How to explain a career change in an interview

RECRUITER NOTES

Changing fields doesn't make you a risk. Rambling through your reasons does. Here is what the person across the desk is really asking, and how to answer it calmly.

If you are changing careers, you have probably rehearsed the question that worries you most: "Why are you leaving what you know?" Moving into a new field takes courage, and it's natural to feel you have to apologise for it. You don't. But you do need a clear answer, because the panel is listening for one.

I once interviewed an Executive Assistant for a Project Officer role. She clearly demonstrated her transferable skills in every answer: documentation, scheduling for different teams and communicating with a range of stakeholders, all of which the role needed. It was a sensible lateral move into a field where she could eventually advance, and she made that easy to see.

What the interviewer is really asking

When a panel raises your career change, they are rarely questioning your worth. They are checking three things:

1. Will you stay? They want to know this is a considered move, not an escape from a bad job.
2. Can you do the work? They need to see your past experience connect to the role in front of them.
3. Will you be quick to learn? They are weighing the gap between what you've done and what the job needs.

Your answer should settle all three in about a minute.

A simple shape for your answer: past, present, future

Keep it short and forward-looking.

• Past: one sentence on what you did and what it taught you. Don't linger here.
• Present: two or three skills or results from your old field that the new role needs. This is where a STAR example earns its place. If you need a refresher, start with the STAR method.
• Future: why this field, and why this employer. Mention what you have already done to close the gap, such as a course, a project or volunteer work.

The order matters. Lead with where you're heading, not what you're running from.

Weak versus strong: an example

The following is an illustrative answer, not a real client.

Weak: "I've been in hospitality for ten years and I'm just burnt out. I've always been interested in HR so I thought I'd give it a go. I know I don't have direct experience but I'm a fast learner."

Why it doesn't land: it leads with what is wrong, sounds like an experiment, and apologises before the panel has raised a concern.

Strong: "For ten years I've led rosters, trained new starters and handled difficult conversations in hospitality, and I found the part I enjoyed most was helping people grow into their roles. Over the past year I've completed a Certificate IV in Human Resources and supported our onboarding rebuild. That is why this coordinator role appeals: it lets me use what I know about frontline teams in a people-focused role."

Why it works: it names real skills, shows steps already taken, and connects the past to this specific job.

What other questions should you expect?

A career change usually brings a few follow-ups. Have a short answer ready for each:

• "You don't have direct experience. Why should we choose you?"
• "How do we know you'll stay in this field?"
• "Why this role, and why now?"
• "Are you comfortable starting at a more junior level?"

For the open-ended opener, see how to answer tell me about yourself as a career changer. Your resume should tell the same story, which is covered in the Resume Workbook.

Practice it out loud

An answer that reads well on the page can still come out tangled in the room. Say yours aloud, record it, and trim anything that sounds like an apology. Practice it until the first sentence feels easy.

If you'd like somewhere to practice, you can run a free session in the Practice Lab. And if you're mid-move and want a structured way through it, I'm building a Career Change Workbook for November. You can join the waitlist here.

Judy Wallis, Founder, Interview Practice Lab