When you have done one thing your whole life and then want to do another, how do you transition to the new thing?

I get asked that question a lot. I don’t know if I have a “right” answer, but I have a framework that might be helpful.

1. Learn a new language. You know the language of your current experience. Your new industry may likely different words and concepts. Learn to translate your work into the new language. That way people will understand you.

2. Become a customer. If a business maintains its existence through funding/revenue, learn how to inhabit the mind of the person they hope to get revenue from. Discover the hopes and worries of those your intended industry seeks to serve. Learn how to talk and see the world like your customer

3. Know what you do. Who I think you are is largely determined by how I perceive your actions. Who you think you are may be determined by how you perceive my reactions to your actions. If all of that is true, then job satisfaction and business success will result from your actions. Inventory the actions (behaviors, verbs) that you want to get to do at work every day. What actions don’t you do enough? What actions make you feel most alive?

When you can confidently do items one through three, the next step is to network and put yourself out there. You’ll find plenty of advice for how to job search on the Internet. I don’t think I can add any value to that discussion.

Career transitioning is never easy. It’s hard work. But if you remember “people like us do things like this” and try to inhabit the mind and worldview of the industry you’re trying to hop to, you’ll be in stronger position than those that don’t.