Hi friends,
Have you ever been interested in a role but had zero experience in the industry?
You don’t have to write off the opportunity just yet.
Here's the thing: Before joining my current company, I had little to no knowledge about watches.
I owned an Apple watch and recognised a few of the top brands, but beyond that, I had no real idea of what this industry was all about.
I also felt like women and younger people are traditionally not too welcome in this space, but I was excited to be a part of the change.
Despite these doubts, I figured out a few ways to get up to speed quickly.
1) Curate Your Own Crash Course
When you're starting from scratch, it's easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information out there.
I chose a couple of reliable sources that I could learn from without getting too overloaded. I started with the direct competitors, then watched a lot of Youtube and read a few blogs/editorials.
After getting a grasp on the basics, I also expanded my education to adjacent industries and topics to get a deeper understanding of how they work together, such as luxury bags, the vintage/secondhand market, sneakers, auctions and fashion.
2) Talk to people who have experience
For a deeper understanding of the current benefits and challenges that people in the industry face, it's best to find individuals with direct experience in the space.
I reached out to my watch collector friends as well as people who I knew owned at least one watch (Non-Apple watch). Asking "dumb" questions and listening to their stories was invaluable in getting into the mindset of how watch collectors/owners think and feel, as well as the challenges they have yet to overcome.
Learning their biggest pain points and how they are currently coping with them is arguably the most important information to gather. This is because you need to be clear on what the problems are before you are able to build the best solution to solve them.
3) Show your desire to learn and your transferrable skills
While having experience in an industry is a plus, most companies/hiring managers want to see these 2 main things:
Do you have a desire to learn?
Do you have the skills to do the job?
As long as you show that you've done the work and have transferable skills from previous roles, then you already have a much more solid chance to land the opportunity.
A final thought from me - don’t put too much pressure on yourself to learn everything there is to know. Whether or not you get the opportunity, the learning doesn’t really stop.
There is always more to learn - so all you can do is to continue to stay curious and hopefully as you gain actual experience, your interest and knowledge with develop as well!
Viv’s recommendations
🚫Video: I built a 7-figure creator business and quit. Here’s why. by Vanessa Lau
A very honest reflection from Vanessa Lau - a creator known for her social media masterclasses - on what led her to take a year long sabbatical from social media/content creation. Even if you aren’t looking to become a creator, this video is still worth a watch for anyone who wants grow their career sustainably and avoid burnout.
💟 Video: Life Lessons I Learned by Jenn Im
Jenn’s videos have always been my go-to for when I want to chill while also get some wisdom. I loved this particular video where she share some of the life lessons she’s learned over the years.
In case you missed it: I shared the 3 things I’m doing to make 2024 a better year in these 3 months.
A question for you!
Who are you trying to become this year? Which actions will reinforce that identity?
Always open to learning more and hearing from you 😊
Thanks for reading!
Stay inspired,
Viv