When most people decide it’s time to switch jobs, they tend to ‘look from within’ their existing industry rather than switch industries altogether. More often than not, the only reason to worry about a pay decrease when switching jobs is if you’re also switching companies.
They might be applying for a similar role or the same role in another business and, therefore, are worried that the new salary may not match the one they used to have. Very few professionals though, choose to make a drastic career change and apply to a job in a completely different industry. They even more rarely do such a thing while still expecting to make the same amount of money.
Branching out to an industry you’re not familiar with implies that you’ll need to go through a bit of a ‘learning curve’. Does this mean you won’t match your previous salary or even, maybe, exceed it? While an industry change usually involves a pay cut, there are lots of ways that you might still avoid this fate. Read on as we dive deeper into how to switch industries but not your salary.
How To Switch Industries
But Not Your Salary
Take a Crash Course In Your New Industry
You can’t hit the ground running when you enter a brand new world. In that case, you need to get to know all the different systems and processes within your new company. Even if your role doesn’t require you to know or even understand all of them, there are “bonus points” in it for you if you do!
For instance, it can be helpful when you start in agricultural business to know that machinery uses red diesel, which is cheaper than the standard diesel you’d find at the pump.
Why does it matter? Because you could use your knowledge of red diesel fueling machinery to tackle potential theft from your storage facilities. You can also gain even more “bonus points” by educating the rest of your team with all that you know.
But, and this is very important, you need to make sure that you do not come across at all pretentious. Yes, you need to gain some insight into the different areas of your new business. But there’s no way you can manage to gain that insight without understanding how the industry functions from all angles.
Focus On The Skills You Do Bring To the Table
You might not be trained as an industry leader but you’ve got other business skills that are just as important. Your communication skills, for instance, could open the door to a variety of companies, even if you’ve never worked in their particular industry.
The ability to convey clear, concise, complete, and correct information every single time is crucial to everyday processes. Additionally, being a new member of the company, you’re more likely to listen. This usually means that you can spot early signs of conflict and misinterpretation among others before things get too heated.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask Questions
You’re new! Of course, you’re going to deal with things that you don’t know or understand. But don’t let those things handicap you. Never be ashamed when asking questions because it’s the best way to get to know your new company and the industry it’s a part of.
Additionally, questioning your colleagues’ assumptions can facilitate discussion. Perhaps your next question will inspire someone? Maybe it will reveal deeper issues within the company?
Either way, no one ever truly grows or develops without someone else around them, disrupting the status quo. If you can be that person for someone in your new ‘crew’, that’s wonderful.
Industry Experts Are NOT Always Necessary
Not every role in the business requires people to know everything about the industry. If you’re an SEO expert, you don’t need to understand how to operate industrial machinery in order to optimize a manufacturer’s website.
You can analyze data and find the most relevant keywords without being part of the physical manufacturing world. The same principle applies to most office jobs, from business analyst even to team manager.
Securing your salary when you make a bold professional move can be tricky, but it’s not impossible. As a professional, you need to be clear about what you can deliver to your new business.
Even more, you need to embrace your lack of industry know-how with humility. It’s okay to ask questions and study up on your new industry. While nobody expects you to be an expert in the field, those new pieces of information can help you to shape your role into a newly full-fledged career.
Jessica Rose Adams
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