When companies think about competition, they usually look at organizations that make similar products or operate in the same market. However, this approach is becoming less and less effective in recruitment.
The biggest competitor for technical talent is often not in the same industry, but on the other side of the labor market.
The battle for talent transcends industries
A systems engineer working in the aviation industry today could switch to the maritime industry tomorrow. A manufacturing engineer with experience in high-tech manufacturing could just as easily find a job in the defense, energy, or life sciences sectors.
The products may differ, but the expertise required often aligns surprisingly well. Knowledge of systems engineering, product development, validation processes, manufacturability, or working in a regulated environment is valuable to many high-tech organizations, regardless of the sector.
Employers often look at competitors within their own industry, while candidates take a much broader view of career opportunities.
The best candidate often comes from a different industry
Many technical companies compare themselves to other organizations in the same industry in the labor market. An aerospace company looks at other aerospace companies, and a machine manufacturer looks at other machine manufacturers.
That’s understandable, but at the same time, it’s a missed opportunity. After all, much technical knowledge and experience is highly transferable across different industries. Organizations that search exclusively within their own sector unnecessarily limit the pool from which they can draw talent.
While the products may differ, the underlying expertise often varies much less than one might think. Engineers and technical specialists bring with them knowledge of complex production processes, quality standards, project-based work, and multidisciplinary collaboration. It is precisely this experience that makes them attractive to organizations outside their own sector and often provides a fresh perspective on existing challenges.
At WFS PRO, we see this happen regularly in practice. For example, we helpedIonut make the transition from the automotive industry to a role as a Manufacturing Engineer in the aviation sector. His experience proved not only transferable but also a valuable asset to the team.Yigitalso made a successful career switch: with a background in petrochemicals and the automotive industry, he now works in high-tech mechanical engineering, where he applies his knowledge and experience every day in a completely new environment.
Read here to find out how these transitions played out in practice:
- Ionut Dolcu: Manufacturing Engineer at GKN Fokker Landing Gear
- Meet Yigit: Service Engineer at Viscon Group
These examples show that the talent pool from which companies can draw is often much larger than expected. Organizations that look only for candidates with experience in the exact same sector unknowingly exclude a large group of highly qualified engineers. It is precisely by looking beyond their own industry that opportunities arise to attract scarce technical talent and enrich a team with new perspectives.
Look beyond your own industry
Many organizations unknowingly limit their own potential by insisting on industry experience as a strict requirement. The question employers should be asking themselves is not,“Who has experience in our industry?”but rather,“What knowledge and skills are truly essential for this position?”
When the focus shifts from industry experience to relevant expertise, opportunities arise that would otherwise go untapped. We see this time and again at WFS PRO: successful placements often result precisely because we look beyond the obvious sector and prioritize the transferability of knowledge.
Conclusion
For many organizations, the search for technical talent still begins within the confines of their own industry. But that is precisely where companies are missing out on opportunities unnecessarily.
At WFS PRO, we believe that technical knowledge and experience are much more versatile than is often thought. An engineer is more than just the industry in which he or she happens to have worked. It is precisely the combination of technical expertise, problem-solving skills, and experience with complex technical environments that makes professionals valuable across various technical sectors.
That’s why we look beyond job titles and industry experience alone. We speak with technical professionals from a wide range of industries every day and understand which knowledge and skills are truly relevant for the next step in their careers. This is how we bring together talent and organizations that might otherwise never have found each other.
After all, the best candidate isn't always at the competitor just around the corner. Sometimes that person has been working successfully for years in a completely different industry.
