How should a candidate explain a career change to recruiters in interviews?
Frame the change positively as a purposeful move for growth, giving concise, well considered reasons and signaling commitment. Map transferable skills and strengths to the job description, showing passion and how you will add value in the role.
If you are a candidate who is looking to make a change in your career, this module is for you.
Now, the most probable questions that recruiters will have when they see candidates who are making a career switch are:
Why are you making this change now? Are you serious about the change? Do you have the transferable skills that are required to meet the requirements of the new job?
To win the recruiters over, you need to address these questions head-on and show your capability.
It’s a good idea to talk about your reasons for a career change when you first introduce yourself to the recruiters.
And when recruiters ask you why you chose this role or career path, you need to provide solid justification for the same.
Here are two steps you can take to win the recruiters over:
Stay Positive and Show Purpose
With your answer, you want to show the recruiter that you are not running away from your past role, rather you are looking for growth and new challenges.
Focus on talking about your reasons for the change in a positive way and show enthusiasm.
Another important part of your answer is to show a purpose behind your career change. Assure the recruiters that your decision is well thought out and stable.
The recruiters don’t want to hire someone who is just looking to explore their career options and is not serious about the role.
Focus on What You can Bring to the Table
Along with good transferable skills, you must showcase that you are passionate about the new role.
Since the recruiters will be taking a risk to hire a newbie rather than a more traditional candidate with similar experience, you need to focus on your strengths and show how you will be able to excel in the position.
Refer to the job description and analyze the requirements to know which of them can you sell as your strongest points.
You can refer to the modules on how you can sell yourself and how you can leverage the information given in the job description to your advantage.
Apart from slightly tweaking your answers to suit your case while practicing the common interview questions, you must prepare for the interviews in the same way as any other candidates.
The fundamentals for acing the interview will remain the same even if you are switching careers.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What do recruiters want to know when you make a career switch?
They want to know why you are making this change now, whether you are serious about the change, and whether you have transferable skills that are required to meet the requirements of the new job.
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When should you bring up your career change in an interview?
Talk about your reasons for a career change when you first introduce yourself to the recruiters.
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How should you frame your reasons for changing careers?
Focus on talking about your reasons for the change in a positive way and show enthusiasm.
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How do you show purpose and seriousness about a career change?
Show a purpose behind your career change and assure recruiters your decision is well thought out and stable.
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Is it better to focus on growth or dissatisfaction when explaining a career change?
Emphasize that you are looking for growth and new challenges, not running away from your past role.
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How do you highlight transferable skills for a new role?
Refer to the job description, analyze the requirements, and sell the ones you can present as your strongest points while showing passion for the role.
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How can you reassure recruiters who see you as a risk when switching careers?
Focus on your strengths and show how you will be able to excel in the position.
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What mistakes should you avoid when explaining a career change?
Do not present yourself as just exploring options or not serious about the role.
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Should you prepare differently for interviews when changing careers?
Prepare in the same way as any other candidates, with slight tweaks to common interview answers. The fundamentals for acing the interview will remain the same even if you are switching careers.
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How can you show capability when explaining a career change?
Address recruiters’ key questions head-on and show your capability.
