How do I convince employers without direct industry experience?

With proof of transferable skills and demonstrated initiative. LinkedIn Economic Graph shows: Skill-based hiring is becoming more important for recruiters — 40% of job postings on LinkedIn already omit a degree as a requirement in 2025. WEF Future of Jobs 2025: Analytical thinking, creativity and adaptability are rated as top competencies across industries. Concrete tactics: (1) Show initiative — a project in the target industry, even unpaid or voluntary. (2) A certificate in the target industry as a signal. (3) Build a network in the target industry before applying — referral applications have a 3-4x higher hiring probability according to the NBER study. Caveat: In highly regulated professions, formal licensing requirements remain unchanged.