“How do I talk about my previous experience when I am changing careers (function, industry, skill set etc)”
This question is becoming more common everyday. As the world we live changes at a faster rate, there are jobs that didn‘t exist two years ago that exist today. (Eg. All the specific DE&I roles created by companies). As time passes, more roles will be created which means many people will be upskilling or retooling their career.
All candidates should learn the following tools throughout the rest of your career. As change will be constant. You have to learn to know and articulate who you are. Which then allows you to create an ideal position (where you are going). That then allows you to market your previous experiences to your new path. It’s about thinking about your past differently.
Whether you are early in your career or a senior executive, you have experiences, skill sets and mindsets that can be marketed to your new direction. You just have to know your new direction!
What has been your career changing story? What was your previous career and where are / were you trying to go?
Peppercorn Discovery gives you the guidance, structure and tools to figure out who you are, where you are going and what you offer.
I was 3 years in the Advertising sector as a Copywriter. I loved to be part of the creative process and creating the stories and concepts that brands were using for its campaigns. I realized only creating stories was not enough and that I wanted to be part of projects that can make a difference in the society. I found the entrepreneurial ecosystem and Tech companies more purposeful and wanted to direct my career in this direction. I thought that I could do this shift easier after taking a masters in management. It wasn’t that obvios after taking the step and going abroad to pursue this. In such a competitive environment having clarity on how to job search and communicate yourself makes a huge difference. Which I’m trying to do with Peppercorn to hopefully find my place in this country.
I have spent the last 16 years working in the medical field. I started out as an X-ray technologist in the cardiac Cath lab, interventional radiology, and electrophysiology. This was great bc I wanted to travel the United States. I then started working in Medical Device Industry for Electrophysiology. I am at a place in my life where constant travel does not meet my familial needs. I am currently taking a Ux Design course and am hoping to use my past experience to get a medical ux position starting out. It’s a very exciting and nerve racking process. I do feel hopeful! Everyday I gain more clarity on my direction as I complete my UX course, and reflect on Peppercorn materials.
I left one career and have tried to start over in the new one with minimal reference to my old career. There is a lot of ageism in my field, and I do not have a lot of skills yet so I just let people assume that I'm a recent grad since I am starting from scratch with my functional skills.
I started out as a public librarian and am currently in a role as a software developer engineer.
I have left the semiconductor industry and am trying to go to data analytics/AI. I am consulting at a fintech startup right now. I hope that Peppercorn Discovery lets me put together “my story” to show the value I can bring to an organization.