Explaining career changes: 5 useful tips to help you tackle a job interview
Are you looking for a new job?
Here you can find 5 useful tips to help you tackle a job interview!
During a job interview you must be prepared to answer the questions that recruiters typically ask. Inevitably, one of the curiosities of the person interviewing you as they try to dig into your education and professional background is to understand how and why you made certain choices.
If you are looking for a new job, you must know that the interview is a delicate moment in the recruitment process: candidates have to open up and describe themselves in the best light, and this is often a source of anxiety. Preparing to tell your story can help you manage any nervousness surrounding your discussion with the recruiter, will boost your confidence in explaining yourself, and will also allow you to have a narrative that you have already tweaked, streamlined and thought through.
That’s right, because preparing in advance for a job interview doesn’t mean cheating or lying. You must always be truthful, but you’ll be able to guide the dialogue with the other person in a more tailored, conscious way. The recruiter will understand this from various elements including your body language, your tone of voice and the confident way in which you answer their questions.
How to explain changes in the course of your career?
Memorise dates and chronological sequences
Bear this in mind especially if you have lots of different experiences on your CV. If you have job-hopped between lots of similar roles, then you can base your discussion on the consistency of your past activities; whereas if you have moved between several very different experiences, try to explain the reasons for them, defining the contexts, the stage in your career and what made the jobs different.
Remember the reasons that led you to choose a specific path of study
Very often a particular career path is rooted in a specific educational background. But don’t worry: if your education is not totally in line with the position you’re applying for, you’ll just have to explain the reasons for it truthfully. And remember to highlight any training courses you did after school or university to develop your skills in your current role or the job you’re applying for.
Avoid gossiping or telling overly negative stories about the past
If you have changed jobs due to a negative working environment where you suffered due to certain situations or relationships, you must nevertheless avoid describing your former employer or ex-colleagues in a negative light. The fact is, your interviewer will not necessarily feel as empathic towards you as you might hope. The interpretation of the facts, of who was right or wrong must not be a topic for discussion here. Limit yourself to generic phrases that are commonly used in interviews to highlight critical aspects in the workplace: you can allude to a company in which you could not see any career progression; an unstimulating environment; a company with excessively structured processes and lots of bureaucracy and inflexibility or, by contrast, a company with little structure. Find the right formula to avoid badmouthing the past.
Respect confidentiality and do not give out business information
It is good manners not to give out too much information about your employers. Without unpicking the various clauses that may or may not have been included in your employment contracts over the years, privacy regulations are an ever-present concern these days. Having the sensitivity not to go into detail about the products, services or expertise of the companies you have worked for, will give the recruiter the impression that you’ll treat your potential new employer with just as much confidentiality. This doesn’t mean being cryptic: simply do not volunteer any information that is not strictly necessary to understanding your past roles.
Don’t forget how much time you have available
Keep it brief. Use short sentences, rapid and clear chronological links, and avoid dwelling on feelings, emotions and recriminations. The recruiter sitting opposite you often has a set period of time for every interview: they will certainly appreciate the gift of brevity.
How do you answer the question “Why do you want to change jobs”?
Having defined your past, turn your focus to the future. Talk about your ambitions, the plans for professional growth that you are ready to take on. The company you are applying to has already provided some important information in the job ad that you answered. It almost certainly has a website describing its products and/or services, which also gives you an idea of the corporate culture and values. Visit the website and gather information through all available channels so that you can define your own expectations, adapting them to what the company offers.
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