What are the key steps to prepare for a career transition interview?

I have clients list out 30-50 things they are good at or have been trained to do. The larger number forces you to get more specific and identify the skills that are transferable. For example you might start out listing project management but have to split that up into stakeholder management, and then communication, listening, negotiation, etc.

It's critical that you become aware of how industry lingo, trends, changes, and the important players. Another great way to do this is to listen to one to two podcasts a day that focus on the industry. You'll end up finding out who the top players are, important news, and especially the language that this commonly used.

What's missing here is to ensure that your LinkedIn profile is up to date as well. It should have as much detail and be a touch more personal than the resume and cover letter. Overall you need to ensure that your toolkit represents that you are qualified for the job you want, not just the job you had.

In my professional experience, the creation of a compelling cover letter is essential when articulating the motivations behind a career shift. It serves as a platform to showcase your professional journey and how it has naturally guided you toward this newfound career interest. While some argue that cover letters are becoming obsolete, a well-crafted and tailored cover letter, aligning with the specific job description, can significantly enhance and complement your resume, creating a robust and cohesive application package.

Prepare answers to common interview questions in the STAR format, record yourself and practice, practice, practice. The best way to get comfortable is to be confident. Once you are able to remember your professional stories by heart you'll be able to improvise and be more present in interviews.

If you are an experienced candidate with 10+ years of experience, you will want to pull out from your inventory of experiences, skills and success stories you bring to the table and highlight how they can translate to what the employer needs for their business. Make sure that you see through the lens of your interviewer and speak the same language of your audience. Ask yourself: "What would people on the other side want to know about me?" "How can I narrow down my professional story to what is critical for them?". This way you will speak to their pain points and offer examples on how you can bring value to their business.

Pump yourself up before the interview. Have a little pep in your step. Your level of excitement should be half a level higher than the interviewer's. This shows that you are interested in the role, and company, and leads to a positive association with who you are. You also want to show the same level of interest in the interviewer's work and career history. Take some time to be curious and get them talking about themselves. If someone talks about things that interest them they will think you are interesting.

The number one thing I can about when I hire somebody, wether they do or don't have experience in my field, is passion for what we do. That's the number one thing I'm assessing. Almost everything we do can be taught fairly easily. I can't teach passion, interest, and good attitude though.

Education and Experience count for 25% - FIT is 75% and it is based on subjective factors; so if you consider that, how do you make yourself a good fit? The more you can understand how you can be a good fit for the role and the organization, the more you will position yourself to be the strongest candidate for the role you are interviewing for - no matter the level of seniority you are at. In-depth research, talking to people within the organization and reading their content on their social media platforms will allow you to understand their mission and values, which will help you formulate why you can be a good fit for their organization.

Always follow up. It is considered part of the interview and if you don’t do it, it will be considered as a missed step. Make sure you write a well-thought out email, not a text message or a slack message. That’s too impersonal and you want to maintain a certain level of professionalism. A follow-up email will also provide you with the opportunity to reaffirm your interest or clarify anything that may not have been addressed correctly during the interview process.

Follow-up as soon as you can. An email is fine based on timing. Include your interest in the role and that you feel confident that you'd be a value-add to the team and organization. It's also great if you can add one personal piece of information from something the interviewer shared during the interview.