Get the tools successful career changers have to avoid interview jitters and to land the job over other candidates – even those with more experience than you

So you wanna change careers in 2015 but you’re feeling overwhelmed – how on earth are you going to compete with others who have more experience?  The answer often lies in having the confidence to sell yourself – with all the experience and skills you have – and don’t have.

In the spirit of the holiday season, I am going to gift you some confidence.  I am giving you tools to become a successful career changer yourself in 2015.  Over the next 6 blogs I will share secrets with you about what belongs in your interviewing tool kit so that you never have to feel interviewing jitters again – whether you are changing careers or just going after a new job.  So let’s get a jumpstart on the new year right now!

One way to get that confidence is to give yourself the tools to explain yourself.  If your interviewing toolkit includes a handful of key things – you will not only feel less anxious at interviews – you might actually enjoy interviewing – it can be fun to take your new tools out for a test drive.  So what should be in a good interviewing toolkit?  One thing that is essential is …

a good career story.

Anytime we listen to another speak, whether they are a teacher, presenter, actor, singer,  etc. we want to hear 3 things from them in order to feel like they were “great!”.  We want…

1. to laugh
2. to be inspired
3. to have 1 thing we can easily do that we believe will make a difference in our life

This is also true of “great!” job interview’ees.  What if I told you it was possible for you to accomplish all 3 things by answering 1 question right at the beginning of your interview?  Don’t you think you would not only have that interviewers attention – but you would have them downright captivated?  You can – and you would!  Here’s how…

Successful Job Changer’s Interviewing Toolkit – item #1

My Compelling Career Story

Everyone’s job in an interview is to determine if you want to hang out with each other all day from 9-5.  You find this out by having a conversation – sharing your stories.  Everyone loves a great story – so tell yours and find out theirs – but first, share your story.  The elements of a good career story include…

• early motivators for your initial career/educational path choice
• how you landed your jobs
• mistakes made, successes enjoyed and passions discovered along the way
• how you knew the time was right to move from one job to another (what happened that made you move from job to job – even if you were fired for performance or job eliminated due to budget constraints – what was the silver lining you later discovered from losing that job – demonstrate that you can see purpose/opportunity even in seamingly negative circumstances)
• the most important thing you did differently that contributed to your happiness/success (something others can apply to if they are inspired to do so – think about something that happened in your career that made you say – “I don’t want to ever experience this again in my career” – how did that experience inspire you to behave or think differently and what were the personal and professional outcomes of your changed ways)
• progress in understanding yourself and what you have to offer – what “ah-has” came up for you that made you see how past career or job changes were a better match with your interests, skills and personal or professional values
• what did people that you served in your jobs say that made you feel like you were on the right career path – or helped you gain confidence to expand your knowledge, skills, services
• what happened that made you feel the time was right to look for the role you are now seeking – include experiences you have had in other jobs/occupations that can be leveraged for the job you are currently interested in
• end your story with what you are most grateful for in your career (to date) – show that you are a person of gratitude – favor follows those who are grateful!

Journal these answers out for yourself – see if you can draft a story either in writing, on video, record it on your smartphone – whatever medium works best for you to get it out.  Then, skinny it down to a memorable 5 minutes or less story you can verbally share that inspires, shares the most important thing you did differently that contributed to your happiness/success (something others can apply to their career if they are inspired to do so), and for sure – be funny!

The point is to share your rich and unique path – your story about how you got to where you are now.  In the process you also demonstrate that you can be engaging, charming, personable and charismatic – show them YOU!