The Art of Career Transitioning by Vincent James Giovinazzo

In this day and age, the era of getting a high paying job straight out of college, working your way up the corporate ladder, and then retiring from the same company in which you started thirty or forty years ago is over. Rarely, if ever, do people stay in one industry anymore, let alone one position or company. Rather, the modern professional will change careers from between five and seven times in their lives. In addition, about one third of the total workforce will change jobs every twelve months. Of course, this statistic is an estimate and an average and does not apply to all individuals. What’s more, with more and more people doing online and freelance work, they appear to be switching “jobs” more than careers or industries. Nonetheless, it is abundantly clear that the professional world has changed and those wanting to stay head of the game need to foster skills that will allow them to transition between jobs careers,and industries.

As I found out during a recent transition from Wall Street to the tech industry, there are always transferable skills that one can use to their advantage. In a recent article by international career coach Dena Lefkowitz Esq., she wrote that networking was one of the biggest advantages to transitioning between career paths. This was something that I was pleased to hear, having come from an industry that thrives on personal skills and networking. The name Vincent, Jim Giovinazzo can still open the doors I had left in my previous career, I discovered. You need to be able to work with all types, think on your feet, make calculated decisions and trust your gut.

Of course, a highly competitive industry such as finance and Wall Street will typically give you a large range of skills that will work well in any industry. However, career transitions are not only for the experienced. Even those who feel they are “just starting out” will have gained certain skills that they can leverage into a position in another field. In a recent article published by Youth Heritage, they said that “job opportunities are not based on limitability but on how you market yourself as an educated and skilled individual.”  This means being clear about what abilities and experiences you have had and choosing relevant qualities to highlight in your resume for specific jobs. The opposite is true for those that are farther along in their career. It can be easy to get stuck searching for a specific job title or position. If you are considering a change because your current role doesn't suit your personality, values or skills, avoid job-title labels. Instead, start from your natural talents and interests.  I’m selling Vincent Jim Giovinazzo first, and a product or service second.