Question:
I have years of experience in my current occupational field but want to move into an area that would be new for me. I have the skill set required for the new position, but I'm having trouble convincing the people with whom I'm interviewing that I'm the best candidate. They keep defining me by the positions that I've previously held rather than by the skill set that I possess. What can I do?
First Answer:
It's always hard to convince people that you have other skills especially when they like what you have done in the past. One way you might consider convincing the people with whom you are interviewing that that you are qualified to move into a new area is to take on a project in that area either at a nominal fee or for free, if you feel that it's in your interest. This way the company gets to see your new skill set in action and it might be sufficient to give you an opportunity in the new area. Another way, if you have already done a few projects, is to have the recipient write up a recommendation highlighting what you have accomplished for him or her and the skill sets required.
-- David E. Gordon, Advertising/Promotions Internship Office, Columbia University in Chicago, Illinois
Second Answer:
If you want your interviewers to understand your skills are appropriate for your "new" career, you have to become an effective advertiser and salesperson. This means you have to alter everything they read, hear, and touch so that it fits their language.
No more chronological resumes with your old job titles and company names on them. Go functional with a strong emphasis on the skills they seek. Match their job descriptions point for point on your resume and cover letter. Use their job description to develop different sections of a portfolio that will SHOW them your skills in tangible form, not a theoretical form.
If they try to veer you off track and talk about your old job titles, counter with detailed descriptions of the examples of the skills they seek, provide letters from customers who benefitted from those skills and provide references.
Also, try to gain additional training from seminars, community college course or certifications. Join local or national associations in this field to further show your committment and interest in professional training and growth.
-- Troy Behrens, JobGod.net
Third Answer:
First, understand that not every interviewer or organization has moved from the old world of work (credential and connection-based selection) to the new (competency-based selection independent of where you acquired the skills). The easiest (although not always the most qualified) hire is to steal the person currently doing exactly the job the employer is trying to fill, for its direct competitor. That person is seen as a low-risk hire, but may also be the employee interested in picking the low-hanging fruit, not change hardy, not willing to take risks to improve the business, not able to generate new ideas. You may not be able to convince a prospective employer who is still in the old world of work that you are the best candidate for the job, but that may not be an ideal employer anyway.
Second, research, prospect and cultivate potential employers, and network your way into those organizations that view themselves or have developed reputations as new economy players. These organizations are often actively seeking applicants whose career histories are outside their own industry, in order to bring fresh thinking into the operation. When you are introduced into these organizations as "someone you ought to know," you will be seen for the competencies and skill sets you are able to demonstrate, whether you learned them in paid employment, volunteer work, or school.
Third, make sure your résumé, cover letters, and answers to interview questions provide examples of your having applied the skill set to problems or opportunities that had measurably successful outcomes in your current field. Think about how you acquired the skill set for the new area. In addition to specific training for the new role, you probably were able to identify transferable skills such as analytic thinking, building strategic relationships with diverse constituencies, project management, and writing. Demonstrate to the interviewer situations in which you applied these skills with better results than your predecessor, than the industry standard, than last year, than the budget: specificity builds credibility. Explain how you would apply these skills to problems or opportunities in the new role.
-- Carol Anderson, Career Development and Placement Office, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy at New School University in New York City.
