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

[lukemg]

Tough one this, rut can be suffocating and I got in a bad mess one time due to fear of moving from a contract when the outside market pitched downwards.
BUT, I wouldn't chuck in a great rate, I expect you will get just as bored in another industry working in IT, it's not really a change.
I would pepper the contracts with hols and time-off (even if not working) doesn't half break up a contract if you have a string of breaks booked and if you are so good they will accept the gaps.
Keep stashing the surplus in something that can generate its own income (HYP or the like)and you can be truly independent in a reasonable timeframe.

[adubya]

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

Handy working in healthcare then.


But messy.

[Peter Loew]

As a PM I've worked in Central Gov, Telco, Pharma, Broadcast Media, Defense, Digital Agency, Creative, City etc.

PM skills are transferable but product knowledge is usually what they're after, more so than industry knowledge.

Start thinking about what you've encountered in Health Care and put on your CV to get attention. If you're good on the phone agencies will put you forward.

g/l

[yasockie]

Even before reading the topic, I had though - move into management - that's the typical exit for people who don't want to keep up with domain knowledge too much. By doing that, however, you discard the competitive advantage of having the domain knowledge.
But ask yourself, is the new domain not going to get stale soon? Healthcare in particular sounds like it has a bright future as Europe is getting older and we'll need more efficient healthcare solutions and project around that.

[Sausage Surprise]

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

I'm sure they'll snap you up.

I did a year with a Pharma in 2010....loved it! Money seemed to be no object...the crazy world of drugs eh

[norrahe]

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)?

Definitely try and take the emphasis off the industry and focus on the types of projects.

It is really difficult if you get known for a niche as the agencies will continually pigeon-hole you because they can place you easily in certain markets.

PM skills should be transferable but agencies do not see it that way.

Also if you are on LinkedIn try joining groups outside of your niche industry, post lots of stuff there and raise your profile, it will get you noticed by pimps in those industries.

Good luck! It's not easy as I've been specialising in summat for the last couple of years and now that it is on the wane, people cannot see past the niche.

[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.

[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]

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.

[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.

[cojak]

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

I'm sure they'll snap you up.

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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)?