I was once involved in interviewing for a role. During the session, one of the candidates kept saying 'I know that I don't have the relevant work experience for this role but just give me a chance and I will prove myself'. This was a guy that was interviewing for a customer service role in an FMCG company who couldn't make the connection despite working for the past two years in customer service for a fast food restaurant. After the interview, I called him aside and gave him some tidbits which I personally have found useful.
1) There is no such thing as irrelevant work experience. The same principles of customer service apply in a fast food restaurant as for a multinational company. The same principles of marketing apply in a one man business as for a conglomerate. The only difference is scale. Always dig underneath to draw out the similarities and focus on selling those to your interviewer
2) Stop trying to say what you think the interviewer wants to hear. Focus more on what image you want to leave imprinted on the minds of your interviewers.
3) Reach into your arsenal of life experiences to communicate your abilities, it must not be tied only to skills picked up while working in paid jobs. Volunteer work, charity work, time off to take care of relatives, it all adds up. An interviewer likes to know there is depth as well as breadth.
Nice one Uchechi!
ReplyDelete