Which leads to greater success: switching jobs within the same industry or moving to a different field?

When it comes to mid-career job changes, many people assume they can only succeed if they move into the same role within the same industry. However, this is not actually the case—and data supports this.

According to the 'Survey on the Actual Conditions of Mid-Career White-Collar Job Changes' conducted by Japan's Human Resources Services Industry Council, the success rate for job transitions is approximately 50%, regardless of whether the move is within the same industry or to a different one.

Here are the specific success rates:

- Same industry, same position: 48.6% - Same industry, different position: 51.5% - Different industry, same position: 49.4% - Different industry, different position: 47.7%

For example, the level of success and performance in a new role is not significantly different between someone transitioning from an editor at a publishing house to a sales role in real estate (cross-industry, cross-role) and someone moving from a sales role at one real estate company to another (same industry, same role).

Do you have to stay within your previous industry when changing jobs?

Roughly half of job changers succeed in their new roles, whether they stay within the same industry and role or switch both industry and role. While many believe that success is only possible when staying in the same field and position, in reality, those who cross into new industries and roles also have a strong chance of achieving results.

When choosing a career transition path, there's no need to overly restrict yourself to the same industry or role.

The survey also revealed an interesting insight: the difference between 'what companies prioritized during hiring' and 'what they later realized they should have prioritized after hiring'.

When asked, 'What criteria did you use to evaluate candidates?', companies mostly cited industry-specific knowledge and experience. However, when asked, 'Were there any factors you later realized you should have prioritized more?', the top responses were 'personality (character, attitude)' and 'non-specialized work execution skills'.

In other words, companies ultimately recognize that personality is extremely important.

'Non-specialized work execution skills' refer to transferable skills such as communication and coordination—abilities that are valuable in any workplace or industry. Beyond technical expertise and experience, companies highly value these foundational, universal skills.

This further shows that there's no need to limit your job transition options to the same industry or role. Since companies value personality and transferable skills, challenging yourself with a cross-industry, cross-role move is entirely feasible.

Limiting yourself to your past industry and role only narrows your potential and causes you to miss out on greater opportunities.

Author | Masayuki Kuroda Mid-career job transition consultant. Born in Hyogo Prefecture in 1965, graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kansai University. Joined Recruit in 1988 and spent over 30 years involved in the planning and development of job transition services. Former Editor-in-Chief of 'Rikunabi NEXT', Head of the HR Platform Division at 'Recruit Agent', and Director at 'Recruit Medical Career'. After leaving Recruit in 2014, he founded 'Lucent Doors', a company specializing in mid-career job transition and corporate recruitment support. With over three decades of experience in connecting people with jobs, he has provided career consulting to numerous mid-career professionals since founding his company.

This article is reprinted with permission from the book 'Where to Find Better Work After 35: There’s a Wall at 35, a Cliff at 45. The Key to Job Hunting Isn’t Sending Endless Resumes, but Thinking: What Are the People Who Thrive After 35 Doing Differently Today?'

Responsible Editor: Li Yiqing

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  • Source: PR Times
  • Category: Survey
  • Organizations: Lucent Doors