If you’re changing career fields, send the right message!

Nobody really wants to hire someone in transition-leaving one career field for another. Companies, however, do want to hire people who can perform and deliver results, according to JL Kirk Associates, the Nation’s Premier Career Search Experts.

Sadly, employers at times overlook qualified people in transition because the candidates fail miserably to follow one cardinal rule of persuasive communication: Give employers reasons to hire you, not reasons to reject you. According to JL Kirk Associates, professionals undergoing radical career changes create adversity for themselves by overplaying their baggage. Executing a successful career transition involves a twofold strategy: Stress your transferable skills, not the venue where they were developed; avoid references to parochial skills that are little value to employers, says JL Kirk Associates.

This applies especially to individuals leaving careers in military/government, religious or education settings and seeking positions with business and industry. Subliminally, they give employers reasons not to hire them by directing attention toward their changing situation and away from the valuable skills they offer.

A retiring military member opens letters to employers stating, “I’m concluding a military career in several months and looking to transition into the civilian marketplace.” An educator opting for early retirement writes, “I’m in the process of retiring from teaching and exploring opportunities in the private sector.” And a priest/minister advises: “I have decided to leave the priesthood/ministry and join a progressive organization where I can similarly apply my skills.”

The second gaffe is emphasizing arcane skills and experience that don’t excite hiring managers: setting policy, coordinating manpower, developing lesson plans, counseling people with problems. According to Kirk Leipzig, President of JL Kirk Associates, the less you mention your career shift, the more you facilitate the process. Why bring it up? Employers are interested in the “what”, not the “why”. Hiring managers can deduce from the resume that you’re transitioning; they needn’t be reminded.

For help in your career search process, visit JL Kirk Associates at: www. jlkirkassociates.com.

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