Saying "I want to be a Doctor when I grow up" is easy, while the path to get there (although fairly straightforward) involves hard work and competition. The risks of not getting there are calculatable and helps determine whether or not someone wants it badly enough to go through the hell! However, the difficulty facing the career transitioner is that the path to get there is often not clear at all - there are
knowledge gaps. "I don't know what I don't know" is common.
I meet many who come from one background (e.g. sales or IT) and think that obtaining an MBA means that they can automatically become a General Manager or an Investment Banker. Unfortunately, while formal education will open up new opportunities, it does not
guarantee a successful transition. LEARN what you don't know - eliminate the most common gaps:
- Obtain in depth understanding of the industry and the players
- Build knowledge of the companies, divisions and departments with specific positions
- Know what organizations are seeking when hiring for those specific jobs and how they go about looking for the right people
- Find out the characteristics of the competing applicants for those jobs
I can not emphasize how important it is to research first! Then... test your knowledge and assumptions... Talk with people in the industry. Start with the easy people: your friends, your classmates, career counselors and professors. Networking is very important from the very beginning (more later about networking). If you already know your HERE and you think you know your THERE, but have not yet identified the gaps, start your research! Learn what you don't know so you eliminate the gaps! Then... position and market yourself.
