You’re Not Stuck!
The art of changing jobs and careers
I started working at the tender age of 15, while still at school in Sydney, Australia. It was a $2 shop where I spent a couple of nights a week, weekends, and my school holidays.
Since then I’ve held over 27 different positions at various companies (some as self-employed) in different cities around Australia and Europe.
Here are just some of them — not in any particular order:
RETAIL: grocery store assistant — fruit and veg store (Sydney, Australia), store assistant — Katies, Women’s Fashion (Sydney, Australia), merchandising assistant — Myer, Department Store (Melbourne, Australia)
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN: kitchen designer — major kitchen manufacturer (Melbourne, Australia), joinery setout — designing residential & commercial joinery using various CAD applications for a number of joinery & shopfitting companies (Australia)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS: telemarketer — Optus Australia & others — telecommunications company (Adelaide, Australia),
CONSTRUCTION: project manager — managing multimillion-dollar shopfitting and commercial joinery fitout projects (all around Australia)
HOSPITALITY: sandwich maker — Burger & Sandwich Cafe (London, UK), burger maker — Burger Shop (Adelaide, Australia)
MANUFACTURING: production manager — managing a large factory for cabinet-making and stone masonry business (Adelaide, Australia)
MARKETING & SALES: national marketing & sales manager — Compusoft — software company (Melbourne, Australia)
LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION: translator — Sephora, Tesco, and many others (throughout Europe), copywriter — multiple clients (throughout Europe)
GRAPHIC DESIGN: UX-UI designer — self-employed at Freelancer, (online/remote)
TECHNOLOGY: tech startup founder — 5walls.com (Wroclaw, Poland)
REAL ESTATE: real estate agent — First National Real Estate (Adelaide, Australia)
ADMINISTRATION: office assistant — metal manufacturer (Sydney, Australia)
I also won 1st Place at a Hackathon at Melbourne Startup Weekend, going against 38 other teams — and was a Judge (3 years running) for the annual Cabinet Makers & Designers Association awards, in the Design Category.
I have moved countries 4 times and lived in 6 different cities around the world, not including all the suburb to suburb relocations — a total of 47 house-moves.
As you can see, I’ve been around the block — some of you may (rightfully so) say that I lack consistency, which is true — but my life has provided me with a plethora of experiences and lessons.
I’ve stayed in some sectors longer than others, switching as soon as I’d get bored — but this doesn’t mean that I stayed at the bottom of the ladder. I have successfully changed positions multiple times and in some cases, I climbed as high as you could get and did it in record time.
Through this, I became an expert at interviewing for jobs. I learned what it takes to get the job I actually want, without wasting time sending hundreds of applications. And that’s the skill I’d like to share here. It’s the method I used to successfully move from job to job, and from one sector to another.
It’s something you can try for yourself in case you’re thinking you’re stuck and dread going to work in the morning. I want to encourage you that It’s not too late or impossible to jump ship — to another employer, another job, or change sectors altogether.
The art of the interview
As usual, the first place to start is with your resume. If you found the job you REALLY want, your resume has to be modified to tailor to all the particulars mentioned in the job description. It takes a bit of time, but remember, this is your ticket to the interview.
Don’t try to save time in this very first step. Address the requirements with an example of how you’ve done this (or something similar) in the past. If they mention something you’re not familiar with or haven’t got experience in, just skip it — treat it as if they never asked for it. Make sure you keep their focus on what you CAN do for them — not what you can’t.
When you get the interview, always (always, always, always!) approach it from a position of power. What do I mean by that? Recognise the truth — you are going there to interview THEM (not the other way around). Isn’t this why you are going to all this trouble? To get out of a job you DON’T like? So why would you go somewhere you were not 100% satisfied with.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not asking you to be an arrogant jerk. Be polite, well dressed, on time, and well-spoken. Don’t use words such as stupid and frickin’ or fillers such as umm and yep. Make sure your phone is set to silent. If it was two years ago, I would’ve told you to give them a firm handshake, but here we are. Just look them straight in the eye and smile. Smile like you’re meeting a friend. If there’s more than one person in the room, make sure you acknowledge all present.
Once introductions are over, they will lead in with some questions. Answer those briefly and to the point. When speaking try to match the interviewers talking speed and volume. Use appropriate jargon, make them feel like you’re one of them. When you’ve answered a few basic questions, it’s time to take charge of the interview; remember? You came to interview them.
Your questions are the golden goose!
It’s time for you to ask questions, the best time to do this is before they ask you if you have any. These questions should be prepared ahead of time (on your phone or a piece of paper). Ask them to bear with you whilst you take a brief moment to look at them because some of the questions you prepared might have already been answered. These questions are the golden goose! They serve you on multiple levels.
Number one, they give you the opportunity to show off your knowledge, without being ‘show-offy.’ Two, they allow THEM to talk (this is a big one)! People love to talk, not because they are self-centred (for the most part), but because it engages their creative brain — it literally wakes them up and activates their emotions. And you want them to be awake — you want them to remember YOU and how you made them FEEL.
Towards the end, ask them if they have any further questions or concerns. If they have any (especially concerns), address those in a concise manner. If you’ve done this right, they already like you, you don’t need to draw this out — at this point, they’re looking for an excuse why they SHOULD hire you. Make sure you give them that.
That’s it.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this little interview advice and find something you can use to achieve your own personal career goal or courage to take the next step.
