As I explain in Career Change Guide, you must first have a good understanding of yourself before you begin changing careers. I take you through all the steps in the book. The one we’ll touch on briefly today is how you go about networking for career change. There’s a lot more detail about how to change careers successfully in the book.
What do you say to people when networking for career change?
The short answer is, put together an elevator pitch for your career change. Networking is a crucial aspect of navigating how to change careers. What you say and who you say it to are important aspects of a successful career change.
In Career Change Guide, Section 2, Chapter 7, I discuss this. The book explains what has worked well for others, and it has step by step recommended actions.
Review your objectives for the meeting before you contact them. Start and end the meeting by showing appreciation. Give them a short summary of your situation. This is your career change elevator pitch. Then ask if they know of any opportunities. Ask if they have suggestions or referrals. Always, no matter what, follow up with a thank you note or email. The more bridges you make, the more success you’ll have as you move through how to change careers successfully.
There’s more detail in the book, but this is enough to get you started. If you want to understand how to work best with others, get Career Change Guide and follow the Recommended Actions as you work through how to change careers. Networking for career change is important, so spend time going through that section in the book carefully.
Keep reading these blogs for career change tips to learn how to change careers and networking for career change. Buy one of the best career change books from Amazon if you want more in-depth stories, ideas, and examples of people who have used them. Also, check out the rest of this website for free career change resources, career change videos, and the free career change resume template.