Does it matter where you're expertise lies in consulting when you go for a move into industry?Bit of background. I work in Change, mostly with a focus on energy companies, oil etc. and wonder how important that is when I'm applying for a role with, for example, a bank doing HR related work?Possible to leverage a move based on transferable skills or should I really be focusing on my current/past clients?

Yes, expertise and experience is more highly valued in industry jobs than in consulting so your consulting background needs to be closely aligned to what you want to do in industry to be in the running. For example, within change, if you have done HR Function Effectiveness work, that will serve you better in this move than experience in project management or communications.HR is a pretty closed shop as a profession (ironic given how much the practitioners promote transferrable skills) so you generally need CIPD as a minimum and then have to work your way up literally from the bottom. However, you might be able to move into a more specialised or project role.

It matters, but the degree to which it matters is less easy to generalise on without more information.Is the horizontal link between HR and change emphasised in your experience?Are there any vertical links between the type of oil experience that you have had and the bank roles that you are applying for (retail/corporate environments etc.)Dont take this wrong but on the info you have given us you either need a) more experience/expertise b) to communicate it differently when you apply versus how you explain it to us or c) to remain cagey but dont expect us to be v.helpful.Not an HR guru myself, but would not like to see someone interrogated harshly as a result of advice from a top site. They need not necessarily be insurmountable problems but you might need to think it through again.and your last question is really tough...... - ask yourself how do you describe your transferable skills without being more expansive with past/current client experiences? are you going to rely more on non-client experience or something? - the proof is surely ultimately in the pudding so no harm to prepare it in advance