Multi - case Revelation of "Career Transition": How Do Talents from All Walks of Life Make a Comeback Against the Odds? | Career Elevator Open Talk Season 2

36Kr "Career Bonus" (ID: ZhiChangHongLi)

Insurance elites face setbacks in job - hunting, business students are confused about their career directions, bankers want to switch to education and training, and some Internet professionals want to move to the liquor industry... How can they find a breakthrough in career transformation?

Career transformation is actually not that complicated. In simple terms, it means changing your career track. However, many people have hit walls and encountered pitfalls on the path of transformation. How do people with different backgrounds choose their directions and solve problems? Is there a common approach? How can you gain a foothold in a new field?

In this issue of "Career Elevator OpenTalk", we specially invite the career blogger "Qi Qian" to answer questions during a live - link session. From choosing between two job offers to the path for people in traditional industries to cross - over into AI education and training, Qi Qian will respond one by one based on practical experience and career - selection theories.

Whether you are troubled by a fragmented resume or torn between in - depth development and cross - over, this dialogue will provide you with precise solutions from a professional job - hunting perspective.

"Transformation Dilemma": How can an insurance elite break the deadlock when job - hunting in a different city? ╱ One

The first job of business students should be anchored to the urban industrial lifeline ╱ Two

Don't be blinded by high salaries: When choosing a job offer, look at the "industry's anti - cyclical ability" ╱ Three

Bankers switching to AI education and training: Start with a part - time job, then consider a full - time one ╱ Four

Deeply cultivate your skills during the economic downturn. Frequent job - hopping is career suicide ╱ Five

"Resume Reshaping": How to position the core competitiveness with a Fortune 500 background? ╱ Six

"In - depth Development VS Cross - over": In the era of refinement, how to build a career moat? ╱ Seven

"Transformation Dilemma": How can an insurance elite break the deadlock when job - hunting in a different city?

@Lili: I have a master's degree in education from a 985 - level university and a bachelor's degree in education from a 211 - level university. I have three years of experience in training management in a leading insurance company, based in Shanghai. Now I want to find a job in Wuhan. From March to now, I have applied for more than 50 training positions in insurance companies, but I have only received one or two interview invitations.

I like training and talent development. Now, because I can't find a job, I want to make a career transformation. On the one hand, I'm worried that changing careers will affect my professional development. On the other hand, I'm not sure which industry I'm suitable for.

 Qi Qian : You are currently facing issues related to changing jobs, cities, careers, and getting feedback on your resume.

First of all, having your first job in the insurance industry has a drawback: Once you enter the insurance industry, you'll be labeled in a fixed way, making it difficult to cross over to other industries. Additionally, the human resources department is a support - type department with a low ceiling. If you insist on the human resources training direction, it is recommended to do training that can directly bring in profits, such as ToB supplier training or sales training.

Secondly, there is the issue of changing cities. If you plan to change cities, it is recommended that you first visit the local development and reform commission's website to understand the district government's industrial map and pay attention to the key - supported industries. Follow the city's development strategy. When changing cities, don't just look at the industries you're interested in. It's better to follow the city's development strategy. On the one hand, a position available in one city may not be available in another. On the other hand, getting into a regionally - supported industry is like getting on a fast - moving train, which is beneficial for your career development.

Regarding the issue of resume feedback, job - hunting should be done with low - intensity and high - frequency continuous applications. You are now a high - potential candidate. If you apply for a large number of jobs, you should get a good feedback rate. Normally, the application - to - interview ratio is 10:1. You should get 10 interview invitations for every 100 resumes you submit. If the ratio doesn't meet this standard, there is a problem with your resume, and you need to modify it according to keywords. Another thing is to apply regularly, applying every day for four consecutive weeks.

If you love human resources work, you can continue, but you must change industries. The insurance industry is not a good place to stay.

The first job of business students should be anchored to the urban industrial lifeline

@An'an: I'm currently pursuing a master's degree in Hong Kong after graduating from an undergraduate program on the Chinese mainland. I'll graduate next year, and my major is in business, ESG [1], and the new energy field. I have internship experiences in multiple industries related to the primary and secondary markets, such as industry research and market research. Now I'm not sure if I should continue in this direction.

 Qi Qian : Your advantage is that you have a continuous undergraduate - to - master's study. Enterprises usually prefer postgraduate students without any gaps in their education.

The underlying logic of college students' employment is not what major you study, but where you do your internships. Because internship experiences determine which companies of the same type you can attract.

Your confusion indicates that you didn't choose the right direction for your internships. So, the first step is to accurately position your job - hunting direction. Currently, the business models of many industries are declining. Once you enter these industries, you'll face a lot of pressure and competition, such as in consulting firms and accounting firms.

The ESG industry currently doesn't have large - scale employment opportunities. Most employees in this field work in powerless departments of enterprises, consulting firms, or government agencies, doing some marginal work. So, be cautious when choosing an industry.

Another key point is to find companies with an upward - trending development, such as industries supported by regional governments. Don't choose industries that seem glamorous but are actually declining, such as architectural design institutes and consulting firms.

You also need to consider whether the company's interpersonal relationships are simple and suitable for your low - energy state. Avoid companies with infighting. With your educational background, you're not very suitable for state - owned and state - holding enterprises. You need to choose the right type of enterprise. Currently, the market research and strategic analysis work you're doing, although doable, is rather boring and will exacerbate your low - energy state.

People with low energy tend to focus on details. When their job - hunting goals are not clear, they may undervalue themselves. Be sure to regain your energy.

[1] ESG is an investment concept and corporate evaluation standard that focuses on a company's environmental, social, and governance performance, aiming to evaluate the sustainability of a company's operation and its impact on social values from these three dimensions.

Don't be blinded by high salaries: When choosing a job offer, look at the "industry's anti - cyclical ability"

@Mint Candy: I'm 30 years old, graduated from a 211 - level university with a major in data application. My current position is a data analyst (more focused on the supply chain, and sometimes helping enterprises with data infrastructure, etc.).

I'm currently looking for new opportunities and facing a career choice between two job offers: 1. The liquor industry (a leading company) 2. The e - commerce department of a large Internet company, with a position in data analysis strategy. The former is affected by the consumption - tightening environment, and the recovery period is uncertain. The latter has the "35 - year - old crisis", which makes me worried.

 Qi Qian : When people face two very vague options, they will be confused because the reasons for the options are not sufficient.

The basis of decision - making is information. For example, it's like asking "Do you like pears or apples?" But a vague question would be "Do you like X or Y?" Because it's difficult to fully understand unknown information, it's hard for people to make quick and correct decisions.

At this time, we might as well use the AB decision - making method - make the options specific and then compare them. When choosing between the liquor and e - commerce industries, you can spend some time to deeply understand the business models, sub - fields, development stages, company attributes, and position information of the relevant industries, and make your understanding of the options more concrete.

After making the options specific, you can make a decision based on your career - selection criteria. If salary is your top priority, you can directly choose the job with a higher salary. If stability is your main concern, choose an industry where you can work until the age of 40.

Bankers switching to AI education and training: Start with a part - time job, then consider a full - time one

@Ping'an: My major in college was traffic engineering. After graduating from undergraduate school, I worked in a bank for the first year, and then I took a one - year break from work. Based on my understanding of AI tools and educational needs, I hope to switch to the education + AI field. I also have the idea of starting a business in the future. How should I accumulate relevant industry experience? Is Lanzhou a good choice if I want to enter this industry? Should I change cities?

 Qi Qian : You want to start a business, but based on my experience, it's currently not beneficial for you at all - you don't have relevant industry experience, and you had a one - year gap in your work in the two years after graduation. Starting a business is destined to fail.

After a failed business attempt, the secondary recruitment market will basically not offer you job opportunities. On the one hand, HRs and headhunters will think that you're hard to manage. On the other hand, a failed business attempt will label you as a "salary scammer". For entrepreneurs who don't graduate from 985 - or 211 - level universities, the job - hunting situation is even more severe.

Currently, I recommend that you do three things: First, accurately position your career; second, accumulate part - time work experience; third, modify your resume and switch your job - hunting tools.

Accurately positioning your career is very important. The thinking mode in banks is very different from that in private enterprises. Your bank work experience will be labeled by recruiters, making it difficult for you to switch industries. You need to choose a job that is suitable for you after professional tool analysis.

Accumulating part - time work experience can make job - hunting more efficient. I once knew a girl who switched to user operation. Before job - hunting, she did a three - month part - time job at Fan Deng Reading Club, which added highlights to her resume. In fact, compared with getting certificates, enterprises value actual project experience more.

Finally, after doing the first two steps well, modify your resume and switch your job - hunting tools. After completing these three steps, you can find a suitable job even in Lanzhou.

Now, you can calm down. Don't make the wrong choice due to impatience. In terms of your career, you're still in the novice stage two years after graduation. You're allowed to make mistakes. Spend time to find a job that can support you in the next ten years.

Deeply cultivate your skills during the economic downturn. Frequent job - hopping is career suicide

@Watermelon: I have an associate degree and work as a merchant operator on a pharmaceutical platform, mainly responsible for the B - end segment. I have five years of work experience and have got promotions and salary increases in the past two years. But due to the limitations of my degree and the policy control of the pharmaceutical industry, I want to switch careers. I want to continue doing merchant operation, but I'm confused about other industries.

 Qi Qian : Operator positions are generally similar. For junior college students, there's no need to waste effort on improving your degree. If your original degree is an associate degree, improving it in any way won't be very useful. Your focus should be on polishing your resume, getting into good industries and companies, and doing things related to results. Junior college students generally have the problem of unclear core competitiveness. Core competitiveness includes two points: First, the things you spend the most time on at work and the abilities developed behind them; second, what the enterprise needs you to do. You need to find the core competitiveness that the enterprise needs the most from you.

For those with a non - full - time undergraduate degree, the first step is to find your core competitiveness. After finding it, highlight the part most needed by the enterprise in your resume. Don't rely on recruitment websites. Instead, get introduced by enterprise leaders or recommended through industry - internal communities. A hero's origin doesn't matter. As long as you find a suitable job opportunity, you're a valuable person to society.

"Resume Reshaping": How to position the core competitiveness with a Fortune 500 background?

@Strawberry: I'm a fresh undergraduate graduate from a non - key university. After graduation, I worked in a functional position (more in operations) at Amazon, which was relatively stable. After one year of work, I went abroad to study for a master's degree at a university ranked in the top 100 of the QS rankings. After graduation, the employment environment changed, and it became difficult for me to find a job.

Finally, I found a ToB sales job at a leading foreign - owned enterprise. But later, I found that the sales position required frequent socializing. Going from a client to a service - provider, I had to persuade others to buy things, so I resigned. Now, when I'm looking for a job, employers think that my work experience is short and that my two jobs are not closely related.

My advantages are in foreign trade, overseas media or self - media operations, and platform operations. I'm good at copywriting and video production, and I have a good sense of aesthetics. Now I want to switch to positions that involve more in - person communication.

 Qi Qian : Your biggest problem now is that your resume is fragmented, and it's difficult to find a good job on recruitment websites. Now, the focus is to choose a new career direction based on your advantages.

The first step is to accurately position your job - hunting direction: Choose the industry field, the company's business model, and the development stage. It's recommended to choose non - listed companies that have been established for more than five years and are in a high - speed development stage, as they are more inclusive. In terms of company type, private enterprises and foreign - owned enterprises are better, with private enterprises being the first choice. In terms of positions, positions with an operational or business nature are more suitable.

The second step is to adjust your job - hunting mindset and external expression. Your advantages may not be recognized by the enterprise, and your expression ability hasn't been fully demonstrated in the job - hunting process.

The third step is to switch your job - hunting tools. Utilize higher - leverage job - hunting resources, such as alumni networks, and avoid using recruitment websites with low - trust leverage.

"In - depth Development VS Cross - over": In the era of refinement, how to build a career moat?

Reader: In the current era, should one choose to deeply cultivate skills in a vertical track or accumulate diverse industry experiences to enhance long - term personal competitiveness?

 Qi Qian : Employment is closely related to the economic environment. Currently, all industries are developing in a more refined way. Frequent career switches are unfavorable for job - seekers.

Currently, resumes in the job market can be divided into four types: Golden talents (those who don't change industries or positions), Silver talents (those who don't change positions but change industries), Bronze talents (those who don't change industries but change positions), and Iron - like talents (those who change both industries and positions). The first two types of people can easily find jobs, while the latter two types have more difficulties. So, you must accurately position your career direction and deeply cultivate skills in one industry to continuously increase your value in the next ten years.

[Next - issue Preview]

June 3rd,