Ep 206| 6 ways to Nail the answers when HR Asks -why are you switching to design career despite years of exp ?

Why did you come into this design field? Any HR or a design recruiter would ask a first question to a student like this. Even if you have a design degree, even if you have a design experience, even if you are someone who is from a different field, the very first question is going to be like this. So it is very normal for an HR to expect this answer. In this podcast I am going to be telling you how you can be nailing this answer when they ask you. A lot of people get scared by this question and they, they develop an imposter syndrome. Like let's say, oh, I'm really fitting in this field, why people are asking like this. So I'm going to be clarifying all this myths, what you have and I'm going to be helping you with five answers. In fact, a bonus answer, how you can nail this answer and how you can get higher.

Okay?

So take a lot of notes. Let's jump into this podcast. Welcome to Design for Change. Through this podcast we are impacting thousands of listeners across the world and we have reached 32 plus countries. Thank you for this overwhelming support and I'm on a mission to help 1 million designers reach their creative lifestyle of design before 2030. And also I'm helping students who have a degree or not, who have design experience or not. I'm going to make them go into the creative lifestyle. Whoever is on the journey, they are getting results in less than 90 days, less than 45 days, less than 30 days. Also people are getting results and students are transforming their life. Thank you so much guys for, for tuning into this podcast and particularly if you have not subscribed yet, do subscribe in Apple or Spotify and then drop a five star rating if you find these informations, whatever madding is valuable today I'm going to express you one of the deep questions which students ask, which is Jagdish. HR is always asking me why did you switch to this career despite having so much of experience? Let me tell you guys, it's a responsibility of a HR to ask this question, okay? It's not like they have some personal vengeance on you. They are asking you. Anybody in a sensible recruitment or a hiring field would ask this. It's our responsibility to answer this.

Okay?

See guys, a 2024 study says that 52 percentage of the Americans plan to change jobs. It's quite normal. People wanted to switch job. There are approximately 40,000 plus vacancies arising new every single year. Okay, There are totally 1 lakh plus vacancies available but new vacancies are also created. There are only few design College. Close to 5,000, 6,000 students get passed away out of these institutes. How does it real? How does the vacancies get filled? Have you ever wondered the remaining 20 to 30,000, how does it get filled? People from a different background, people from self learning, people from a totally different expertise come into this design field. In my journey I worked with doctors who wanted to become a designer. In my career I worked with economists who wanted to come into the design field. I worked with people who to wanted who have completed their Software experience for 20 years and then they wanted to come into design field. I worked with people who are just starting fresher college dropout who wanted to come into design field. I've seen people who are taking 10 years career back coming into design field. So it's quite normal. Guys. It's not a thing which is what you call uncommon. You need to be really scared of, okay? But I'll tell you one thing. You have to really discover yourself properly. Why did you really make that switch until unless if you do that, what happens is people will not be able to resonate with you. See, don't be fake in order to get a job. Don't get fake answers, just be very positive. In this particular podcast, I'm pasting you a free gift two gift, okay? One is you will find it very surprising. Go and do this. Second is I'll be pasting you a word file, okay? Which is called a self discovery workbook. You can take a color printout and fill that end of that sheet. It'll take 30 minutes for you to fill that guys, okay? Don't use chatgpt anything. Don't just use online. It's for you to self discover yourself and then you'll be able to get this answer. So show the positive point whatever you got in that discovery. Even as even if someone asks you this question or not, guys, it's very vital to answer this because people need to understand who you are. Why did you come here? You need to show that positivity of what is the reason you have switched to this field. Let's say if you're a graphic designer, you wanted to come into product design. That's what is a common trait people do, right? So find out the positive reason why you wanted to go and solve the problem of this company through your design skills. If you're able to justify this, people will not ask this question again. If you found this answer, if anybody asks you or not, if you tell this deliberately in every interview, people will be Loved to hire you guys.

Okay.

You have switched because some reason is not working in your earlier career. Guys, some value mismatch is there. Your value system and mission is different. Their value system is different. It's good that you have taken this decision and your new values is going to help this company. So you need to be very happy about it. I'll tell you guys, there are six answers which you can tell in order to nail this answer. Nail this particular question. Okay. The very first thing is give a very powerful intro. Don't just answer a question. Hey, I'm Jagdish. I have some 5 years experience and I work there and I'm from this Tamil Nadu. This.

That.

Yeah. Give me job. Don't do that. Create an impactful story around you. Let's say if you're a person who is angry. Let's say if you're a person who is smiling. Let's say if you're a person who is emotional, show that expression. Show that kind of a characteristic and attribute in your introduction. Nail the answer by giving a very short intro about you, about your profession, about your personal, about your hobbies and then about a little about your career switch. Why? And then you tell what is the reason you are applying for this industry. Even if they ask you this or not, this is the structure of the intro. Simple guys. Okay, very first thing. Second is always shows always enthusiasm and energetic and close with a question. When you show high energy and enthusiasm in the design interviews, people would love to have you guys. You need to always ask the question at the end. Like let's say if somebody is asking you why did you make a career switch? Yes, I did make a career switch because of so and so reason. And I find it design is one of the most fulfilling career for me. And you also would have come into HR field because of some reason, right? Maybe if you would have been passionate. So maybe you should have come from a different field. I'm not sure. But similar things I also have. So are you resonating with me Mr. HR? The moment when you ask this kind of a question they will definitely have a positivity to answer you.

Okay.

Always close with the question. Guys. Don't be just answering yes, no, yes, no, yes no, no. Have a question to close. This is the second technique because you can take the control when you ask some question. Don't be rude, ask very politely and in a friendly manner.

Right?

If you say that that people will also get a close resemblance with you. Third thing how you can answer this question is tell Them. Yes, I made a career switch. This is my passion. So far I've been doing different things. So I'm chasing behind my passion. You have to show that. You have to tell that. You have to mean that from your words. Fourth is be proud. Guys, it's not a criminal. What you call. What you call. It's not a criminal mistake or some kind of a blunder which nobody is doing. This is for you and your career. And then in order to make your value become high, you are choosing this kind of a field. That's the reason you have made. So be proud of this. Admit it. You tell that normal people don't dare to do it HR. But I did this. See, 54 percentage of the people have switched. That means they are wanted to. They wanted to really get hired for a different organization. You know what guys? Increased remote work options have been open. Now new career paths and design have been found. Fast company article on career switching has found that you can read a lot of blogs in Indeed and LinkedIn. You can find people are switching into design career in a huge way. There is a 7% steep increase in graphic design field compared to the five to ten years before. Even though AI is coming, but still it's happening parallel. So people want to come into design.

Okay.

And the fifth question is ask them what made them come into HR role. Aspire them. Ask their goals. Definitely. Guys, 70 to 80% of the hrs would have come from a different background. Ask them if you can able to take this decision. Can you resonate with me? So you need to be little polite and be careful to others. Okay? Don't ask anyone. Hey, how come you are from a different field? You are in hr. Why should I not come into design? Don't be that kind of a impolite. Be very careful.

Okay.

And the sixth, the last important thing is show the transferable skills. Let's say if you're a lawyer. Let's say if you're an economist. Let's say if you're a software developer. Let's say if you're a project manager. Let's say if you're an engineer. Anything. Guys, show what skills you can contribute to design. Let's say if creativity is involved in that field, you can show creativity. If project management is involved in the field, you can show I can do project management better. If you can able to show that you are good in presentation, you can show here. So these kind of skills will be applicable for design field very much.

Okay.

Show that transferable skill. This is the steps guys and finally, to add in a sweeten to this whole six steps every time create a story around your answers. Your story needs to have a hero which is you. Your story needs to have a goal. What you want to achieve? You want to get into the company, right? Maybe you wanted to achieve a financial freedom. Maybe if you wanted to achieve a fulfilling life and then showcase who's the villain. Villain in the sense not people. It could be people also. But it could be sometimes circumstances. It could be your financial burden. It could be any reason. It could be a transit from one place to another place. So showcase that villain and then tell the after story. If you reach this goal, what person you will become? Like let's say if somebody asking you will you be able to come to Bangalore? You have to tell I would definitely love to come to Bangalore. There was a huge increase in job demand in Bangalore. I can see Mr. HR. And also in fact I'm thinking of shifting to Bangalore for a long time. Quite this opportunity has helped me to do this. I'm extremely thankful to you for providing this. But there was one circumstances. I have to really take care of my mother and father. Because they are alone. My brother is in abroad. I have to take care of them. So I would love to have a kind of a remote job. And in a week's time I can travel once or twice. Because Bangalore is just one night travel for me. And also if I take care of them and if I do a peaceful work, I'll be delivering you 100 times more productive output than if I'm staying alone in Bangalore. So that's the kind of impact which I can create. Now can you offer me? Would you be okay with remote job and hybrid? See, I've created a hero. I've created a villain. I've created a afterlife. I've told this answer in a storified way. Always create a storification around it. Don't fake it, guys.

Okay.

Tell a real story. Okay. You don't have to create anything which is unreal. People can find out and people can sense it out easily.

Okay?

And also when you are completing these answers, like let's say to repeat all the six steps. Give a powerful intro. Always show your enthusiasm and energy. Tell them yes, I wanted to make a career switch with the passion. And fourth is be proud of this. Don't be scared. Fifth is ask them is your career properly progressioned? Or you also made a shift and try to make a resonation with them. And show the transferable skills and storify your answers. Finally you have to be in a positive mode to answer this question. If you are in the negative insecure mode, not confident, not so strong, not happy, not energetic. You will not get this kind of instant thinking in your brain when you are sitting in the interview.

Okay?

So be very careful about it. And if you are able to ask all these questions, finally you can close with the final question saying, can we have an interview? Can we have a design task? Can you check my skills? I'll be able to give you output in a day if you close with that. Can we have an interaction with your design team? Can we have interaction with your design recruiter? Can I have an interaction with your team so that you're giving a call to action for the people who are talking with you in order to get you hired? Don't tell, hey, this is what I want. They'll tell you, we'll come back later, bye bye. They won't call you. Make sure you have a call to action and then you close this interview or answer. Even if it's a phone call, even if it's email, even if it's a LinkedIn message, even if you are talking in a zoom call, always have a call to action. When can I expect results? Okay, tomorrow, 5 o', clock, you'll be calling me. That's great. Okay. When can I get the salary negotiation call? When can I get the offer letter? When? Make sure you have a question to close and have a call to action properly. Lot of people answer but they don't know how to make a call to action and later follow the procurement. So please implement these things. Guys, I hope this podcast would have given you clarity if you needed a support to learn all these things in a step by step manner including the design skills and the interview skills. In order to nail your first job in less than 90 days, I highly recommend you to join my program. There is an email which you can buy if you're someone who can't afford no problem, I have a free gift for you. You can just click that and you'll be really surprised because I don't want to leave anybody empty handed. I wanted to really help people whether like let's say if they can't afford or whether they can afford no problem. So there are options available in the in the description of this podcast and write me about what you think about this particular episode, what we are recording and rate me if you find this really valuable. Apple and Spotify. Okay, thank you guys. Take care. We'll see you in another episode.