Coinciding nicely with the publication of my book on storytelling in the job search, Wall Street Journal columnist Alexandra Levit wrote recently about the need to “carefully craft your story before heading out on interviews” — especially if you are changing careers.
It’s not easy to convince employers, Levit notes, that your qualifications can transfer seamlessly from your former career to a new one. After all, given a choice of hiring someone whose experience is consistently in the employer’s sector and another candidate attempting to enter that sector, the employer will probably go with the applicant experienced in the field. “I was typically met with incredulity as to why and how an architect could become a brand marketer,” Levit quotes career-changer Beth Zimmerman as saying. Levit elaborates on how Zimmerman overcame the doubt:
Ms. Zimmerman created an interview narrative that drew on her architectural background and related it to her new field. “I explained how architecture and marketing share many of the same core competencies — process-oriented thinking, intensive discovery of a client’s business and an ability to navigate between big ideas and the smallest details,” she says.
… “I recommend writing down your story. Try to stick to the facts, and rather than sulking or blaming other people, put in positive statements about how you turned a challenge into an opportunity,” says Cy Wakeman, a workplace expert. “Employers like candidates who reflect on and learn from their own experiences, take control of their lives, and show that they’re bulletproof.”
Levit emphasizes that “The more drastic your reinvention, the more persuasive your story must be.”
If you need help crafting a career-change or other job-search story, consider Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career.
