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| Recent Entries How to develop - and execute - a long-term career planHow to change careers - from medical research to the hospitality industry |
Success Stories Archives How to change careers - from medical research to the hospitality industry Julio is originally from Brazil, but had completed his graduate degree in Canada, at McGill University, in Montreal. After completing his MSc in Immunology, he worked as a research fellow for several years. During his university years, he was also very active in the student sports organization, helping to organize the intercollegiate games, and managing the squash and racquetball facilities. He went back to Brazil for three years, where he worked as the operations manager for a private tennis and racquet club. When he decided to return to Canada permanently, he wanted to develop a career in the hospitality and tourism industry. While he had applied to many jobs, and impressed employers with his resume, he never got past the first interview, because everyone considered him to be over-qualified for the entry-level to junior management jobs he was applying for. When he came to me for advice, he was scheduled for a job interview with a major casino. He really wanted this job - and he was looking for a way to get past the inevitable “but you’re overqualified”. In preparing for the interview, I suggested that he focus his presentation on his desire to work with this particular company, rather than talk about his more general desire to work in the industry. In other words - he wasn’t just interested in this job - he was interested in this company - this particular casino. Because the casino so rarely advertised its vacancies, and then only the entry-level positions, he was using this posting as the means to an end - not an end in itself. The point I wanted Julio to make: “I’m in this for the long haul - and I want to help you grow this casino; to make it the best in the region.” The message: “I want to work for your firm, and if this is the only job you have available - I want it. I know I will prove my worth to you, and I intend to progress rapidly through the ranks until I am in a position where the company capitalizes on the full benefit of my experience.” I urged Julio to do as much research as he could about the casino: how it was doing, who its target clientele is, if it had any expansion plans, what its entertainment focus and customer service philosophy was, and so on. If we could make him stand out positively in the crowd of applicants, we would increase his chances of landing the job.
Two days later, Julio had his interview, and followed the strategy we had decided on. He was short-listed, and at the end of the second interview, he was actually offered a position as Night Manager Slots- one that had not been advertised. Julio accepted the offer, and within four months he was promoted to casino floor manager - a position that came with a $20K annual pay hike.
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