This document discusses transferable skills and moving between sectors or industries. It provides advice and reflections from someone who has worked in multiple sectors including media, government, health, charity, and academia. Key tips include networking extensively, thinking laterally to move sideways between roles, focusing on skills and experience over just work history, and continuing professional development. Making the transition requires communicating your value, understanding new sector drivers, managing the change process, and maintaining technical skills while providing decision-ready information.

1. Reflections on transferable skills & moving sectors
Kate Arnold
@KatefromUK 14 June 2017

2. Quick survey
• How many years have you been working in the
information/library profession?
• How many sectors or industries have you worked in?

3. ‘ Library school is the hors d’oeuvre.
Your career is the main course.’
Heidi Horrmann, University of South Carolina

5. Media
Govt
Media
Health
Charity
Academic
Today newspaper; BBC
Becta
BBC
NHS Direct
Cancer Research UK, NCB &
Macmillan
RHUL, Crick Institute

6. AUKML
SLA
sla.org
CILIP
cilip.org.uk
Networking
Board role
Communication
Mentoring
Governance
President 2014
Decision making
Virtual working
Mentoring
Advocacy
Setting policy & strategy
President 2017
Advocacy
Setting policy &
strategy
Oversight & scrutiny

13. Attributes
• Communicate your value
• Understand the drivers
• Manage the process
• Keep up your technical skills
• Provide decision-ready information
• FT SLA report: The Evolving Value of Information Management and the five
attributes of the modern information professional
https://www.sla.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/FT-SLA-Report.pdf

14. Tips
• Skills and experience
• Invest in CPD
• Network, network, network
• Think laterally – move sideways
• Job ads – person specs
• Keep up to date

15. Preparing
• Use plain English
• Don’t restrict to work experience
• Consult with your network
• Competencies, examples to illustrate skills
• Feedback
• Persevere – give it a go, and keep trying

16. Culture shock
Building new
relationships
Learn your sector

17. Sources
• Mind the Gap: my own photo
• Ingredients: http://bit.ly/2rdnF2l
• At issue desk:
http://bit.ly/1tdmmwF
• Ballet dancer: bit.ly/2sccQRk
• Swimmers: http://bit.ly/2r8Bgry
• Keyboard & doodle:
http://bit.ly/2ta8Xdc
• Ripples: http://bit.ly/2rZycQ8