Photo by Joe Holland
The short and simple answer to this question is: Yes, it is.
Recently, I have come across many candidates with no industry experience that applies to one of my job posts. It breaks my heart to turn their application down, but for certain industries, such as the water and wastewater industry, specific knowledge is required.
Don’t feel discouraged though, some companies are willing to train a candidate without industry experience if they are a good fit and ready to learn. When I post a job, I will make sure to let you know if this is the case.
But let’s focus here on having industry experience.
If there are several pre-screening questions in the job description, and most of them refer to the same topic (water/engineering/chemistry) that you are not familiar with, it may not be the best idea to apply.
For example, in jobs that require many skill sets, the experience will be less negotiable, because these skills can take years to acquire. For jobs that require more soft “people” skills, the experience from less related jobs may transfer perfectly into the new position.
To know if you’re a good match for a job, please read the job description carefully and look at the pre-screening questions. If you cannot answer most of them, this is probably not a good fit for you.
Here’s the difference between industry experience and no industry experience:
You need industry experience when a job:
Involves complex technical knowledge or operations.
Requires specific degrees.
Requires licenses (e.g. to operate a plant, PE, etc.).
You do not need industry experience when a job:
Requires business operations, like human resources, project management, or team management. Your specialization may be enough to get you a similar job in a different industry.
Is an entry-level position where a "candidate must be willing to learn" or "no experience needed.”
Do not worry, experience can be acquired. If you want to transition into a new role or to the water and wastewater industry, it is possible…but it will take time, effort, and learning new skills.
Make sure the path you are choosing will take you there.
Written by: Sandy Rivera, Recruiting Coordinator at Hunter Crown, LLC
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