Your Job Is Not Necessarily For Life. Should You Switch

 

Executive search firms regularly meet people who have decided to switch their careers. There was a time when you chose your profession and stuck with it until you retired, and many people still follow that path. However, an increasing number of people decide to give up their first choice and try something new. For many, it's a move to a new country, or an exploration of new skills, but for others, it's shifting the skills they already have to a new sector.

If you're taking the plunge and moving careers, can you convince the executive search agency that it's all for the best? How do you show that you haven't lost any of your abilities?

Career switching is a brave thing to do. It can affect your income, your hours of work, and even where you live. It's not a decision that people take lightly, and it's one that everyone sees differently. If you take a career break to travel or study, you should be prepared to make that experience a positive contribution to your new company.

Executive search firms are looking for the right job candidates. If you've switched careers or made a break and want to sign up with an executive search firm, then it's a good idea to make an appointment to go and see them. This will allow you to sit face-to-face with the consultant and explain why you've taken a year out, or why you've decided to change from medicine to law. Whatever your experience, you should be able to use the elements to show how valuable you could be to a company in a senior position.

For example, if you spent your time volunteering for charity and working in Africa, you'll have better communication and diplomacy skills than most people. If you've been involved in a building project, you can illustrate how you've managed to get people to work together as a team to achieve a common goal. While sorting out a problem business area isn't the same as building a school, the things you've learned from your project can be applied in any situation.

It's not whether you've changed your career that interests an executive search firm; it's why, and what you've learned that might benefit your clients. It might be that your career switch gives the client exactly what they're looking for. It's up to you to turn it into positive things that could win your next job.