What do you do if you’ve been invited to a job interview in a completely new industry?
“Does my experience even matter in this industry?
How much do I need to know about the sector before the first interview?
Does having no industry experience automatically put me at a disadvantage?
Which of my skills could actually be useful in a new environment?”
Being invited to a job interview in an industry you have never worked in before can quickly raise doubts. Are you really a good fit? Will you be able to have a meaningful conversation about the market? Don’t other candidates have an obvious advantage over you?
For experienced managers and executives, however, changing industries doesn’t have to mean starting everything from scratch. In many roles, what matters is not only sector knowledge but also experience in running a business, leading transformations, scaling organizations, managing P&L, managing change and working with complex stakeholder groups. The key is whether you can apply your existing experience to the needs of the new environment.
Let’s look at the options you have when you’re invited to a job interview in a completely new industry.
