Page 10 - Career-Transitions-Seven-Steps-06-20-2017a

STEP IDENTIFY ANY

4 KNOWLEDGE GAPS

One of the areas you want to be sure to cover in an informational interview
as well as during your employer/industry research is what skills are
expected in the area you’d like to transition to. The more closely your
existing skills match those expectations, the easier your career transition
will be.
The difference between employers’ expected knowledge and your existing
knowledge is your “knowledge or skills gap” In addition to identifying this
information through information interviews, it helps to review relevant job
descriptions, ask questions about key skills in online discussion groups,
monitor industry blogs and e-newsletters for career information, and check
out the career information provided by relevant associations.

Another approach is to look at the curriculum and courses for degree
programs that relate to your intended career path. What skills do they
focus on? Do they recommend certificate programs for specialized skills?
Similarly, are any certifications required for the work you’d like to do? (For
example, if you wanted to transition from clinical nursing to healthcare
project management, would you need to complete a Project Management
Institute certification in order to qualify for these types of jobs?)

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