Here's how you can utilize your transferable skills to navigate new career paths post-layoff.
Losing your job can be a challenging experience, but it also opens up new opportunities to apply your skills in different fields. As you contemplate your next move post-layoff, consider how your transferable skills—those valuable abilities you've honed over time—can serve as a bridge to new career paths. Strategy, in this context, means identifying and leveraging these competencies to pivot into roles where your experience can shine in new ways.
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Lisa MaxwellVice President, B2B Marketing for Digital Partnerships at Mastercard
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Bobby (FCA, FCCA, MCSI, MBA, BSc (Hons), IoD)International Energy Infrastructure IWPP Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | Listed company experience | Financial Advisor…
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Dr Timothy Low ,PBM, Top Hospital Sales Voice in SingaporeCEO & Board Director * AUTHOR * Investment Consultant Healthcare * Board Adv AUM Biosciences * Medical Affairs Head *…
Start by taking inventory of your transferable skills. These are the skills that are not job-specific but are valuable across various industries and roles, such as leadership, communication, problem-solving, and time management. Reflect on your past experiences and list the skills that have contributed to your success. This self-assessment will serve as the foundation for your strategic approach to entering a new career field.
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Lisa Maxwell
Vice President, B2B Marketing for Digital Partnerships at Mastercard
If friends and colleagues often ask you to do something because they believe you're better at it than them, that's a sign it's your special skill. Embrace it and make the most of it by: - Giving it away - volunteer and offer that skill to others so you can keep refining it. - Honing it - continuously work on improving that skill by learning. - Apply it - look for ways to apply this skill to various situations.
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Cherie Ryan
Managing Director | VP Sales | CRO | ex-Oracle, Salesforce, Microsoft | Technology | PE | International | Europe & Asia-Pacific | Multiple Transformational Changes | SaaS, Cloud, AI | HCM | High Double Digit Growth
The easiest way to identify these is to make a list of hard and soft skills. The soft skills , which are outside your industry or job specific role are your transferable skills. Once you be done this, write examples of how you’ve deployed that soft skill in your current role AND think forward to being in your new transferred role and imagine how it would be beneficial to the company there. It’s amazing how it breaks down barriers created in your own mind.
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Michael B.
CEO @ InGo | Leader in Event Growth
In my own life it is easy to take for granted, to not be thankful for my most valuable skills. I can even doubt them. Each and every person I know has some profoundly valuable skill or talent. It is amazing how often they are not using the talent as they don't realize the value of it. What comes naturally for someone is likely unnatural for others. To name a few strengths I've seen go under-valued: -Building relationships -Driving interesting conversations -Analyzing data -Problem solving -Risk analysis -Relentlessness/Grit
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Abhishek Gulati
EdTech Consultant|Growth Strategist| Career Coach| Study Abroad Consultant | Talent Development Adviser
Identifying your transferable skills can significantly help you navigate career paths after a layoff in several key ways: 1. Broadening Job Opportunities: Transferable skills are not confined to a specific industry or role. 2. Highlighting Versatility: Emphasizing your transferable skills in your resume and during interviews showcases your adaptability and readiness to handle diverse job responsibilities. 3. Building Confidence: Knowing your transferable skills can boost your confidence by reminding you of your strengths and abilities. 4. Tailoring Applications: When you understand your transferable skills, you can better tailor your job applications 5. Career Pivot: Transferable skills are essential when considering a career change.
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Bennet Kelley
Founder Internet Law Center, former host of Cyber Law & Business Report and Award-Winning Journalist
As a lawyer, I have spent the bulk of my career in a field that did not exist when I graduated from law school. Be open to new opportunities and dive in. In newer fields, it is easier to become an expert. As a young lawyer, I worked for a partner who saw a new law impacting clients and he dove in and became an expert before others did. I tried to do the same with internet regulation. I agree with others - network and be visible. Make people aware of your skills and expertise. Finally, be strategic, and think out of the box. Apply strategic skills you learned from other fields (sports, politics etc.). Become a problem solver. If your company sells spoons don't be afraid to tell your client they need a knife. They will remember you.
Once you've identified your transferable skills, research potential career paths that could benefit from your expertise. Look for industries or roles where the demand for your skill set is high. This might involve exploring job listings, reading industry publications, or networking with professionals in fields of interest. The goal is to find a match between your skills and the needs of the market.
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Omar Badr, PMP
Technology Director | Independent TMT Consultant | Accredited Technology and Telecommunication expert at Egyptian Economic Courts
Research roles that could use your expertise, look for industries booming in those skills – job boards, industry news, and networking with professionals are great intel sources. It's about aligning your strengths with market needs. This winning combo sets you up for a successful career shift, so get out there and explore!
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Gboyega Olokunbola
Building the Nigeria and Africa ✅ of our dreams.-*Advocate for strategic and visionary leadership in Nigeria and Africa ✅. Sustainability*Construction*Blue Economy*
Identifying your transferable skills has set you up in a good place, for you to research potential career paths that could enhance your expertise. You need to identify industries and roles that best fit your skills, and you can do this by networking with professionals in your field of interest, reading industry publications,job listings, to find a perfect fit for your skills, within the needs of the marketplace.
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Francesco Gasparinetti
CEO/Founder presso Led Style
I get the point of researching career paths based on transferable skills, but I don't fully agree with this method. Focusing too much on finding a match between existing skills and market needs might limit your opportunities. It can be more beneficial to start with identifying emerging industries or high-growth areas that interest you and then developing the necessary skills for those fields. This way, you are not just fitting into current market demands but positioning yourself for future trends and innovation. This proactive approach could open more doors and lead to more fulfilling career opportunities.
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Fernando Machado
Group Product Manager na TOTVS | Gestão de Inovação | Liderança | Gestão de Produtos | Estratégia |
Desde do passo da identificação, já cria-se a via para a pesquisa. Isso só positiva que a verticalização terá seu uso num momento oportuno.
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Angela Maria Herrera Restrepo
COO Identia S.A.S. BIC
Considero que debemos empezar identificando las habilidades y competencias clave que hemos desarrollado a lo largo de nuestra experiencia laboral Posterior es reflexionar sobre cómo esas habilidades podemos aplicarlos a diferentes roles o sectores y también es importante destacar ejemplos concretos de cómo lo hemos usado con éxito en el pasado. Luego, investiguemos la industria o puestos donde esas habilidades sean altamente valoradas y personalicemos nuestro currículum para resaltar esas competencias.
Your resume should highlight your transferable skills in a way that resonates with potential employers in your new field. Tailor your resume to emphasize the relevance of your experience to the roles you are targeting. Use action verbs and specific examples to demonstrate how your skills have led to tangible results in the past, making it clear how they can be applied to new challenges.
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Bobby (FCA, FCCA, MCSI, MBA, BSc (Hons), IoD)
International Energy Infrastructure IWPP Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | Listed company experience | Financial Advisor to Boards | IoD Member | Open to NED/BOD/worldwide opportunities
I would always advise having a 1 pager for each role that gives the full detail for that role which is what you can talk about in the interview. On the CV you can highlight the key achievements but saying that, if you are an A-player you may find it difficult as there is many to mention and often I strongly believe that it is how you work that counts and not just what you do.
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Raúl Paredes Lovera
CFO en Plub | Ex Pedidosya - Beiersdorf - Tigo Paraguay | Economista con Mención en Macroeconomía
Es fundamental tener un currículum que, a primera vista, aporte al reclutador/gerente reclutante un conocimiento sobre tu trayectoria profesional, empezando desde tu última experiencia laboral. Suma mucho listar algún hito relevante en tu puesto. Hay muchas voces diferentes sobre el formato, pero en general, un formato sobrio y directo en términos de contenido, gana puntos.
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Gboyega Olokunbola
Building the Nigeria and Africa ✅ of our dreams.-*Advocate for strategic and visionary leadership in Nigeria and Africa ✅. Sustainability*Construction*Blue Economy*
Your resume should be up to date, with the highlights of your transferable skills and what that offers prospective employers,it's all about what you are bringing to the table, right,so you must be rated as valuable. You have to streamline your resume to emphasize your relevance to the advertised roles, making reference to past achievement in similar positions, and showcasing some sustainable solutions that might really attract your potential employer.
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Neil Colvin
Mental Health CEO | Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | Business Operations | Agile - Project Management | Top 5% Excel, Word, Powerpoint Skills on LinkedIn
Make your resume unique for the job you're applying to. Each line on your resume should be pointing out how you meet or exceed the listed job requirements. Take a day and build out the job categories you like. Foe example, Project Manager, Logistics Analytics, Scrum Master. Each one should have a different resume. Keep a master resume for each one and start with the applicable one when making your new resume reflect the new job requirements. You still need to social engineer the company if you want to beat out the competition. A referral or introduction will go pretty far compared to someone who used AI to 100% match a job announcement with their resume.
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Lorena Moya Zurita
Innovación | Transformación Digital | Board Member | PMP®MBA LSS SCRUM SMC SFC
Para mí es importante mantener siempre actualizado tu currículum y resaltar las habilidades y aptitudes. Los resúmenes ejecutivos son muy valiosos aprender a contar tu experiencia sin presentar letanías extensas. Al adaptar tu currículum, enfatiza la relevancia de tu experiencia anterior para los puestos a los que te postulas, utilizando verbos de acción y ejemplos específicos para demostrar cómo tus habilidades han generado resultados tangibles en el pasado. Esto ayuda a los empleadores a ver cómo tus habilidades pueden aplicarse de manera efectiva a nuevos retos, aumentando tus posibilidades de ser considerado para nuevas oportunidades laborales.
Networking is vital in discovering opportunities and gaining insights into new industries. Reach out to your existing contacts and seek out new connections in the fields you're interested in. Attend industry events, join relevant online forums, and participate in professional groups. Through networking, you can learn more about the culture and expectations of different sectors, which can help you position yourself effectively.
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Bruno Urias
Founder & CCO apaixonado por Gestão de Relacionamento com o Cliente e Vendas
Falo muito vivemos hoje na era da informação, e crescer e se tornar destaque não é uma tarefa tão complexa assim. Basta ter uma estratégia bem alinhada e CONSISTÊNCIA. Dessa forma estar próximo de você será algo atrativo, visto que a maior oportunidade de gerar negócios e por consequência a sua rede será cada vez maior.
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Harriet Wheat
Director at Sci-Rec | Passionate Global Recruitment Executive within the CDMO industry! 🔬🧪
Get discussions going on LinkedIn, follow relevant companies and comment on their posts and engage with the executives. It’s easy to attend shows, a lot of them are free and just require you signing up, don’t be afraid to push your self out of your comfort zone.
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Paul Eder, PhD
Top, Top Voice on LinkedIn (111 categories) | Strategy Consulting, Artificial Intelligence, & Data Innovation | Author of FIRESTARTERS
Your network can be the key to your future position. I have found 2 new jobs based on the strength of my network. You may also be able to secure a referral bonus for your colleagues.
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Bobby (FCA, FCCA, MCSI, MBA, BSc (Hons), IoD)
International Energy Infrastructure IWPP Chief Financial Officer (CFO) | Listed company experience | Financial Advisor to Boards | IoD Member | Open to NED/BOD/worldwide opportunities
Take every opportunity to connect with people around you but don't do it just to ask for a job. Genuinely do it to connect and understand what people do and if there is something you can help them with. Help and give support at every opportunity you can and you will be remembered.
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Alex Rotenberg
Leveraging exponential technology to digitalize the worlds supply chains, one customer and one industry at a time
Once you have reflected on your potential next career steps, and clarified why this would be a good choice, reach out to your mentors, for introductions and advice, and identify individuals on Linkedin, with similar roles to your 'ideal' next role. You might be surprised to find former colleagues, or acquaintances in your network, on very similar career paths, as you aspire to. Spontaneous solicitations are not the most effective, so it's better to contact people you maintained these relationships with, over longer periods. If you reach out to 'less familiar' connections on LI, check whether they would be happy to help out. My experience is many on LI are willing to help and make time to help others progress with their career.
Be open to learning new things and adapting your approach as you transition into a new career. This might involve taking courses, obtaining certifications, or engaging in self-directed study to fill any gaps in your knowledge. Show potential employers that you're proactive and committed to continuous improvement—a key strategy in making yourself an attractive candidate for a new role.
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Dr Timothy Low ,PBM, Top Hospital Sales Voice in Singapore
CEO & Board Director * AUTHOR * Investment Consultant Healthcare * Board Adv AUM Biosciences * Medical Affairs Head * LinkedIn Most Viewed Healthcare CEO in Singapore 2017 * LinkedIn Top Motivational Speaking Voice 2024
Embrace continuous learning and adaptability as you transition into a new career. This might mean taking courses, earning certifications, or pursuing self-directed study to bridge knowledge gaps. Demonstrating a proactive commitment to improvement shows that you're dedicated and versatile, making you a more successful in obtaining a role.
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Cyrus Minwalla
CEO, Maamba Collieries
Diverse roles may come your path. Take them. Get that experience. Each role will teach you something different. It will also enable you to network in different forums. Be adaptable and keep learning. You never know which opportunity will come your way where your diverse experience comes in handy
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Dr. Saumya Badgayan (PhD-Mgmt)
(INFJ)VP HR Business Strategy at Gold Star Jewellery Pvt Ltd, Nasscom Mentor, | Leading Organizational Transformations, IOD member, Behavioural Analyst, Speaker, Author, Faculty
Agility is the name of the game. Like businesses, never keep all your eggs in one basket. This means that one should have multiple diverse skills eg teaching, culinary, sports coaching (chess and swimming are good options) While being laid off hurts at multiple level, having additional skills to Ade through the storm till one finds a foothold back in corporates is the name of survival.
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Tim Wagstaff
Head of TA at invoX Pharma. Passionate about candidate and hiring manager experience and improving the recruitment process. Very busy parent (3 kids and a dog) and also keen on riding my bicycle.
Your skills may be transferable, but an employer is taking a risk on you making the transfer work. Give them more confidence by proactively evolving your existing skills with relevant learning to help close both the perceived and real gaps between what you have and what they need
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Ryan Lennon
Internal Communications Manager at Adevinta
Going through a layoff poses a huge opportunity for both personal and professional growth. Take the time to pause, re-skill and re-centre before making your next career move. These 'opportunities' to take a break from your career allow you precious time to reflect.
Finally, prepare for interviews by developing a narrative that connects your transferable skills to the new role. Practice articulating your value proposition and how your background has equipped you with a unique perspective. Be ready to discuss examples from your previous experience that showcase your adaptability and how you've overcome challenges, as these stories will resonate with interviewers.
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Neil Colvin
Mental Health CEO | Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | Business Operations | Agile - Project Management | Top 5% Excel, Word, Powerpoint Skills on LinkedIn
Just practice conversing with the job interviewer. They don't enjoy canned questions or canned answers. Really they want to know if you can do the job. So tell them how you've done something similar in the past or how you would approach the new case if it is something you have no experience with. Give natural responses and don't get into random stories or details that they don't care about. Stay focused and ask questions or for clarification when you need it. If you exude confidence because you practice, well you're ahead of most of the applicants. If you can point out what the company has been up to and how that resonates with you, you'll likely be in the top 5 candidates.
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Fernando Machado
Group Product Manager na TOTVS | Gestão de Inovação | Liderança | Gestão de Produtos | Estratégia |
Estruturação nas falas, uma narrativa coesa e com perspectiva clara farão com que a discussão encontre os melhores níveis, a partir disso as entrevistas poderão alcançar o objetivo principal
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Joachim Bellut
qualifizierte Mitarbeiter - effiziente Organisationen
Aus meiner Sicht ist es sehr wichtig und notwendig, Fragen vorzubereiten, denn auch Sie sollen sich für den neuen Arbeitgeber entscheiden. Mögliche Fragen könnten sein: - Wie sieht der erste Arbeitstag für mich aus? - Gibt es einen Einarbeitungsplan? Wie sieht der aus? - Wie sieht mein zukünftiger Arbeitsplatz aus? Darf und kann ich den mal sehen? - Wie hoch ist der Krankenstand? Wie hat sich dieser in den letzten Jahren/Monaten entwickelt? - Darf / Kann ich mich einmal mit einem zukünftigen Kollegin, einer zukünftigen Kollegin unterhalten? ==> - Was sind für Sie wichtige Fragen? Was möchten Sie wissen? Was benötigen Sie, um sich zu entscheiden?
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Harriet Wheat
Director at Sci-Rec | Passionate Global Recruitment Executive within the CDMO industry! 🔬🧪
TikTok is the way forward, use it to your advantage and watch tips on there, videos of what not to do and what to do. Also chat gbt is there to help you answer questions. Use these softwares to your advantage and stay on top of the game
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Lorena Moya Zurita
Innovación | Transformación Digital | Board Member | PMP®MBA LSS SCRUM SMC SFC
Para aquellos que están atravesando un despido, es fundamental prepararse para las entrevistas de trabajo. Desarrolla una narrativa convincente que conecte tus habilidades transferibles con el nuevo puesto al que te postulas. Practica comunicar tu propuesta de valor y cómo tu experiencia previa te ha brindado una perspectiva única. Prepárate para discutir ejemplos concretos de situaciones en las que has demostrado adaptabilidad y has superado desafíos,
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Debbie Larry-Izamoje
Chief Operating Officer | Brila Media | Media Executive | Top 25 Women in Nigerian Sports Business | Women in Sports Advocate
Your transferable skills like communication, problem-solving, and adaptability are super valuable no matter where you go. You can use them to dive into new industries or roles where you can really make an impact, even if they're different from what you've done before. Staying connected, learning new things, and being open to whatever comes your way will definitely set you up for success in this transition.
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Gboyega Olokunbola
Building the Nigeria and Africa ✅ of our dreams.-*Advocate for strategic and visionary leadership in Nigeria and Africa ✅. Sustainability*Construction*Blue Economy*
Your personal brand can help in setting you apart for bigger or new opportunities. It offers you visibility, credibility and makes you to be seen as a valuable thought leader in the industry. That's really a game changer.
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Ankita C.
Corporate strategy | Digital transformation | Artificial Intelligence | Technology | Leadership | Growth I Portfolio management
Often you might be the sole breadwinner losing the family income which is hard and risky. 1. Calm your mind and remove negative thoughts. Good motivation, skills and talent is always needed. 2. Think what you want fearlessly but rationally. Float your resume in target industry, locations and type of organisations with some discretion, not desperately. 3. Think of alternative sources of income and employment in the interim - the gig economy is booming and you might find something that turns long term too. 4. Learn, network, prepare for interviews BUT spend time on sleep, hobbies, friends, family or an affordable mini vacation - you may never get the opportunity to be so carefree once employed. 5. Stay honest about your job needs everywhere.
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Robert E. Ward, Jr. (Robbie)
CEO | Linguist | Mentor | Consultant | Public Figure | MC, etc. at The Top Hat Enterprise-TM (Cambodia)
Utilize transferable skills to pivot to new career paths post-layoff by identifying commonalities between previous roles and desired fields. For instance, if transitioning from marketing to project management, highlight skills such as communication, strategic planning, and stakeholder management. Showcase relevant achievements and adaptability in resumes and interviews, emphasizing how these skills can contribute to success in the new role.
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Natalia Aracelis Roca Fernandes
Head de Recuperação de Crédito | Superintendente Canais Digitais, Projetos de Cobrança | Judicial e Extrajudicial
Fazer uma transição de carreira pode ser desafiador, mas é possível com planejamento e dedicação. Pesquisa de mercado: Pesquise sobre as áreas de interesse. Entenda as qualificações necessárias, as perspectivas de mercado, os potenciais empregadores e as tendências da indústria. Desenvolvimento:Dependendo da nova carreira, você pode precisar de educação adicional ou treinamento. Networking: Conecte-se com profissionais que já estão na área para obter insights e conselhos. Participe de eventos, conferências e workshops relacionados à sua nova carreira para fazer conexões valiosas e aprender mais sobre o campo. Planejamento financeiro: Planeje suas finanças para suportar esse período de transição.
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