Exploring Different Industries To Define Career Goals

7 Simple Steps To Figure Out What Jobs Are Right For You: 1. Many Job Seekers Struggle With Clarity They don’t know which career path is right for them. Or they don’t know what specific jobs in which industries are a good match for their skills. If that resonate with you, this process is going to help you get answers (and build relationships that can lead to referrals)! 2. Start With An Energy Mapping Exercise Draw a line down the middle of a piece of paper. Label one side “energy creators” and the other “energy drainers.” Now make a list of every task, project, and initiative you’ve been part of over the past 2-5 years. Assign each to the category that best describes the flow of energy you felt while working on that project. 3. Identify Connections In “Energy Creating” Roles Carve out time to reflect on your list of connections - colleagues (past and present), friends, classmates, etc. Who is working in a role that seems or feels like it might focus on the tasks that bring you energy? You don’t have to nail it 100%, you can simply go with your gut feeling. The important thing is to come up with a list of about 5-10 people. 4. Reach Out To Those Connections Send them a note and mention that you’re currently working through some career exploration. You’ve always admired their job and you feel it aligns in X, Y, and Z ways. Then ask them if they’d be up for a quick conversation so you can learn more about the role, the industry, etc. 5. Ask Good Questions Make sure to prepare a list of questions that will allow you to get a deeper sense of what this role is all about:  - What’s your favorite part about working in [Job Title]?  - What’s something most people don’t know about [Job Title] that you feel strongly about?  - What are the biggest drawbacks of working as a [Job Title]?  - What’s the coolest thing you’ve worked on in the last 6-12 months? 6. If You Feel The Role Is A Fit? Ask This. If you feel like the role might be a fit? Let your contact know! Then ask them if they’d be willing to introduce you to 1-2 more people in the same field so you can keep learning. That will get you warm introductions to other people in the space who can give you a new perspective and help you build your network. 7. If You Feel The Role Is Not A Fit? Ask This. If you feel like the role might not be a fit? Be honest with your contact, share what you’re looking for, and ask if they know of a role or discipline that fits. Ex: “I love X part of this role, but I feel that Y and Z don’t align with my strengths. Is there a role or field that focuses more on X?” Now they can point you in the right direction. 8. Set The Right Expectations You’re going to find many, many more roles that aren’t a fit. It’s going to take some time to hone in on the ones that are. Don’t expect completely clarity in one or two conversations. Instead, set the expectation for 10-20 conversations before you really begin to find things that feel like a fit.

Hello LinkedIn #Community! 👋 At CCR Search Recruitment Agency, I frequently assist individuals navigating career transitions. Here are some insights that might aid your search: Engage in Discovery Mode: ➡ Reach out to everyone in your network, from high school friends to acquaintances at the coffee shop. ➡ Request 30-minute conversations to understand their day-to-day roles. Learn about the positives and challenges to determine if it aligns with your career aspirations. ➡ Utilize resources like networks, YouTube, Spotify, and podcasts to gain industry insights while exploring potential career paths. 🌐🎧 Avoid Random Applications/LinkedIn posts: ➡ Conduct thorough research to articulate why you're interested in transitioning into a specific career. ➡ Avoid appearing indecisive by refraining from generic statements like being open to any role in sales, accounting, or construction. Instead, focus on aligning your skills with a targeted career path that you're genuinely enthusiastic about. 🔍💼 By leveraging your network and thoroughly researching potential career paths, you can confidently announce your career intentions, such as: "After extensive networking and research, I've identified that my skills in X, Y, and Z are well-suited for roles in the X industry. I am actively seeking opportunities, such as X or Y. Please reach out if you have any contacts or leads." 📈 For further insights, check out the #HarvardBusinessReview article in the comments and share your experiences to help others. Wishing you the best of luck in finding your ideal career path soon! 🌟

How do you actively learn about new industries? There’s tremendous value in gleaning knowledge from adjacent industries and applying it to the industry you’re in. This is something I work to apply in my own role at Baker and in the construction industry at large. There are a few strategies that have helped me gain insights from different sectors to expand my knowledge beyond construction: 1. Be curious. First and foremost, you need to care enough to want to know more. With so much information at our fingertips now because of the internet and through our social media connections, we no longer have the excuse that we don’t know where or how to look for knowledge. 2. Ask yourself: Who do I know? I’ve told the story about how when I first met our founder, Dan L. Baker, back when I was selling life insurance, I looked to him as a resource to learn more about the construction market so I could grow my business. That approach worked then, and it still works now: Identify the connections you already have in other industries, and find ways to learn from them. 3. Look to your mentors. Mentors usually have connections to other industries. So if you want to learn more about tire making, for example, ask your mentors for contacts they have in the tire-making industry. And then reach out. 4. Seek out the major players. Get to know companies in different industries in your communities. Chambers of commerce are an excellent source of contacts because they exist to connect professionals. Then, just call them. It’s an old-school approach, but it works! People are so willing to help others learn about their industry. It could be as simple as picking up the phone and saying, “Hi, I’m Kerri Smith. I’m in construction, but I’m really interested in learning about how you manage talent. Is there anyone in your organization who could help me?” 5. Leverage LinkedIn. You’re here right now, aren’t you? Since you are, take a quick scroll through all of your connections. See anyone who fits the bill? You could probably ping a couple of them right now! 6. Use AI as a starting point to read up. Learning involves a lot of reading. But where do you begin? AI can be a helpful starting point. Some prompts could be… • What were the three biggest successes in this industry? • The three biggest failures? • What are the top books about this industry? Then you can use the responses to develop a list of topics and books to explore. Finally, you can take all of this new knowledge you’ve gained and bring fresh ideas to your organization. Remember the process for implementing ideas: Chew on it. Talk to outside peers. Pilot it. Sell your idea. Some of the best ideas come from the outside — and there’s plenty out there to learn. #AdjacentIndustries #NewIdeas #LearningOpportunities

Job seekers, keep your aperture wide open. It’s easy to get hyper-focused on a single industry or job type when you’re figuring out your next move. But you don’t know what you don’t know. I recently spoke with a job seeker who had done all the right things to understand himself - what he’s good at, what he enjoys, and where he thrives. He had taken coursework, done deep self-reflection, and mapped out the kind of day-to-day responsibilities that energized him. It was impressive. But he had narrowed his focus to one specific industry. Sometimes, job seekers have very well-thought-out reasons for narrowing their industry focus, and when that’s the case, I encourage them to pursue their aspirations. But this wasn’t one of those times. In his case, the narrowing wasn’t about a strong “why” - it was about limited exposure. He had seen the type of work he wanted reflected in one industry, but he hadn’t considered that those same responsibilities could be found in multiple industries. That’s where I encouraged him to shift his perspective. Instead of limiting himself to one field, I suggested he deconstruct job descriptions across industries. Find the roles that match the activities he knows he’ll excel at, regardless of the industry they’re in. This strategy doesn’t just widen your options - it helps you discover opportunities you might never have considered. Job seekers, don't narrow the industries you explore prematurely. The work you’re good at and love to do might exist in places you’ve never thought to look.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗶𝘃𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲—𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 👇 Changing industries isn’t just possible. It’s 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯. But doing it well? That takes strategy. Whether you're chasing passion, escaping burnout, or seeking better opportunities. Here’s a 6-step roadmap to make your career pivot 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬: 1️⃣ 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Curious about a new field? 📌 Talk to people already doing the work 📌 Join online communities 📌 Attend webinars and read industry news 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭: 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘱. 2️⃣ 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 Once you've explored, 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Focus = momentum. Pick one role and one industry that aligns with your interests and the market demand. Research job trends. Learn how careers progress in that space. 3️⃣ 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 List what you already bring to the table. Then compare it to what your target role needs. 🎯 Close gaps with courses, certifications, or hands-on experience 🎯 Highlight transferable strengths—like leadership, communication, problem-solving Action matters more than perfection. Show employers you’re 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥. 4️⃣ 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 A pivot isn’t a red flag—it’s your 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺. Explain how your experience uniquely qualifies you for this new role. Your resume, LinkedIn, and interviews should clearly say: “𝙄 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙗𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚—𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚.” 5️⃣ 𝗧𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 Don’t spray and pray. Be selective. Be strategic. And tailor every single application. Use your network. Leverage referrals. Build real relationships. Every connection = a potential opportunity. 6️⃣ 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 Pivots take time. You may need to accept a stepping-stone role or freelance work to gain credibility. Stay patient. Stay persistent. Rejections aren’t failures—they’re data. Changing industries isn’t about starting over. It’s about repositioning what you already know in a way that solves 𝘯𝘦𝘸 problems. DM me "𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗢𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞" and I’ll send ⭐ free ⭐ tools to help you update your LinkedIn, sharpen your story, and attract roles that align with where you’re going next. Because your next chapter doesn’t have to look like your last one. It just has to move you forward.