I have been a practicing PM for the last 9 years within the financial services industry; however, I am trying very hard to move out of the financial services industry into the healthcare field. Has anyone successfully completed this transition? I am finding it difficult despite currently being enrolled in an MBA in Healthcare Administration program and with a PMP. Any advice on how to transition?
PM skills and knowledge is universal and no concerns about changing the industry. I did transition from a global bank (13+ years PM experience) to healthcare related field about 3 years back. I think it all depends your passion and what you would like to do on day-to-day basis and your long term goals.
Best wishes for your future endeavors! Saving Changes...
Anton OosthuizenSenior Business Analyst / Project Manager| Self EmployedPretoria, Gauteng, South Africa
Jenny, you find yourself in a very common predicament. Moving between industries can be challenging. I've spent over 2 decades in one specific industry and when the time came to make a change nobody would touch me. People are very short-sighted and do not understand that industry knowledge is the easy thing to pick up. Years of experience as a PM or BA, however, cannot be learned or taught. When you interview focus on your strengths in a generic way and try not to relate it to a specific industry, it is difficult but possible. Also, adapt your CV to do the same. It is in these scenarios that contact who know you personally can be of great help and you need to use them. Saving Changes...
Sergio Luis ConteHelping to create solutions for everyone| Worldwide based OrganizationsBuenos Aires, Argentina
I think we need to consider two different points here. The transition from one domain to other is not difficult at all. Is the same than you are assigned to different projects that belong to different business inside the same organization. But if you are talking about to find a new job into a new domain then you are restricted to job descriptions and that´s the point where you can apply or not regarding your expertisse. In my case, I always apply and when they called me I demostrated why I can do the job. That´s because I worked in totally different domains along the years. Saving Changes...
Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Jenny
Interesting your question
Thanks for sharing
What motivated you to want to change industry (sector of activity)?
What knowledge and skills should you have to work in the new industry?
I believe that by getting answers to this last question you can:
- Analyze the gap between your skills and the skills needed to work in the new industry
- Develop new skills
And of course embrace the new challenge Saving Changes...
Healthcare can be a challenging nut to crack - clinicians sometimes have that "if you are not a [doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner], you don't know healthcare" view of things.
Having said that, it is about leveraging your network to help put your resume in front of a hiring manager - a warm intro vs. a cold call.
I'd also suggest augmenting your learning about healthcare by joining an appropriate association (e.g. HIMSS if you manage technology projects) and finding a seasoned PM in the healthcare domain who is willing to share their learnings about some of the nuances of projects within that industry.
Also, knowing the basics of HIPAA and HL7 won't hurt :-)
Kiron Saving Changes...
Kimberly ChavezPlatform Program Manager, Integration| BrightspeedOverland Park, Ks, United States
Hi Jenny,
I successfully transitioned industries. I went from Government Hazard Mitigation planning, to onboarding large companies who wanted to transition to new insurance providers and all that goes with that, to a completely different field, manufacturing installations. I found moving industries to be challenging. During the interviews the inevitable question of why you want to move always comes up. My answer is always the same. I feel that a project manager or coordinator (i've been in both roles) is more capable of handling the least expected when they are more rounded. We see things that are similar in nature, in this role, throughout any industry; however, the solutions vary and having the ability to think outside of the box is valuable. The ability to do that comes with our experiences. I've had a lot of experiences over the years on many projects and I reflect back on all of those jobs when trying to solve a current problem.
Try to get the interview by having a lot of current classes and/or up to date certifications. Cast your resume net far and wide. For every 20 I put out, I probably got two or three calls because I was competing with people already in the industry. Once you're in the interview, get them to think outside the box by showing them what you have that others don't. Shine. Good luck! It is possible to switch industries, it just takes deep dedication.
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1 reply by Jenny Kandler
Dec 20, 2019 12:30 PM
Jenny Kandler
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Thank you so much Kimberly!!! I greatly appreciate the insight and advice!
I successfully transitioned industries. I went from Government Hazard Mitigation planning, to onboarding large companies who wanted to transition to new insurance providers and all that goes with that, to a completely different field, manufacturing installations. I found moving industries to be challenging. During the interviews the inevitable question of why you want to move always comes up. My answer is always the same. I feel that a project manager or coordinator (i've been in both roles) is more capable of handling the least expected when they are more rounded. We see things that are similar in nature, in this role, throughout any industry; however, the solutions vary and having the ability to think outside of the box is valuable. The ability to do that comes with our experiences. I've had a lot of experiences over the years on many projects and I reflect back on all of those jobs when trying to solve a current problem.
Try to get the interview by having a lot of current classes and/or up to date certifications. Cast your resume net far and wide. For every 20 I put out, I probably got two or three calls because I was competing with people already in the industry. Once you're in the interview, get them to think outside the box by showing them what you have that others don't. Shine. Good luck! It is possible to switch industries, it just takes deep dedication.
Thank you so much Kimberly!!! I greatly appreciate the insight and advice!
