How to Change Industries or Practice Areas

Take advantage of the hot labor market to switch industries or practice areas now! When faced with a shortage, employers are more willing to consider candidates looking to transition, provided their value is clear.

Tips on how to pitch a transition: 

1. Get the necessary skills before applying. Volunteer if necessary, and pass any tests (USPTO, CIPP, etc.).
2. Make clear your underlying skills directly port over. Experienced lawyers know how to assess risk, create strategy, speak truth to power, run teams, and draft documents. Run through your relevant skill set and track record to show you get up to speed quickly.
3. Explain your interest. Your story has to make sense and show how your past leads to this opportunity.

Applying the above, litigators wanting to go in-house for transactional jobs, for example, can explain that they already have the substantive knowledge (commercial, IP, antitrust, product liability, data privacy, etc.), plus project/time/client management skills under their belt. They also have been acquiring relevant experience for this job ideally in the same industry (e.g., they have drafted complex patent license agreements in a settlement, or created the privacy policy for a startup). Additionally, they have litigated deals that have gone bad, thus know how to avoid pitfalls. Close by explaining why litigation was a great background leading to the job in question, their real passion.