for helpful tips on changing careers without experience.
Whilst you may be convinced that it’s time to swap careers, you will need to do some preparatory work to convince a prospective employer! They will expect you to have a valid reason for wanting to change your career otherwise they may not give your application serious consideration.
Reasons why people seek a new career include:
Your current career doesn’t make best use of your skills
You want a fulfilling career with more opportunities for training and development
You took the first job you were offered after completing your degree course
You don’t like your current work environment, leadership, or values
You have been overlooked for promotion and want recognition for your talents
Other careers seem more appealing
The new career provides better terms and conditions of employment
How to change careers with no experience
Once you identify the reasons for seeking a new career, there are some relatively simple steps you can take to succeed in your chosen field.
1. Insert keywords through your job application
An effective way of demonstrating your suitability for a role (particularly without experience) is to make sure you insert keywords into your job application. Identify keywords from the job description and job specification – and the organisation’s website - and weave these into your application to show that “you’re a great fit for the role”! Including keywords from their website also demonstrates that you've done your homework, which conveys your interest in the role.
Recruiters use specialist software to scan CVs “for specific keywords”. Applications that do not contain keywords relevant to the position, are automatically rejected. As you're making a career change, your previous experiences won't relate to the job you're applying for, so incorporating these keywords in your application will help it get past this application tracking system.
2. Use a skills-based CV that matches the job specification
Instead of highlighting your work experience, create a CV that draws attention to your skillset - as opposed to a chronological CV, which places the emphasis on work experiences. This will help you show employers that your skills are transferable to the new role. Don’t include too much detail in the past work experience section unless it is directly relevant to the new role.
Your skills section should be placed near the top of the page, while your work experience section is at the bottom. Choose four to five skills relevant to the role you're applying for and include a few bullet points for each explaining how you attained and honed these skills.
Add a few sentences above your skills section to explain why you're changing careers, your career goals, and why you’re the best person for the job . This will help the employer understand your CV choice and your interests.
3. Use your cover letter to highlight your personality
The cover letter is an excellent opportunity to show how your personality would benefit the employer because your CV already covers your skills, education, and experience. Being able to describe your personality is important if you’re going to prove to the recruiter that you’re a good fit! If you need help with this, look through some cover letter examples which should help you create a compelling story that conveys your desire for a career change.
To ensure that your personality is a good fit with the company, research the company's website, job description, and social media accounts. Note down the language and tone used, the benefits, and other information that gives you insight into the company culture. Make sure your application matches the company culture.
Don’t forget to explain the reasons for the career change. It’s also important to state how you would contribute to the company's success despite not having specific experience.
4. Gain relevant experience
If a lack of relevant experience is limiting your options, you can rectify this by volunteering, doing unpaid intern work, doing your own research, or enrolling on a training course.
Offering your unpaid services to companies in your desired field shows determination and may help convince them to work with you. Not only will you gain experience and skills, but if you impress the right people, you might also be able to land a permanent job!
When it comes to doing your own research, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. For example, if your desired field is social media, you might show off your know-how to employers by creating an Instagram account that documents your travels. Any relevant experience is good experience!
If the job you want requires a qualification, doing a training course will show your commitment. Many online courses offer certification and in-depth training.
5. Join relevant career groups and learn from professionals
When trying to change careers, it's important to build contacts and join career groups that you can learn from. LinkedIn is a great place to find contacts and groups. You will also find a wealth of information such as job hunting tips while looking through relevant posts.
Once you find a few relevant contacts, create a personalised message introducing yourself and requesting a connection to learn more about what they do. Insight from these professionals about the field can help you decide if the career change is right for you, and help you tailor your job application to better suit the role.
The contacts you build might provide you with new opportunities. These can range from access to relevant job postings, useful seminars and training courses, or even referrals.