Ask the expert: Plan before taking up new career

Q. I am 35 and have 10 years' experience in senior operational management in service-based industries and lots of transferable skills.

I have just been made redundant but I don't want to move back to a role within my current industry - high-value consumer goods - as I am concerned about that field's future.

I am keen to apply my skills and experience in a manufacturing or IT-based organisation. I am struggling to identify suitable openings as I keep coming up against the objection that I don't have the relevant experience for my target industries.

I am struggling to network as I am moving outside my field of experience and have no contacts. I feel my experience is going to waste and am losing confidence. Can you advise me on where I can turn for help to get me back into work quickly.


A. If you want to get back into work quickly, then building on your past experience is probably your best bet.

I can understand your longer-term concerns, but if you can find a position that uses your talents in high-value consumer goods, then you can plan from there for a transition to another industry by adding knowledge and networks of the other industries you would like to move toward.

Courses, professional associations and seminars are all ways to make a planned transition into another industry, and they are all easier to access when you are in paid employment.

If you can't find work in your existing industry or want to invest a bit more time in making that transition now, then you need to restructure your CV to highlight your transferable skills and how they map on to your career path.

Highlighting similarities between industries and points of crossover from your past positions to those you are applying for is a good start.

There are many good references on CVs on the web; one of my favourites appears on the Management Development Centre

* * *

Q. As a recent postgraduate in commerce and information systems, I have a good understanding of business strategy from a management major and the role of information systems (the non-technical side). I presume these qualifications are useful to have at higher-level positions.

But since the lack of extensive practical experience often works against fresh graduates in securing higher level positions, what would you suggest as the required course of action to get a foot in the door with such generalist qualifications?


A. Look for companies that have graduate recruitment programmes as a first step, as they already have entry jobs and development experiences structured for new graduates.

Your university's career office should be able to refer you to these companies. Your lack of experience means that few companies will open their doors to you for higher-level positions, despite your education; you will need to prove yourself on the job and advance from there.

You might find a bit of a faster track in a management consulting firm that could make use of your strategy and IT knowledge, although most will expect strong analytical and quantitative skills as well.

This would give you a breadth of experience more quickly than many individual companies, as well as quickly extending your business networks.

* * *

Q. I read an article recently that made some predictions about corporate life and saw something I identified with immediately. It said, "Knowledge workers are already under pressure to break away from their companies and adopt alternative work styles".

I want more time off to do my own stuff rather than more money (no kids, so no pressure to take jobs primarily for the money).

I love what I do and I'm in a company which offers lots of room to move. I could spend years and years here. But the place isn't very flexible, the hours are often long, people leaving is often seen by the old boys in charge as some sort of betrayal (which would tend to deter them from coming back) and sometimes the thought of being at the same place for years and years - even at the same desk - fills me with a mix of depression and horror! How do I engineer a situation that's win-win - or am I just being a whinge-whinge?


A. Flexibility of hours and work styles are a growing feature of the workplace in competitive industries. You love what you do and can see yourself spending a lot more time with your current company. That makes it seem worthwhile to negotiate some extra flexibility into your job.

The long hours and unpredictable workload of your job mean that weekly or fortnightly time off is not realistic; you'll end up having work spill over into your new time off and just resent it even more.

Gaining extra annual leave time as leave without pay is probably more realistic. To get away from a hectic pace, you could try to negotiate unpaid leave either for a fortnight every three months (double your current annual leave) or you could negotiate a longer sabbatical, say three months every other year.

If it is structured in to your employment agreement both you and your employer can plan and budget appropriately.

From an employer's point of view, productivity and time spent are not directly related for most knowledge workers. They'll get increased creativity, productivity and reduced stress, burnout and turnover - all positives for the bottom line.

* Email us a question for Dr Marie Wilson to answer

* Dr Marie Wilson is associate professor of management at the University of Auckland Business School, research director of the ICEHOUSE business accelerator and a veteran of 20 years in corporate management and small business.