Approaching the topic of Career Change in an Interview

ENQUIRY LETTERS OR EMAILS

Enquiry Letters or Emails for Informational Interviews
When in a situation where you are looking to transition into a new role that requires a different skillset from the one you currently possess, then networking and making connections ahead of the actual interview itself can be an invaluable tool that will help show an employer how serious you are about the role itself. In this situation, the best way to do this is by networking with people (ideally from within the organisation itself)…although this is something that usually sounds harder than it actually is…

For more information on informational interviewing, see the informational interview section – here

FINDING CONTACT DETAILS TO ADDRESS YOUR ENQUIRY LETTERS OR EMAILS TO

Ideally it would help if you address your enquiry to someone who works in a similar role you are applying for within the organisation in the first instance

There are several methods at your disposal to do this

Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Interview Professional can provide a great way for you to network and get to know people who are in roles like the ones you are looking to move into

Many industries also have professional organizations. These can be a great way to connect with fellow professionals and network with people who are in roles you have an interest in applying for yourself. Searching online for the relevant industry will normally bring up multitudes of different kinds of organizations depending on the industry in question; like the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (for engineering professionals), CompTIA (for those involved in the field of information technology), the Project Management Institute (for those involved in business and management), the Chartered Institute of Marketing (for those involved in media or marketing), the National Education Association (for those involved in education), the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (for human resources professionals), to name only but a few…and these types of organisations can provide you with the opportunity to network with members, attend events and webinars, obtain certifications, and much more

Alumni Networks are another great way to network with professionals from various backgrounds when it comes to roles you have an interest in. For college/ university graduates, these can be a great way to not only source potential job opportunities, but also other important things like informational interviews as well…

Mentorship Platforms. These are another potential way that those interested in a specific industry or role have of sourcing networking and informational interview opportunities. Mentorship platforms like Interview Professional are online services that connect individuals seeking mentorship with experienced professionals that can offer guidance, advice, and support. As such, they are the perfect place for those looking to connect with people to source things like informationally related interviews, as well as other types of career building advice and support services too

Company websites are another potential area you can use to source informational interview opportunities from. Though this would be to more relevant to smaller and medium sized businesses, you can sometimes still source the details of personnel within that organisation with whom it would be worthwhile emailing with an informational interview enquiry request in this way

Volunteering and community involvement is another potential avenue you can use to network with people and source things like informationally related interviews and other forms of support from

Personal Referrals. This involves asking your friends, family, or even current colleagues and other acquaintances if they know of opportunities in the industry or role you’re looking to get into. Personal referrals can not only sometimes directly lead to employment opportunities, but also to other opportunities as well, like the chance to connect with professionals and engage with them through things like informational interviews

Cold Emailing. This is the practice of composing your own contact list and emailing people at random with the hopes that one of them might agree to your request for an informational interview. (When composing any email, the title is always important, as it will determine whether or not someone chooses to open it, and may also determine what inbox it ends up in)

Things like…
‘Request for an Informational Interview’
‘Exploring Career Insights’
‘Seeking Career Advice: Informational Interview Opportunity’
‘Informational Interview Request Regarding (Company name or Industry)’

…Are all potentially effective titles
While there is essentially nothing wrong with this practice if you obtain the persons contact details legitimately (you may be asked where you obtained the persons contact details if they do agree to your request), but just be mindful when using a practice like this that there is normally a high rejection rate so it pays to have a thick skin when employing methods such as this

Remember that for the type of the type of situation we are discussing here, the purpose of sending any type of enquiry letter or email is to try and arrange a meeting, or at the very least correspond with the individual you are sending it to…

…Ideally this will be someone from the organisation in the first instance, because if you’re able to talk with someone from that organisation, you’ll be able to get information from them that can help you identify shortcomings in terms of things like skills gaps or additional training that might be desired for that role, all the while getting yourself known by someone within the personnel strata of that organisation. Such personnel are also best positioned to give you insights into the company, and its also what will resonate most effectively with an interviewer too! That’s because knowing someone who works for them is something they are trained to pick up on as it gives you a pre-established connection with that company. To get a better insight into why this is, see our section on why its useful to know someone at the company!

Why Its Useful to Know Someone at the Company

However, it may not always be possible to arrange a meeting with someone from the organisation you are interested in applying with, and if this is the case, people from outwith the organisation can still give you valuable insights into the workings of a particular industry too, especially in a situation where you lack full experience. Moreover, in this type of situation, the very fact you’ve gone out of your way to arrange an informational interview with someone is sure to make a huge impression on any interviewer, no matter who that person was. Not to mention the fact that this serves the dual function of a basic networking strategy, while at the same time enabling you to access practical advice as regards what to emphasize in the interview itself

NETWORKING AS A MEANS OF FINDING CONTACT DETAILS FOR SOMEONE TO ADDRESS YOUR ENQUIRY LETTERS OR EMAILS TO

There are many effective ways of sourcing contact details, and these follow on from the networking steps outlined above

Social media sites like LinkedIn and Interview Professional are great places to start. Some professionals are also active on Twitter and may provide useful contact information (like an email) in their bios, or through direct messaging with them…the best practice is to engage with their tweets before reaching out to them first though, so that your inquiry feels more personal

You can use generic contact forms or about us pages on company websites to make informal interview requests and source contact details too

Email search tools may also be able help in this regard too. While some of these tools have different types of functionalities, they can nevertheless be very helpful when it comes to sourcing useful contact details. Examples of these are things like Hunter.io – a popular tool that allows you to search for email addresses associated with internet domains, or Find That Lead – a service that helps you locate company emails using the person’s name and company

If you have a general idea of the person you want to speak with, in some cases calling the company directly is another effective, albeit highly direct way, you have of connecting with someone and making an informal request to them

Some companies have very open and accessible social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, etc). Therefore, there’s no harm in explaining your situation and requesting the contact details of someone from that organisation who may be able to assist with your request through those channels

Professional organizations and associations (such as industry groups), will often provide directories of members names, sometimes including their contact details too…and volunteering or attending industry meetings can also be another great way to connect and obtain the contact details of people who may be able to help when it comes to things like informational interviewing

Google searches, Alumni networks, speakers at conferences or webinars (such people will often share their contact information in the slides they upload online), personal referrals, (asking the people you know if they know anyone working at the organization you’re interested in), are all other potential avenues you have to source contact information from…

When composing your enquiry message
If you know the person, have met them before, or have followed their work, be sure to reference something specific about their role, experience, or achievements as it will help your message stand out and show that them that you truly value their work as a professional

Remember that there may be any number of different reasons why someone would agree to a request to participate in an informational interview with you. Perhaps they are looking for career progression themselves and see the prospect of hosting an informational interview as something that would look good on their C.V, or perhaps they were in the same situation at some point and understand what you are going through…

However, just like any speculative enquiry, there will probably be many instances where they cannot accommodate your request. But keep in mind that if you don’t try, you’ll never know, and in the instances where they do agree, it can be an invaluable step forward to helping you land the role you’ve set your sights on. If you do get the opportunity to meet with someone, be sure to emphasise the most pertinent aspects of this meeting when you go for the actual interview itself, as this is sure to make for some great conversation between yourself and the interviewer, and will go a long way to convincing them that you’d make a great fit for the role

See the section on networking for more guidance on effective networking strategies

Networking

Example of an enquiry Letter/ Email for a career change meeting request

(Your name – Mr X Green)
(Your Address)
(City, Postal Code)
(Email Address)
(Phone Number)
(Social media links)

00.00.0000

(Hiring Manager’s Name)
(Organization Name)
(Organization Address)
(City, Postal Code)

Dear Mr X Blue,

I hope this message finds you well. I found your details on Interview Professional, and I am writing to you to express my interest in transitioning into a project management role within (The Organization Name). With (7 years) of experience in (Construction Engineering), I have a strong foundational background in technical problem-solving, strategic planning, and cross-functional collaboration, as well as many other skills that would be highly beneficial within this (name of role) of the civil service sector

Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in various projects, planning them all the way through from the implementation stages, coordinating with multiple stakeholders, and ensuring their successful delivery within time and budget objectives. My experience in assessing environmental costs and risk factors, providing insights in the form of reports, analysis, and feasibility studies, as well as advising on building codes and regulatory requirements, has equipped me with all the skills necessary to manage complex projects, while at the same time my focus on project management and continuous improvement has allowed me to drive efficiency and innovation in every aspect of my work

I have a strong desire to transition over to the civil service sector because of my admiration of its mission-driven focus and for the opportunity to contribute to projects that have a meaningful impact on public welfare. I am also eager to leverage my engineering background and project management skills in new and exciting ways in a civil service role

I am committed to making the transition into this line of work and am making this enquiry to see if it would be possible to arrange a telephone or virtual meeting for any further insights or guidance you may have to offer on how to best align my skill set with the role itself as I would be immensely grateful for these. Would you be available for a 30-minute chat (phone or Zoom) within the next week or so? If not, I am available for a meeting or further discussion at your own convenience, and have attached my resume for your reference too. I sincerely hope to hear from you soon

Sincere regards,

{Mr X Green}

Here we can note several things that an effective enquiry message does

It introduces the candidate and makes their purpose clear. This is because it clearly states their intention of transitioning into a project management role within the civil service sector

It states how they know the recipient/ how they acquired the recipient’s details. It also highlights the candidate’s relevant experience. (In this example the candidate emphasizes their engineering background and how it relates to the transitional career change into project management)

It clearly outlines the reason for the transition. In this case the candidate conveys their excitement and interest in the civil service sector

It contains a clear request for a meeting. In this example the candidate politely asks for the opportunity to gain a further insight into the role/ industry by arranging a virtual or phone meeting

The message is respectful, formal, and expresses enthusiasm about the opportunity for the chance to discuss the role/ career transition further

Lastly, if you do get the opportunity to meet with someone, be sure to emphasise the most pertinent aspects of this meeting when you go for the actual interview itself, as this is sure to make for some great conversation between yourself and the interviewer, and will go a long way to convincing them that you’d make a great fit for the role

OTHER AREAS TO CONSIDER

Rebranding

If you’re looking to get into a new career field, another thing you may want to do is revisit any pre-existing branding you currently have out there

Branding is an important tool that professionals and other serious about their careers often use to stand out from the crowd and make themselves more appealing to employers. It is important to check out our section STRATEGIES FOR EFFECTIVE ONLINE NETWORKING
if you want to know more…

Branding is an important part of any career professional’s repertoire; however, it is tied to your career path itself. If you are serious about changing careers, it is definitely worthwhile looking at rebranding yourself to make yourself more marketable to employers

Rebranding can include areas such as

– A review of any profiles you currently have online

– A revision of the audience you want to target

– Your email address

– Any stylized content you’ve created on social media to promote yourself, such as blog posts or videos

– Search engine optimization

– Your C.V and Cover letter

Approaching the topic of Multiple Career Fields

If you have made multiple occupational changes over the course of your career, your best strategy would be de-emphasise the other career changes as much as possible, focusing on your current/ most recent one only, and talking about the others as little as possible during the interview. The exception to this would be where a prior role has more relevance to the job you are presently applying for, in which case you would want to emphasise the duties in that role as much as possible. The rationale behind this strategy is that it may be harder to convince the interviewer of your suitability for a role where there have been multiple changes over the course of your career. As far as this is concerned though the same reasoning applies. The employer obviously thinks you have what it takes if they have invited you for an interview in the first place. From here, it is up to you to convince them that you are the right person for the role. Do this by building rapport with the interviewer, and by placing emphasis on the most relevant parts of your work history

An example from a conversation where the interviewer asks an interviewee about 3 different roles they’ve held and how they relate to the job of a procurement logistics operator

This is a situation where a candidate is interviewing for a role as a procurement logistics operator

The interviewee has held 3 different job roles over the last 10 years

One as a call center worker
One as a trucker driver
One as a sales associate

The interviewer asks a direct question regarding how these jobs have equipped them for the role they are applying for. Here we see an effective answer where the candidate responds when the topic of a multiple career change is brought up

‘I can see from your resume that you’ve had quite a diverse career path. You’ve worked as a call center worker, a truck driver, and a sales associate. Can you explain how each of these roles has equipped you for the responsibilities of a procurement logistics operator?’

‘Each of these roles has equipped me for this position in different ways. Most important for me was the experience I gained as a truck driver, as this has given me a first-hand knowledge of logistics and transportation duties that are directly related to procurement logistics. That’s because in this role I gained a great understanding of the importance of scheduling, route planning, and making on-time deliveries, and I’ve seen the impact that delays, inefficiencies, and miscommunication can have on the supply chain from a first-hand perspective, which is why I intend to use my experience to help me anticipate logistical issues before they become problems if I’m given this role.
The other positions I’ve held have been important to me too, and even though they have been less related to the role, they’ve helped me grow and develop as a professional. For example, in my role as a call center advisor, I learned the importance of effective communication, and in my latest role as a sales associate, I developed strong negotiation and relationship-building skills. These are both abilities I carry with me to this day, and I believe they can be of great use in a procurement logistics role, where building strong relationships and maintaining effective communication between suppliers, vendors, and internal teams is essential for ensuring smooth operations’.

‘I’ve loved each role I’ve performed and feel I’ve grown from each one in different ways. While I value them all equally, I’ve come to appreciate that what matters the most to me in a role are duties that align with a career in procurement logistics as they are the ones that I’m most effective at performing’.

In this example the interviewee answers the question fully, finding the most positive aspects of each role, and relating them well to the question. At the same time, they deemphasize the roles that hold less relevance by spending less time talking about them. Lastly, and most importantly, they follow one of the cardinal rules of interviewing…keeping everything they say both positive and constructive!

Approaching the topic of Career Change
The most important rule to follow when interviewing for a career change is one that is completely nascent as far as interviewing advice goes, and is one of the first things that any good interview coach would always recommend you do anyway. That is to make sure that you convey everything in the most positive way possible – and this a particularly relevant point when it comes to anything related to the topic of a career change. If there is a negative reason why you’ve determined to leave your current/ last employer and make a fresh start elsewhere, don’t make that reason a liability in the interview, instead, capitalise on it by framing it in as constructive a way as possible

When it comes to approaching the topic of career change, it is also highly recommended you review Interview professionals Recommended Preparation Steps For Your Next Interview

In particular, when reviewing this section, pay close attention to STEP 2 – Review the job description. Which is outlined here:

Reviewing the job description

The fundamental step going into any job interview is to understand the job and what its requirements are. In doing so, it helps you form an idea of the types of things you want to say, and of the qualities and experiences about yourself that you want to emphasize. From there, you can construct answers to rehearse that you feel will be relevant and go into the interview feeling more prepared and confident after having formed an idea of the direction you want the interview to take

The best way to do this is as follows:

Write out a list of your most relevant skills as pertains to the requirements of the job description. Now do the following:

Take a sheet of A4 paper, and fold it in half. On the left-hand side of the sheet, write ‘Company Needs’ as the title.

On this side write down all the requirements and responsibilities necessary for the role.

(You can use the information you have gathered from your research of the company along with the details from the job description to do this).

Now on the right-hand side of the sheet, write ‘Your Skills/ Qualities’ as the title – and opposite to each of the ‘Company Needs’, write out a personal quality, skill, experience, or achievement, and see how closely it matches each company need

In this way, it will not only give you a very good insight into how well suited an interviewer might find you for the job, but it will give you a great idea of what areas to focus on and emphasize during the interview, as well as any areas you want to try and avoid. For instance, if a job requires ‘the ability to interact with the public’, you would be looking to match this with something from the right-hand side of your page such as, ‘I have good oratory skills, good listening skills, and an ability to empathize with people’. From there you can then focus on those qualities and think of examples where you have exhibited them so you can discuss these at your interview

Following this step will you enable you to match your current skillset with the role in question, helping you to not only to identify the skills you have that directly align with the role, but also enabling you to identify the areas where an emphasis on transferable skills is required

Other important things to emphasise when it comes to approaching the topic of Career Change in the Interview

Go in planning to place a heavy degree of emphasis on your transferrable skills

Go in planning to emphasize any contacts you have in the industry!
If you’ve built up any contacts in the industry you are looking to transition into, make sure you heavily emphasise them in your interview. Contacts do a great job of not only showing an employer that you are committed to that line of work, but of also proving to them that you are talented, industrious, and have the capacity for career success

(Ideally these will be contacts within the company you are applying with, or at least within the same industry that you are looking to transition into, but if not, then emphasising contacts within the industry you are presently involved with can still work well too, as this will also show a prospective employer how well you’ve been able to set the foundations for your own success throughout your current career thus far)

Go in planning to convey your excitement when it comes to facing new challenges that you may not have had the opportunity to face in your current/ previous role

Go into the interview planning to focus your interest on the company!
A sensible tactic to utilise during an interview even in normal circumstances, by focusing the conversation on why you want to work for that particular employer, it is not only a great way to demonstrate your enthusiasm for a given role, but is also a great way to validate your rationale behind why you want to change careers too

When it comes to the interview, many people see a career change as a disadvantage, that’s because they don’t have direct experience performing in that role, but that works both ways. You have performed duties and have experience that other candidates don’t have, and that can potentially give you a much more versatile range of skills and experience that you can draw on to add value to that role…its simply about emphasizing this experience in a way that compliments the skills the interviewer is looking for

It’s important to show (not tell) the interviewer why you would be right for the role in question. The way you do this is by giving strong verbal examples when answering each of the interviewer’s main questions

Focus on Long-term goals – Whenever it comes to the topic of career change, one of the most effective tactics is to keep the conversation moving forward, focusing on what you aim to achieve in a new role as regards your goals for the future, not dwelling on the past and what led you to seek out a career change in the first place!

Always go into any interview planning to outline precisely how you will be able to add value to the role!

The best way to do this when pursuing a role involving a career change is by showing an employer what you can offer through strong verbal examples

An effective way to do this is by highlighting how advantageous skills learned from your previous/ current career path could be when leveraged effectively against the duties you’ll be required to perform in the new role you’re looking to transition into…this is guaranteed to reassure the interviewer that you’d have no difficulty performing the duties required of you

Example
‘As a Customer Support Specialist, I spent several years resolving customer inquiries, troubleshooting issues, and building strong relationships with clients. These experiences have equipped me with several key skills that would be highly valuable in this Sales Executive role’.

‘For instance, I had to actively listen to clients, identify their needs, and provide tailored solutions to their problems. This is directly applicable to sales where identifying a prospect’s needs and offering the right product or service to meet their demands is essential for making the sale. On top of this, my experience of using effective questioning techniques not only helps me build trust with prospective customers, but also enables me to uncover their concerns and reassure them about the services I am providing for them too, leading to stronger relationships and higher conversion rates, all of which I believe would be ideal in a sales role such as this’.

If you’ve made it to the interview stages, the employer must feel you have what it takes to succeed in the role, which means the rest is now up to you. The interviewer is going to listen to anything you have to say, but it’s up to you to convince them that you are the right person to do the job, that’s why by following the advice given here, by approaching the interview with confidence and not hesitating when you are asked a question, by providing strong answers to each of the main questions the interviewer asks, (not ‘telling’ the interviewer but ‘showing’ them your answer through strong verbal examples), and by doing your best to build rapport with them throughout your time in the interview, you can set yourself up for the best chance of success ahead of the other candidates competing against you

Most important of all, practice like you would for any other interview, believe in yourself, and you’ll stand a better chance than even the most seasoned of candidates of transitioning into the role you seek

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