Tips for Career Change Interviews

Tips for Career Change InterviewsTips for Career Change InterviewsIf youve succeeded in getting an interview for a job in your new desired career, congratulations Thats a sure sign that youve crafted a career change cover letter and resume that successfully conveys that youre a qualified applicant, and your previous experience is relevant to your new career. During your interview, continue to hammer that message home. Here are six tips to help you have a successful career change interview. Play Up Similar Skills Heres the good nachrichtensendung about switching careers Its not a hard reset. You wont need to work your way up from an entry-level position all over again. During your original career, you gained valuable experience and knowledge that youll bring to any new role. In fact, your former field may have more in common with your new industry than you thought. Before your interview, list out the skills you used in previous jobs thatll be relevant in your new career. Review th e job description, and consider where you have applicable experience. Heres how to match your qualifications with the job description. During the interview, sell these transferable skills, giving lots of specific examples. Soft skills, in particular, often carry over from one career to the next. Also look for ways the two careers have overall similarities. If youve managed a construction crew, for instance, youll want to put the focus on your management skills (delivering on time, communicating projects, etc.) during interviews (and not on your construction know-how). Or, if youre moving from retail to food services, you can focus on your strong customer service background. Have a Plan for Gaining New Skills While soft skills can often transfer, you may not have some of the hard skills or job-specific skills needed in the new role. This will likely come up in your interview, so make sure you can address how youll ramp up and gain this experience, whether by taking a class, findi ng a mentor, or researching online. You can also consider implementing plans to gain knowledge and expertise even before you have the job. For instance, if your new field requires a basic knowledge of HTML or the ability to copy edit documents, you can enroll in a class. Then, if it comes up in the interview, you can say youre already taking a class to improve your knowledge, which will make you seem proactive and invested in your new path. One cautionary note Its better to be straightforward about areas where you do not have experience than to be vague or obfuscate. And never, ever be dishonest - thatll only lead to unpleasant revelations when you do get the job. Keep in mind No job candidate will have all the skills and experience required for a job. So its fine to have some gaps. Showcase Your Flexibility Not everyone deals with change well. Companies will only take a chance on some new to the field if theyre confident the candidate can adapt to new workflows, priorities, an d responsibilities. During the interview, make it clear that youre comfortable with change by showcasing moments when youve dealt with unexpected adjustments, such as a new boss, changes in your job description, or even just moments when youve handled problems on the fly. Point Out Any Advantages of Your Old Career Path It could very well be the case that your previous career offers benefits to your new career in the form of insider information or a helpful network of connections. For instance, if you switch from a client-side role to a vendor role, youll be able to share insights with your new employer on what exactly clients are looking for. If youve moved from content to publicity, you might be able to share a contact list of writers and editors to promote a product, or might have insight into what pitches will be best received. Be Prepared to Explain Why Youre Changing Careers Theres no question that youll be asked during the interview process why you are shifting career s. Try to frame your move as being logical - develop a narrative that conveys why youre making this move. Your goal is to convey that you are not flighty, and will not seek to switch careers again. Employers are eager to hire candidates who will stick around. Put the emphasis again on the qualities that are similar between the roles, and share what makes you feel excited and enthusiastic about your new career. Be careful to avoid being overly negative about your previous career. Its fine to say that an industry is shrinking or you feel theres a lack of available opportunities, but dont harp on the negative aspects. Be Aware - and Adjust for - Culture Changes The appropriate interview outfit for a corporate job and a start-up company are very dissimilar, and the same is true for fashion and banking, teaching and sales, and so on.The differences in whats considered appropriate arent only outfit-based Different industries can have vastly different cultures and communication style s. Start-ups, for instance, often have a flat organizational structure, with feedback welcome from everyone, while more corporate industries may have a top-down structure. If the environment in your new industry will be very different, try to show that youll fit in by walking the walk and talking the talk during your interview.

How to Make an Important Career Decision - The Muse

How to Make an Important Career Decision - The MuseHow to Make an Important Career Decision Ive always been plagued by indecision. In one particularly illustrative example, my nine-year-old self broke down in tears in a shoe store having to decide between the purple hi-tops and the pink and green hi-tops. I just didnt know which option would be the best way to kick off the fourth grade. In my adult life, this has often come up in job-related decisions. Ive spent weeks wringing my hands, tossing and turning, and endlessly contemplating Should I work at this small agency with great people, or the larger one with better pay and name recognition? Should I take the new position, or hold out for a promotion at my current job? Should I stay in the city I love or move for a great career opportunity?Of course, I utilize all of the tried-and-true methods making long lists of pros and cons, talking things out with friends, making a choice and sleeping on it, and even taking a class on quantitat ive analysis (complicated Excel models most definitely included).But in many situations, theres no clear right answer, or even a best one. Which is why I really loved the advice I read recently from Inc.s Jayson Demers. When faced with a particularly tough crossroads, he writes, try asking yourself Who do I want to be?As he explainsInstead of thinking what you want to do, think about who you want to be. Picture how your identity will change as the result of your decision. Are you the type of person who works for a casual, laid-back company, or the type of person who makes more money and wears a suit every day? In a way, our decisions construct our identities, so use this strategy to help you figure out who you want to be.Yes, its important to know and think about all of the practical pros and cons of any given option. Its certainly valuable to consider the monetary benefits, growth potential, and happiness factor of each opportunity- and to understand the benefits and tradeoffs of e ach. But if youve done that and you still arent clear, try going through this exercise. Grab a notebook, and write out the answer to Who do I want to be? Think about yourself three years out (often, one year seems too soon and five years too far away), and describe the ideal version of your future self in as much detail as possible. Then, ask yourself Will the job opportunity- or opportunities- Im considering get me closer or further away from that person? Your answer just may be crystal clear.If not, and if youre comfortable doing so, this can be a great exercise to do with a friend. Talk through who you want to be and describe how each option would get you there (or not). Other people can often uncover messages that we miss, or even pick up revealing cues that we cant read, like body language, tone of voice, or nervous habits. No, asking yourself who you want to be isnt easy. But in the long run, its the question that will get you closer to the right answer- and to the life that y ou really want to live. Oh, and I decided I welches a pink and green hi-tops girl. Havent looked back since. Photo of rock scale courtesy of Shutterstock.

This is the #1 key to grow the audience you want

This is the 1 key to grow the audience you wantThis is the 1 key to grow the audience you wantOur fast-paced instant-gratification digital world is teaching us all the wrong lessons.Its me-first. And you second. And yet its guised in this manner as if to placate you and lead you to believe that its all for you. But its really all for them. Many people arent offering true value. Theyre offering a regurgitated version of a reality TV show. One that you may not be able to turn away from, but one that isnt really helping you.Want go for the win? Want to truly start building an authentic community that you can interact and grow with, and that can lead to an abundance of great opportunities? Be yourself and give away every ounce of value that you can give without any expectation of anything in return. Do that and you will be on your way to growing and retaining the exact audience that you want.Social media today teaches us to sell others on things that we dont even believe ourselves. Which leads some to craft personas and images of themselves that are the farthest thing from authentic. And yet, the living of the lie continues are they are passed off to others as if theyre the representation of that persons true self.The social media landscape isnt a game like so many people like to say.Its a magnanimous opportunity to show millions of people who you really are and why you matter. If you showcase yourself in a way that is true to yourself, and that demonstrates value that others crave, youll start to see that the world is buying what youre selling.The point of representing yourself for who you truly are is that the opportunities and relationships that you desire most will actually come your way. And when they do, you wont have to even hesitate in your decision-making to emphatically and enthusiastically say, YESYoull feel it and youll immediately know. Then, youll start to say Yes, Id love to come collaborate with you on this idea for a start-up.Yes, Id love the oppor tunity to come build the _____ program at your company.Yes, Id love to come craft this marketing vision for your organization.Yes, Id love the opportunity to come speak at one of your events.Yes, Id love to sign this book deal. When can I begin writing?AuthenticityThe times that Ive gotten badeanstalt results are the times that Ive put out a version of myself that isnt really myself. I got caught up in the game. I got caught up, like you may from time to time, in the game of writing for likes, comments or offers of whatever. Thank God I discovered this early on and kept this to a minimum. What a colossal waste of timeThe game to win is the one of being your unique self every, single day and producting a product or content that will change the world around you.Thats the person that others want to see. I know this because every time Ive gotten up to speak in front of an audience of people and Ive been myself, Ive been well received. When I poured my heart out into my book, The Value o f You, others saw it as an authentic guide that changed their lives. They thanked me.Maybe you know exactly what Im talking about. Its a feel thing that feels SO right when you nail it. And its not hard. Its easy to lean in to who you really are, while dismissing any notions or perceptions of needing to be someone else.Do whatever youre going to do for the pureness of it - the love of it. You must do this first.Youll find that over time, even if you receive adulation, likes and comments, it will become darn-near impossible to sustain the consistency and passion that you need to keep producing great work if you dont actually love it. Every successful person that Ive worked with got to where they did because they loved the process of what they were doing.They were committed and enthusiastic about reaching their goals.It becomes mentally and emotionally draining to continue doing something that isnt true to who you are. You eventually ansturm out of ideas. You run out of motivation. Y ou start to doubt yourself more. If your whole platform is built off the likes and attention of others, what in the world do you do when its no longer there?Or when its diminished in size?Do you add more sensationalism? More shock and awe? If so, it sounds like you may be operating more like a print journalism operation in the year 2018 than what would be a successful digital representation.Is being someone else and living a phony life really what you want? Or do you want connection with the customers and fans you aim to attract? What could be better than using your natural skills, talent and passion, and melding those things together to form a product that is authentically you?Is there anything better than that?Isnt that the product that people will want to buy, follow and trek with on their own journey? If its real and good enough, yes.Be a bossThe world doesnt like copycats. The world likes originals. People who have a positive attitude, work hard, practice what they preach, then back it up with highly productive output on a consistent basis. When you are achieving this by doing what you love, you have truly achieved the pinnacle of self-actualization, as defined by Abraham Maslow.Youre a boss. And you have the power of creativity in your heart, mind, and soul.Dont be fooled by what you dont have.Dont long for something that you dont really need.Read the books that stir a passion in your soul. Seek out an education that demands that you challenge your beliefs - one that opens your mind to limitless possibilities.Discover opportunities that arent going to be handed to you on a silver platter - ones where you may have to dig a little bit deeper to find. Opportunities that dont come with an easy-to-use instruction manual. Ones where you may have to come up with a pitch or unique proposition to gain the attention of the decision maker. Forge your own path. Be a pioneer.Create relationships that will cause you to become overjoyed with positivity and self-disco very. Find people who help stir excitement, hope, confidence and self-realization inside of you. Then, turn around and add value to those peoples lives. Offer up your services, a listening ear or companionship to them. Help them. Help them help others.Your end product will be one of delightful self-satisfaction because it will include all of the ingredients that make you, you. Stop searching for ways to replicate someone elses exact approach toward life. Use them as examples, instead.The audience you want is identical to the person that you want to be. They want the same thing. The authentic you.Get startedJoin my newsletterandcheck out my bestselling book,The Value of You. This will give you inspiration to start planning for success on your journey. If youre interested in working with metry me here.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.