My niche has become a rut - how do I escape?

[Old Greg]

I probably post something like this every year or two.

I make a good living contracting because I have very hard to find expertise for healthcare projects. I work as a PM mainly, but also on system configuration, business change, sometimes in I.T. projects and sometimes not.

However it is always in healthcare and all my experience (permie and contracting) has been in healthcare. All well and good and I could continue making a decent living there forever I expect.

But I really the feel the urge to move on, both in terms of sectors, but also I have family reasons for wanting to emigrate to Ireland where the health sector is moribund - but the emigration isn't a deal breaker.

The problem is that nobody wants to see my CV for other sectors as they have dozens of others with industry specific expertise, which is fair enough. I am trying to think of options and all I can really think of is becoming a permie in a consutlancy.

Any ideas or experience out there?

[Ketchup]

Are the projects you work on all related to health systems (sorry, i have very little knowledge of healthcare). Have you not worked on Payroll or HR systems, and you could tailor your CV to these types of projects with less emphasis on the healthcare industry, then maybe get a PM job on a HR or Payroll system within another industry(maybe at lower rate to start)?

[BA to the Stars]

If you have PM skills, then these should be transferrable to other sectors - I have worked in healthcare, finance, private sector, public sector, engineering all on various projects, albeit not as a PM, however the PM's I have worked with all tend to have the same skills.

[MarillionFan]

I did a stint in healthcare on the National Program for a few years and once finished got offered a number of roles around Leeds/Manchester doing the same. Decided against it and did something else.

Of the 38 contracts I've now done theyve been across multiple sectors. I'm strong in Sales, Manufacturing & Retail, but primarily my core focus is on my skill area which is BI/Reporting/Data Warehousing with SQL Server/Oracle back end and Business Objects/SAP/OBIEE/Cognos reporting suites.. This allows me to do development/business analysis/data analysis/technical architecture and project management and as such allows me to tailor my CV by Skill By Industry By Technology.

Sector is the least of my concerns.

[Old Greg]

Are the projects you work on all related to health systems (sorry, i have very little knowledge of healthcare). Have you not worked on Payroll or HR systems, and you could tailor your CV to these types of projects with less emphasis on the healthcare industry, then maybe get a PM job on a HR or Payroll system within another industry(maybe at lower rate to start)?

Thanks. Good idea, but as it happens, my niche is within the practice of medicine, so the HR and payroll is a bit of a mystery. But you've got me thinking that I need to do a skills audit. I can put together a convincing narrative around call centres and self-service kiosks which is a bit more transferrable. However, I still need to get over the facet that all that's on my CV is healthcare, and that may be easier in a perm role.

Happy to accept a lower rate as I'm on a crazy high rate at the moment to reflect the fact that I'm just about the only PM in the country with expert knowled in the tiniest ot tiny niches within medicine.

[cojak]

Hit the private Pharma companies and the Pharma BI ones too.

I'm sure they'll snap you up.

[Old Greg]

If you have PM skills, then these should be transferrable to other sectors - I have worked in healthcare, finance, private sector, public sector, engineering all on various projects, albeit not as a PM, however the PM's I have worked with all tend to have the same skills.

I agree with you, but think that with the market as it is clients can afford to be picky. Am plugging away at some contacts as well, and have a sniff of a programme management role in a pure IT outfit.

[Old Greg]

I did a stint in healthcare on the National Program for a few years and once finished got offered a number of roles around Leeds/Manchester doing the same. Decided against it and did something else.

Of the 38 contracts I've now done theyve been across multiple sectors. I'm strong in Sales, Manufacturing & Retail, but primarily my core focus is on my skill area which is BI/Reporting/Data Warehousing with SQL Server/Oracle back end and Business Objects/SAP/OBIEE/Cognos reporting suites.. This allows me to do development/business analysis/data analysis/technical architecture and project management and as such allows me to tailor my CV by Skill By Industry By Technology.

Sector is the least of my concerns.

Ah, NPfIT in Leeds!

Well, I can't complain as it's been good to me but want to do something else.

[BolshieBastard]

You'd need to seriously change your cv but this may cause you to fall between two stools.

IMO, agents and clients generally define you by whatever your last role or couple of roles, were. Virtually the only times you have a chance to cross sectors as it were is when there is a glut of jobs and too few contractors. In other words, hardly ever nowadays.

[Old Greg]

You'd need to seriously change your cv but this may cause you to fall between two stools.

IMO, agents and clients generally define you by whatever your last role or couple of roles, were. Virtually the only times you have a chance to cross sectors as it were is when there is a glut of jobs and too few contractors. In other words, hardly ever nowadays.

Agree that the laws of supply and demand make it difficult.

Pharma and networking are my two best betsunami at the moment.

Am definitely looking at my CV.