Industry knowledge is not just about having the facts about your area of work but also having an informed and genuine opinion about what's happening and what you're seeing. If you know and care about your field, you'll feel more confident when you talk to others - whether that's a potential work contact, an interviewer or just people who you're interested in.The Trade Press consists of publications that are usually a reliable source of information, current and upcoming events and any other important developments. It differs from national press in that its content is specific to an industry, written for an audience who are already knowledgeable in that particular area. Examples of Trade publications are:
Prospects:
The Prospects website lists a number of job profiles and information relevant to each profile, including publications and websites that will be of interest:
1. Go to www.prospects.ac.uk
2. Select ‘Explore types of jobs’ from the ‘Jobs & work’ menu item.
3. Select an area of work you're interested in, followed by a job title that relates to your field.
4. When you get to the full job profile there's a list of sections running along the top of the page
5. Select ‘contacts and resources’ where you can find details of relevant websites and publications
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* Who are the big players?
* What are they working on?
* How do you feel about their work?
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Any notable changes – e.g. sustainability? Demographics? Changes in consumer behaviour?
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* Any events coming up that could need volunteers/help? (Trade Press great place to find out about these)
* What better way could there be to get an insight into an industry than on the job?
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There's a bit of contradiction in the advice that you get, where on the one hand you're expected to have very specific knowledge about your field alone and be totally immersed in it, but at the same time you're also expected to know something about everything. It's a tricky balance to strike but if you have a clear passion for one particular subject and can expand this with knowledge about other areas that your specialism interacts with then you'll be at an advantage.
Also, so many unexpected opportunities come up in fields other than your own, but which you could adapt to because of the skills you have so knowing who the people in your field are working with and what areas they're branching into will hopefully give you more ideas about where you can take your work. Join (or set up) a Special Interest Group (SIG) – group discussions or peer critiques that don't only have to be your specific field Alumni Association – They arrange events regularly (e.g. Arts Monday) where you can meet alumni from all backgrounds/colleges and find out what they're doing, where they're working, etc.
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