How do you establish credibility in a new career?

Embarking on a new career path is a significant transition, requiring a strategic and thoughtful approach. Having effectively identified and pitched your strengths and transferable skills to secure the position, the next step is to hone in on areas for improvement and adaptation. Initially, prioritize understanding the framework of your new role. Get a clear grasp of the performance metrics and expectations set for your position. This foundational understanding is crucial for setting relevant goals and directing your efforts effectively. Focus on familiarizing yourself with the new tools, processes, and workflows specific to your role and the organization. .

Knowing the full value you bring to a role is key to ensuring you can not only demonstrate that to potential employers, but also start a new career full of confidence. Your strengths are not only the technical and soft skills you've acquired in your previous roles - they are also all of your natural talents and personality traits. For instance, I am a naturally organized person, so I naturally build frameworks and systems to make life easier - I've used that to build Governance frameworks in Banking and to manage projects. I also apply that to my coaching business and home life. It's important that you know yourself well, so that you can articulate all that you can do, in the specific industry/ environment you are looking to operate in.

Most of the times people struggle with identifying their strengths, and don't understand what are they bringing to the table. If you're one of them, try an exercise where you'd include other people as well. List the things: → you love to do, →you do naturally or easier in comparison to others → that others ask you to help them with → ask friends, family and coworkers (you're comfortable with) when are you appearing in their minds as a perfect helper Et voila, you have the core list of your strengths that you can upgrade with skills you gain in life & work.

"Your opinion does not matter' Humans are a terrible collection of flaws and biases. Being able to be constructively self critical is almost impossible. For starters, your sample size is one. No statistician alive would rely on that! So, set yourself a talking tour list and interview people you have worked with, better create a quick anonymous google form and send it out to people and ask their point of view. If you know your target niche (and that is a big 'IF') then copy and paste 30 job descriptions in your area into a word cloud tool and look for the top five identifiable strengths. Cross check with a bit of Chat GPT and you'll have a target strength list to map your inventory against and be able to spot and work on filling the gaps

When diving into learning for your new career, take it slow and don't get lost in a sea of podcasts or books without first grasping the current trends and needs of your field. Opt for credible resources and always consider how this new knowledge ties into your career goals. Avoid learning for learning's sake; instead, aim for targeted, purposeful knowledge acquisition. Seek guidance from experienced professionals and tap into the collective wisdom of online communities. Engaging in discussions within these groups provides diverse viewpoints and helps you pinpoint the best starting point for your learning journey.

Whilst learning is essential, and helps your personal confidence in your ability, it is a week signal in terms of helping hiring decision makers understand the value you offer. So be sure to be taking your learning and create proof points that are materially valuable to your audience (hiring managers). This could be in the form of writing articles or presenting a point of view on a particular problems your niche may face. Be sure to make this proof points visible as well as valuable. The point is to show not tell.

Trust is not easily earned; it's the result of a process of building trust and demonstrating capability. One key element in building trust is your ability to learn and adapt. Imagine that your new career faces challenges influenced by factors like Artificial Intelligence. These challenges will affect not just you but the entire profession you're pursuing. When you start learning new things, you and others may begin at the same point, potentially giving you a chance to lead in certain key areas of your profession. So, always be proactive about your future. This proactive approach not only prepares you for upcoming challenges but also positions you as a forward-thinking and adaptable professional, attributes highly valued in any field.

Upgrading your skills shouldn't be just random overstuffing of your brain with new information. To map out what you need and what will actually help you to improve your career you need to know what you have (the list of core skills) and where you need to arrive (you guess it you need to make a new list). Sometimes that list won't have anything to do with hard skills connected to the work you need to do, but rather with communication. Sometimes maybe even a therapy. Also, just reading, listening and taking courses won't do much if you don't practice what you learn 'till the moment it gets to be part of your identity.

Establishing credibility in a new career involves proactive networking and building authentic, meaningful relationships. Show genuine interest in your industry and engage respectfully with your contacts. Remember, your network is a valuable asset. Always be polite and considerate, offering help before seeking favors. Don't overlook the potential of your existing network; it can be a great starting point. By focusing on these relationships and contributing value to others, you can effectively build credibility and open doors in your new career path.

Be mindful about where you seek connection, and how and where you connect. This should be ongoing activity through your whole life, and not an aggressive campaign you lead when you need change or a favour. Be ready to be a contributor to a community, and not just to ask for things.

Similarly to learning, any research achievements or skills you've acquired can be effectively applied to your new career, which is definitely a plus and you need to show it off or make it easier to see for the interviewer or employer. Make sure to leverage your advantages appropriately to help you advance more quickly in the career path you've chosen. Utilizing your existing skills and knowledge can provide you with a unique edge, allowing you to stand out and make a more significant impact in your new role. It's about understanding how your past experiences and skills can be adapted and applied in new ways to meet the challenges and opportunities of your chosen profession.

Seeking feedback is crucial for establishing credibility and fostering personal growth in a new career. Actively seek feedback, but do so thoughtfully. Filter and integrate this feedback into your strategy to aid your progress. In a new job, especially in a different industry, structured feedback sessions like weekly or monthly meetings can be more effective. They provide a focused environment for discussing specific points. While it's important to seek feedback, be mindful not to overwhelm your colleagues with constant questions. Carefully choosing the right time and setting for these interactions can help you balance the need for feedback with maintaining positive working relationships.

Proactively seeking feedback to understand and improve is highly commendable and valuable. In your work, choose appropriate moments to ask for opinions, comments, or advice from your mentors. Always maintain the mindset of an "Empty cup", ready to be filled, and be open to receiving feedback from various perspectives. This approach will enable you to adapt, learn more, and grow in your professional journey. Being receptive to feedback, especially from those with more experience or different viewpoints, can provide invaluable insights and help you navigate your career more effectively.

Don't compare yourself to others. We all have our unique gifts and quirks that set us apart from others. People choose to work with you and for you because of that. So own who you are and you'll be naturally credible. It's exhausting to try and be someone else and people see through it anyway. Be you. Own you. And people will gravitate towards that.

Establishing credibility in a new career can be challenging, but it's not impossible. It takes time and effort. So, invest wisely in building your knowledge and relationships as this combination is a reliable strategy for this goal. Knowledge attracts mentors and collaborators, while strong relationships open doors to learning opportunities and industry insights. However, it doesn't happen overnight. Be patient, consistent, and keep putting yourself out there.

The truth: it's a season of hustle. I use the word “season” deliberately, because I don’t think you should hustle hard across every season of your life. But the foundations of my career were built on intense, hard work, so it would be insincere to recommend anything else. At the start, it’s all about building credibility, because you have none. And ironically, the easiest way to build credibility is to work hard. By working hard you are trying to overcome your deficiencies in experience, skill, and reputation. You are signaling to others that you are all-in, that you will do what it takes.

Establishing credibility in a new career requires strategic thinking. Dive into industry research; learn about trends and key players. Network authentically, prioritizing genuine connections over superficial interactions. Learn industry-specific tools and methodologies to stay ahead. Showcase immediate value through impactful contributions at work. Pose thoughtful, industry-specific questions to showcase an interest in mastering your domain. Display adaptability to showcase your ability to navigate unfamiliar terrain. Commit to continuous learning, addressing skill gaps. At work, share relevant insights based on your unique perspective, positioning yourself as a valuable team contributor.

When you embark on a new career path, you can showcase and highlight your transferable skills and experience from your previous career that will help you transition into your new role. But more important than that is your personality, attitude, willingness to learn, the perspective you bring, authenticity and how you network and communicate with your new colleagues and team members that will give you credibility. While your previous colleagues and bosses may have already given you recommendations and references. It may also be worthwhile to meet and get to know key people in the new organisation who can mentor or guide you on this new path and thereby vouch for you, giving you added confidence and credibility.