Prepare in advance.
First and foremost, preparation is key. Like your personal introduction, it is very difficult to completely wing a question on experience you lack and still come across well.
As you prepare for the interview (yes, even the 1st round recruiter screen), review the job requirements and identify the skills you have the least experience with. Make note of these and expect to get asked about them during the interview. This is not a time for magical thinking and hoping the interviewer won’t notice you have no experience in a particular area of the job.
Reflect on your past experiences and consider what the underlying basic job skills and functions were in those positions. I’ve written before about how most jobs are some combination of 10 common functions. From there, determine the best transferrable example you have that could be relevant to the job in question.
Stay calm and take your time.
Once you’ve done your preparation and it’s time for the interview, the best thing you can do is chill. It will not serve you to be tight and worked up when you’re trying to make the best case for yourself. Often, my clients find that slowing things down during an interview helps them to stay calm, focused, and keep their fight-or-flight response from kicking in and causing a “deer in headlights” moment.
You can buy a few seconds to keep yourself from getting hijacked with any of the following strategies:
Asking for clarification: You might say something like, "Could you please clarify what you mean by...?"
Taking a thoughtful pause: It's perfectly acceptable to pause briefly before answering a question during an interview. This demonstrates that you're considering your response carefully and taking the time to ensure it's well-constructed. To make the pause seem more natural, you might preface it with a phrase like, "That's an interesting question, let me think for a moment."
Repeating the question out loud: Repeating it out loud can serve as a subtle way to buy yourself some time and keep your mind from running away from you. The extra moment allows you to gather your thoughts and formulate your response.
Writing the question down: My personal go-to strategy in a situation like this is to write the question down. It both slows your mind down to allow you to gather your thoughts, and has the added bonus of pulling you out of your head and back into your body so you can stay present, focused, and strategic.
Highlight Your Transferable skills.
When you do finally get asked about experience you don't have, you’ll want to deliver your response in such a way that you’re communicating transferable skills or functions you’ve used in a different setting. Emphasize your transferable skills and how they can be applied to the new role.
For example, suppose you're applying for a project management role, but your previous experience is primarily in teaching. You might say something like the following:
"In my teaching role, I was responsible for managing multiple classes, creating lesson plans, and ensuring that each student progressed throughout the school year. This experience has honed my skills in time management, organization, and effective communication. I believe these skills are directly transferable to a project management role, where I would need to manage multiple projects simultaneously, develop project plans, and communicate effectively with team members and stakeholders to ensure successful project completion."
Or, imagine you're applying for a sales position, but your background is in customer service. You could talk about the common connections between the roles like this:
"During my time in customer service, I frequently interacted with clients to address their concerns and provide effective solutions. This experience has taught me the importance of building strong relationships, empathizing with clients' needs, and problem-solving in a timely manner. I believe these skills are highly transferable to a sales position, as they would allow me to establish trust with potential clients, understand their requirements, and present tailored solutions that meet their needs and drive sales success."
Or, if you’re interviewing for a human resources role with a background in teaching:
"As a teacher, I gained experience in conflict resolution and problem-solving, as I often had to mediate disagreements between students and find creative solutions to classroom challenges. These skills will be extremely useful in a human resources role, where addressing conflicts and finding win-win solutions are essential to maintaining a healthy work environment and fostering positive employee relationships."
Frame your response positively.
Even if you’re feeling a crisis of confidence about whether you have enough of the right experience for the role, it’s critical that you present your experience in a positive light, focusing on the strengths you bring to the table, rather than what you lack. Let the hiring manager decide if you have enough of the right qualifications; don’t talk them out of hiring you with unnecessarily negative framing. Below are two examples of communicating the same content with positive and negative framing. Audit your own communication tendencies to ensure you’re removing negative framing whenever possible.
Example 1:
Negative framing: "I worked in a fast-paced retail environment where I was just a cashier, so my duties were limited to handling transactions and dealing with customer complaints."
Positive framing: "In my role as a cashier in a dynamic retail setting, I gained valuable experience in processing transactions efficiently, addressing customer concerns with empathy, and contributing to the overall positive customer experience."
Example 2:
Negative framing: "At my previous job, I was stuck in a monotonous data entry position where I had to spend hours inputting information into spreadsheets, which was quite boring."
Positive framing: "In my prior role as a data entry specialist, I developed strong attention to detail and accuracy while managing large volumes of data, ensuring the timely completion of tasks and contributing to the company's data-driven decision-making process."
If you botch it, have a Plan B.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we completely miss the mark on an interview question. This can be especially common during questions where we are already nervous about them, like being asked about an area where we lack experience. If this happens, you’ll want to be prepared to address the issue in your follow up email. Use the thank you email to expand on your response or clarify your thoughts.
For example,
Subject: Thank You for the Interview and Clarification on a Point Discussed
Dear [Interviewer's Name],
I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my gratitude for the opportunity to interview for the [Job Title] position at [Company Name] on [Date]. It was a pleasure speaking with you and learning more about the role and your organization.
During our conversation, we discussed [specific topic or question that requires clarification], and I wanted to clarify my thoughts on that matter. While my initial response touched upon [briefly mention what you said in the interview], I wanted to provide a more comprehensive answer to better convey my perspective.
In my previous role as a [Your Previous Job Title], I encountered a similar situation where [give a brief description of the situation]. What I learned from that experience was [explain the lesson learned or the approach you took]. I believe that this approach can be beneficial in the [Job Title] position at [Company Name] as it demonstrates my ability to [mention the skill or quality relevant to the job].
Once again, thank you for considering me for the [Job Title] position. I am excited about the opportunity to contribute to [Company Name] and look forward to the possibility of working with you and the team. Please let me know if you require any additional information or if there is anything else I can clarify.
Best regards,
[Your Name]
Remember, an interview is just a conversation, and staying calm and collected can help you navigate questions that are most challenging for you. Focus on showcasing your strengths, transferable skills, and communicating the authentic version of you to make the best impression.
