If you feel stuck or are having a difficult time finding opportunities in your area of practice, consider expanding your job search to include positions where you can apply your transferable skills.
Transferable skills are adaptable skills that can be used in multiple settings, such as emotional intelligence, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork.
For instance, while you may have experience with policy analysis, your skills such as research and writing may be useful in communications and advocacy work at a nonprofit. Your experience in direct practice or clinical work can transfer over to program development and training, where you can contribute your knowledge of best practices for addressing the needs and interests of specific communities.
To identify your transferable skills, start by taking inventory of the different skills you have used to advance a cause or mission, whether through people, projects, or data; then, brainstorm how you can leverage these skills in other contexts. You can also review skills highlighted in job descriptions and reflect on how you have accomplished similar work. Once you start building your list, you may be surprised by how many transferable skills you have relative to various roles and careers.