How to Prove Value When Changing Industries - The Muse

How to Prove Value When Changing Industries - The MuseHow to Prove Value When Changing Industries Dear Career Coach,Im a long-time freelancer with a fairly diverse background, and its time for a change in careers. How do I maintain my value in a new industry?Signed,Hungry for ValueDear Hungry for Value,Thats a great question that many people who go through a major career change struggle with. Theres all this experience youve accumulated in previous chapters through challenges that might seem out of context in yur new direction.My guess is that to have excelled as a long-time freelancer you must already be great atUnderstanding the needs and wants of your clientsDelivering a valuable work product and serviceRoutinely exceeding your clients expectationsThe good news is Those are universally desirable qualities, which means you shouldnt struggle to prove your value in your new industry. Your work ethic, attention to detail, and relationship management will make sure of that. The questio n you seem to really be asking is How do I translate the value of my previous experience in a new industry? I have two straightforward exercises to help you do that. What Story Have You Been Telling?As we move through our careers, we organically develop language to describe what we do, how we do it, and why we do it. It tends to show up when we meet new people, update our families, or when we move within our industry.You need to identify what story youve been telling yourself and others during your freelance years. Think of it as a memoir exercise. Heres how it works Start at the beginning of your freelance career and write out the story of this chapter. When youre done, read it back to yourself and- if youve been honest and taken your time- youll notice patterns and themes emerge. When you pick it apart, youll identify the best parts- the parts youre most proud of, the parts that accurately honor your skill, experience, and competency, are the ones that reveal your unique value. Wh at Story Do You Want to Tell?As we transition away from what weve been doing and toward the new, we have to figure out how to tell our story in a way that resonates and is attractive to that new audience. Once youve determined what industry youd like to transition toward, you have to take the unique value you identified in the previous exercise and write a new story.Identify three companies you admire in this new industry. Study the language they use to describe their challenges, wants, needs, and objectives. (Company websites and job listings are helpful resources to zone in on the language of your new audience.) Now, take the story you drafted in the previous exercise and re-write it using the industry language youve identified. Itll take some time to become great at communicating your unique value in the new industry, but behauptung exercises will help you inventory and recognize the value you inherently carry with you wherever you go and help you get better at telling your new s tory.As long as you stay curious, hungry, and continue to embrace new challenges, your value will always evolve with you.This article is part of our Ask an Expert series- a column dedicated to helping you tackle your biggest career concerns. Our experts are excited to answer all of your burning questions, and you can submit one by emailing us at editor(at)themuse(dot)com and using Ask a Credible Career Coach in the subject line.Your letter may be published in an article on The Muse. All letters to Ask an Expert become the property of Daily Muse, Inc and will be edited for length, clarity, and grammatical correctness.