How to build a career in a new industry

The interview process is done and dusted, references all taken up and the contract’s been signed – now you need to know how to build a career in a new industry. Your new job might be a familiar role, but if you’re moving sector, there may well be a lot to learn and assimilate. In this previous blog I gave tips for switching industries, but now you’ve landed the job, how do you establish yourself in a new sector?  

Build relationships 

Your new colleagues can be your greatest resource in the beginning. They’ve been there, done that and bought the T-shirt. They possess what you don’t yet: insight and experience of the industry. The first 30 days of a new job should be all about building relationships with the people around you. I want to highlight some ways of doing this — and some pitfalls to try and avoid.  

Listen 

Don’t be too eager to offer insights from your previous role or suggest innovations or solutions during this settling in period. For now, the most important thing is to actually listen to people, their thoughts on the challenges and issues of the industry — and to absorb their expertise.  

Ask questions about the industry and your new organisation 

Asking your new colleagues strategic questions can help you build up a knowledge bank about the industry. How does the leadership in the organisation operate? What skills and behaviours are valued; how is career progression handled? What are the future challenges or issues for the industry?  

Questioning can help you discover emerging trends and values of your new industry and the organisation’s values, principles and culture. It can aid your understanding about the needs of this new group of people and work out how those might differ from your previous industry.  

Perhaps even more importantly, asking questions can also help you forge connections with the people around you. If you’re new to the industry, there might be a natural resistance or nervousness towards an ‘incomer’ – especially if you don’t have a proven industry track record, for a start. Being seen to be curious and interested, as well as humble and ready to learn, can help people form a positive initial opinion about you. Nurturing the building blocks of trust and psychological safety between you and the team is a priority for these early days. 

Be proactive 

Just because you’re listening and absorbing, doesn’t mean you should be passive. Don’t become invisible. You should be proactive in your first days in a new industry — in a considered, strategic way. Building a career in a new industry means you need to take the initiative. You’ll need to be actively planning and working for your own advancement. You can do this in a number of ways, both in the short and medium term, which I’ll address later – but it’s valuable to remember that your success is just as much down to you as to the industry you’re now a part of. Don’t expect the organisation to be solely responsible for carrying you forward. Actively use the time where you are new for information gathering and forming connections.  

It’s down to you to make those vital first impressions positive ones. A good example of this is someone I noticed at a conference, who, despite being very new, made the effort to introduce themselves to the key people. They also took on the responsibility of being their group’s spokesperson during a feedback session and introduced themselves to the HR Director after his presentation. By the end of that conference, people had noticed the newcomer and had a favourable impression of them despite only being on day three.  

Get ahead of the game 

Making a good first impression is helpful, but your efforts shouldn’t end there. Keep building on the research you did while you were looking to build a career in a new industry and you’ll be able to build for the medium term, too. As you begin to meet people within the organisation, connect with them on LinkedIn, read about them, their career background, their story and path to success, as well as what they post about so you feel informed. This conscious building of your new network will pay dividends. 

Think about how you’d like to secure your future career and consider what moves you might need to make to carve out your future roadmap. My blog about maximising your self-development during lockdown has some useful tips – connecting with your network, self-reflection as a ‘career spring clean’ and undertaking professional learning. Maintain – and widen – your reading of industry sources, including LinkedIn.  It’s also a good time to assess your PDP, to review your goals and identify new ones. Remember, it’s up to you to drive your own development; don’t wait for a company to tell you what to do, seek out the opportunities for yourself. 

Don’t forget to consider mentoring. If you’re new to an industry, having a mentor can be a brilliant source of insight. Their industry knowledge will be invaluable in helping you steer a path through unchartered waters — and avoid the hidden icebergs. Mentors can act as advocates for you, which can be particularly useful when you’re new to the industry. They may even be able to support your career path in the future.   

Quick wins will help build your credibility in a new sector 

Taking some iconic actions early on when you’re trying to build a career in a new industry will help you make your mark. Establishing your credibility and competency swiftly with stakeholders and team members will mean that you’re on the way to building trust and acceptance with them.  

Pick your iconic actions carefully: you need to decide on quick wins that deliver a positive impact — but that won’t give the impression you’re trying to change everything. Your actions will need to be meaningful, and you will need to take people with you. If they’re done purely for the sake of change, they won’t have a positive impact, or if you bulldoze your things through without listening or  engaging people first, you are more likely to face resistance.  

As well as quick wins you can choose some slightly slower-burn actions too. This way you’re starting to position yourself as a credible in this new role and sector, and you will quickly get your followers to support you. 

If you need help to talk about how to build a career in a new industry or be successful in a new role, email me to book a first free session.  

 Featured image courtesy of Charlotta Blunarova at Unsplash