"Why Are You Applying for a Job in a Field Other Than Your Major?"

What Do interviewers Want to Hear?

Life doesn’t always turn out according to our plans. Especially when we’re young, changes in direction are common. Changes are hard enough to live through without getting grilled about them.

When the interviewer asks about one of your 180-degree turns, you need to respond. If you’re applying for a retail management position and your degree is in geology, there’s a good chance that you’ll be asked this question; it’s not the first time this employer has encountered someone like you.

In today’s job market, changing careers is common, and there’s nothing unique about going into a field other than the one you majored in. So what do you do? You know you’ve piqued the employer’s interest enough to get an interview, right? So relax and answer the question. 

Keep it brief and positive: You’ve reexamined your career goals. You enjoy customer contact, the competitive nature of sales, and the varied management responsibilities required in retail, and you’ve decided it’s the career you want to pursue. And, oh yeah (perhaps with a sheepish grin), Then it may be a good idea to pause and ask, “Have I answered your question?” Give the interviewer an opportunity to express concerns about your qualifications. If he has any, be prepared to explain how the skills required in your degree field transfer to the field in which you’re seeking employment. You can use the same strategy with your prior work experience. Are there particular things a geologist must learn that directly translate into retail management? Particular skills? I don’t know, but you certainly better be ready to talk about them. Just because many students who major in more esoteric areas are, by definition, ill-prepared for some specific jobs, and just because many people now change jobs, careers, and even industries more and more, does not mean that many interviewers will not make you sell them on how your learning will benefit them.