Stop Overvaluing Industry Experience and Start Hiring for Impact

When scanning job postings, one thing stands out time and again: “Must have X years of experience in [specific industry].” It’s a common filter, and from an employer’s point of view, it can makes sense. On the surface, industry experience can shorten the learning curve, provide familiarity with market dynamics, and offer comfort that a candidate “gets it” right away. But there are two things wrong with that way of thinking.

Issue one: No matter the industry experience, every business is different. Each company has its own platforms, history, tools, business structure, culture, and priorities. Even someone with decades of industry knowledge will still need to be trained, oriented, and brought up to speed in a new role. Familiarity with the market does not automatically translate into fluency within a specific organization. What truly matters is adaptability, critical thinking, and the ability to quickly learn and apply new systems.

Issue two: If everyone in a room shares the same background, you’re likely to get the same set of solutions and risk being stuck in a rut. On the other hand, bringing in someone from a different space introduces fresh perspectives, different proven strategies, and creative approaches that the industry may not have seen before. Many of the most significant business breakthroughs have come from people applying lessons from one field into another.

I’ve seen firsthand how marketing principles are transferable across industries. Demand generation in SaaS, customer retention in the service industry, or brand building in industrial fields may look different on the surface, but at their core, they rely on the same strategic foundation: knowing your audience, delivering value, and creating measurable outcomes. The ability to adapt and apply those skills is far more powerful than checking a box labeled “industry experience.”

Employers should ask themselves what they value most. Do they want someone who has seen the same challenges play out for years, or someone who can bring tested strategies from other industries and apply them in ways that drive growth? The truth is, the best hires often combine both: a proven track record of delivering results and the agility to apply their expertise in new environments.

So yes, industry experience can be valuable. But it should never be the only measure of a candidate’s potential. Sometimes the strongest advantage a company can give itself is hiring the person who brings a fresh set of eyes.

Joshua Banks
Digital Marketing Leader & Strategist