You already have a role in mind, but you haven’t yet checked whether the move is realistic. Before you apply, start with these 3 steps.
Step 1: Read 5 job descriptions for the target role
Pick five postings for the role you want, ideally from different companies, and look for what repeats.
- Which responsibilities appear in almost every posting?
- Which skills or tools are listed as required, and which as “nice to have”?
- What does the title mean in practice? The same title can mean very different work at different companies.
Copy the repeated points into a simple list. This is your reference for the next step.
Step 2: List which of your skills transfer, and which don’t
Now compare your own experience against that list. Make two columns.
- Transfers: skills you already use that match (managing stakeholders, budgeting, project delivery, analysis, and so on).
- Gaps: requirements you haven’t done yet.
Gaps are not a reason to stop. They tell you what to learn, or which examples to look for in your current work.
Step 3: Talk to 3 people already in that role
This is the step people skip, and the most useful one. Job descriptions show what companies ask for. People in the role show what the work is really like.
Because you’ve done steps 1 and 2, you can ask better questions:
- What does a normal week look like?
- Which of the skills on my list actually matter most?
- What surprised you when you started?
- What do people most often misunderstand about this role?
- If you were in my position, what would you do first?
Not sure who to talk to?
If you don’t know anyone in the role, look for people who have made a similar move. On beamthru, you can book a one-on-one video session with someone who has been through a career step and ask how they handled it.