Are your instincts telling you that it’s time to jump industries? As a career coach, I help supervisors and management professionals make this decision all the time. In reality, my job is usually to help people execute on decisions that they don’t know that they’ve already made. Feeling unfulfilled and unchallenged at work are key signs that some part of you has already moved on, but doubt and anxiety are holding you back in a position that feels safe, if stifling. The good news is that your supervisor resume can be edited to make it attractive to hiring managers in other industries.
Identifying Your New Industry
Before I translate a supervisor resume into a new industry, I work with my candidates to assess their needs and career aspirations. Personal interests, long-term industry objectives, and personality need to be carefully evaluated to develop the right strategy. What drives you to wake up and go to work in the morning? What kind of job would inspire you to best use your time and talents and lead your team to success?
In order to revamp your document, I need to understand the direction we need to take it to ensure your long term success. Sometimes, a new position or a different organization aren’t going to fix what’s got you feeling stuck. A different boss won’t help if wages are stagnant, opportunities are shrinking, or a toxic culture is affecting your entire industry. Does the fast moving tech industry excite you? Are you hoping to move your career in a more creative direction? Are you looking for the emotional fulfillment of the non-profit world? Are you looking for opportunities for advancement or a higher salary? These are the questions we’ll work together to answer.
Enhancing Your Supervisor Resume
Once we’ve identified the desire to take your talents elsewhere, I help management professionals execute on that decision by enhancing their resume. Translating existing supervisor experience into a new industry requires a careful examination of your existing work history and career goals.
I look for how your unique management skills align with the new types of positions you’re trying to pursue. For instance, if you’ve been employed as a Program Manager but are trying to make a jump into an Event Director role, there are key aspects of your previous experience that can be leveraged to make a smooth transition into a job that requires a penchant for logistics management.
Making Your Own Opportunities for a Career Change
In the event that your type of management experience doesn’t seem relevant to your new industry, I would recommend focusing on aspects of your job roles that are objectively impressive in any context. For instance, highlighting supervisor experience related to team leadership, budgeting, project management, and process improvements are going to play well on your resume no matter what industry you’re in. Providing concrete examples is key. It’s one thing to say you managed staff, but it’s another to share that you mentored and developed a team of six specialists who completed a key client project on time and under budget.
The key to a successful cross-industry resume is to identify your most relevant “soft skills” and to help the hiring manager imagine how they will make you an asset to their team. In this context, a “soft skill” does not mean a weak or unimpressive one; it refers to skills that are more difficult to quantify and adaptable to different challenges. For example: teamwork, emotional intelligence, leadership, and good organizing skills are all non-industry specific soft skills that can help a supervisor be successful on any team. Highlighting these are the key to attracting a hiring manager’s attention when you don’t have obvious direct experience in their line of business.
Quantifying Your Accomplishments from your Supervisor Resume
Rather than just listing management qualifications, I work with my supervisor clients to quantify their accomplishments to capture the attention of the hiring manager. For example, having budgeting experience is valuable, but in order to make a strong impression, you need to establish a sense of scope by providing a monetary figure. By providing hard numbers and context for specific projects you give employers more insight into the nuances of your unique experience. This demonstrates how you can generate value for a new company in a supervisor role, even if they are outside of your current industry.
Making Your Career Transition
Changing industries requires careful planning, foresight, and most importantly, perseverance. In my time as a career coach, I’ve helped many supervisors to transition into new careers and industries that better align with their passions and long-term goals. There isn’t a one size fits all approach for making a career change, and finding your dream job means taking some risks, but by using these strategies you can navigate the transition into a new management position that is both engaging and rewarding.
To discuss your resume or a possible career change, get in touch.