Tips for taking your career in a new direction

The prolonged economic recovery has many professionals considering a change in their careers. In a recent survey of 1,185 executives conducted by ExecuNet, a career management and recruiting resource center for executives and recruiters, 52% of respondents report they are considering changing functions and 79% are thinking about switching industries.

While exploring new options is important to proactive career development, transitioning to a new industry or function can be challenging. To be successful, you must convince the corporate world of your interest and more importantly - your capabilities and how they add value to a different industry or function. To help executives prepare for taking their career in a new direction, ExecuNet offers the following advice:

Look for linkages. Map out your position in the business world by defining your role in your most recent company, your company within its industry, and the industry as it relates to others. Try to plot your career change on this map by uncovering relevant linkages that can help you achieve your objective.

Create a plan. To succeed in uncovering opportunities in other industries or fields you''ll need a clear action plan. The best strategies are those that focus on developing meaningful relationships with contacts in your targeted field or industry. These relationships will help you uncover unadvertised positions and important information on developments and trends that can be used to demonstrate knowledge during an interview.

Enhance your skill set. Look for opportunities where you might develop the skills and experience you will eventually need in your targeted industry or function - volunteer organizations can be great outlets for this type of professional development. This experience will help to refine your skill set and qualify you for new positions.

Expand your network. Strengthen the relationships you have with colleagues in and out of your most recent company. Find ways to help others and you''ll be surprised by how quickly people will reciprocate. Networking is not easy and results won''t materialize overnight, but there''s no questioning its effectiveness.

Don''t give up. Longer job searches are a reality of a sluggish economy. In looking for opportunities outside your industry or function, explore the types of organizations and managers who will be most open to candidates with a different background. Start-ups, new divisions, and young industries are often the most flexible.
Changing industries or functions may be difficult but it''s not impossible, and the rewards of a fulfilling professional life are well worth the investment of time. For additional insight and advice on navigating this turbulent employment market log on to