5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making a Career Transition

New Year, New You!

It’s that time of year when many people are looking for a fresh start, a new challenge and/or to uplevel their careers.

As an executive coach, I typically see a lot of people changing jobs in Q1 and Q3. Their desire for change typically follows the standard performance review cycles that take place at the end of Q2 and Q4. Most people are waiting to see if they received the rating they expected, if their company’s performance was good enough for a bonus or if they are in the unfortunate position to be cut.

In 2022 we witnessed massive job cuts, with the tech sector leading the way. Tech companies eliminated more than 97K jobs, up 649% year-over-year. Fintech was hit particularly hard, with over 10K of the job cuts due to the downturn of cryptocurrencies.

On the bright side, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that there were 10.5M jobs open, and professional and business services job openings increased by 212K at the end of 2022. Meaning, whether you are currently looking for a job or career change by force or by choice, there is an opportunity to leverage your knowledge, skills and experience to land a new gig.

Here are 5 common mistakes to avoid when looking for a new role:

“I’m open to anything!” This is the biggest mistake I see when people are looking for a new job. They often think it signals that they are ready to get to work and are flexible with the position or role. However, what it really conveys is that you don’t know what you want to do and you haven’t taken an interest in the company or the role AT ALL. Just think about it. If you were on a date and you asked the person sitting across the table why they are interested in you and they said, “Because I am open to anything,” how would you feel? Not good, right? Either not good about yourself or not good about the other person being unable to find one good thing to say about you or your common interests. That’s EXACTLY how it sounds in a job interview, too.

Having unrealistic targets: I think it’s important for everyone to have or gain a realistic view of how their skills align with the role they are applying for. Different companies and industries may have different job levels — a manager at one company might be a SVP at another company. It’s really important for you to dig into the requirements and understand that if you’ve never managed anyone before, you’re not likely to get a job managing a team of 20. There is NOTHING wrong with going after a stretch role! I often encourage my clients to do it. But it’s important to have ~70% of the skills and experience a job description is asking for to have a realistic shot at the role. If not, you’re not likely to be taken seriously by the company.

Using the same resume for every role: Don’t get me wrong. While I am not saying you need to customize your resume for every single job you apply for, I am saying I think it’s a mistake not to be thoughtful and intentional in your job search. This is particularly true if you are switching careers or industries. Each industry typically uses their own jargon and acronyms. A great way to signal you know something about the industry is to make sure you are using the language of the job or industry you’re applying to and not the one you’re coming from. For example, when I made the switch from being a construction manager to being a marketer, I updated my resume to say “customers” instead of “homeowners.” Not every job I was applying to had “homeowners,” but they all had customers. Simple changes can make a BIG difference.

Applying for too many jobs at the same company: Most companies use applicant tracking systems (ATS), which means when you apply for a job everyone affiliated with that role can see your information and likely the other jobs you applied for. If you’re applying to a large company, there may be multiple teams that have similar roles and it would make sense that you apply to a couple simultaneously. However, when you apply for a sales job, a product role and a marketing role it sends the message that you’re a “jack of all trades, master of none.” Companies often want to see a focus, passion and specialty for the functional area that you are applying to work in. See Mistake #1

Not Asking for Help: While applying online seems SO easy and convenient, the fact of the matter is by the time most companies post a job, many of them have already started building a candidate pipeline. Meaning, you’re late to the party! In my experience as a manager, job reqs often get socialized internally first, recruiters look through the ATS to see if they have past candidates who are a fit for the role and hiring managers have started asking friends and former colleagues for referrals before the job posting is written. In short, it’s important to leverage your network to help you quickly source opportunities that might be a good fit for you.

Where do you start? Get clear! Before you begin a search, update your resume or ask for help, you need to have a clear target industry and role you are pursuing.

How can you ask someone for directions, if you don’t know your destination?

I often ask my clients, “how do you ask someone for directions, if you don’t know your destination?” Whether you take this literally or think about using GPS as a metaphor, no one can give you directions if you don’t know where you’re going. A job search is very similar. I won’t know how to advise you, help you, what jobs to send or refer you to if you’re not clear about what you want next.

I know it can feel very scary to take time, take a break and plan your next move, especially if you’re needing immediate income. However, I know from both my personal experience and working with clients for over a decade that you are more efficient and effective with your job search when you invest the time to set a clear direction upfront.

Summary:

If you are making a job transition by force or by choice it’s important to do the following things:

Set a clear goal for your desired industry and role.
Be realistic based on your skills and experience.
Customize your resume to align with the job description.
Don’t apply for too many different jobs, especially at the same company.
Leverage your network to help you find opportunities.

When planning for change it often helps to have an outside, objective view. I can partner with you to help you explore and plan your next move. Learn more about my coaching services here.

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5 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Making a Career Transition