Good afternoon!

Tracy McHugh

March 14,2021 at 8:54PM UTC

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Good afternoon! I am looking for feedback on how to hop industries and/or to connect with people in tech or entertainment. My goal is to work in sales in one of these industries. I have a lot of experience in sales, a crisp resume and have even had internal referrals for some jobs I applied to at desired companies. Yet I have not received any response to applications, even with a preliminary interview with recruiting. Would really appreciate the insight!

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Remi GibbsMarch 14,2021 at 10:21PM UTC
My suggestion would be to start networking on LinkedIn and see if you can set up some informational interviews set-up. Once you have the information you need about a company and what the jobs you are interested in entail, then you can reach out directly to the hiring manager for the department you'd like to work in. Many posted jobs already have someone in mind. A huge percentage of jobs are never listed as employers are hoping for a referral into the position. All my best in your endeavor!
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Jackie GhedineMarch 15,2021 at 11:27AM UTC
Tracy, over 70% of job placements happen through networking. If your network isn't in the industry, you can start creating a network in the industry.
With Covid, there aren't live networking opportunities, however, there are so many communities you can join to start building relationships.
Online women's orgs like Six Degrees or Dreamers and Doers
Industry associations in entertainment and tech
Facebook communitys and groups
Begin to find these right places to build real relationships and you'll see opportunities open up. Good luck.
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AnonymousMarch 16,2021 at 8:47PM UTC
Agreed, networking and reaching out to people to see if they would have an informational interview. You never know, they may be able to connect you. Also what about your friendship network, sometimes there are random connections in the networks we already have that could be helpful!
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Farah BajwaMarch 16,2021 at 10:26PM UTC
I recently succeeded in leaving the aerospace industry where I was an engineering manger and hopped into the electrical industry as a project manager working my way back to people management. A tool that helped me lay out my plan was a book called, "What Color is your Parachute?" Very easy read. Good luck!
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AnonymousMarch 19,2021 at 8:24PM UTC
All great advice.
I would also suggest looking at your resume again to ensure that you're effectively sharing not only transferable skills, but instances where you've even loosely worked on projects related to tech or entertainment. It could be via volunteering, industry organizations or perhaps a side project in a current/previous role. I successfully transitioned into tech and I only had one small connection to the tech world through my previous role - I highlighted it strongly in my resume and talked about it in every interview. Even a brief/light connection to the industry you're interested in will help.
I'd also suggest FB groups - Moms in Tech, Women in Tech, etc. are great networking options that are more personal than a LinkedIn group or professional organization.
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