The UX Teacher Prep Podcast

Ep 10. Communicating Your Why in Job Interviews

• Zee Arnold • Season 1 • Episode 10

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Embarking on a new career path can feel overwhelming, but I can help. Crafting a career narrative is not just about explaining the desire to leave teaching but also about conveying the excitement and commitment to contributing to the success of a potential employer. In today's episode, I explain how to share stories from your teaching experience that highlight transferable skills and passion for your next role. I also provide an example "why statement" you can tailor for interviews and your cover letter that will resonate with your future tech employers. Stay tuned until the end for bonus interview tips!

"How UX Writing Stole My Heart" Article by Z Arnold

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Zee:

Hello teacher friends. Coach Zee here and I have a question why do you want to leave teaching? Can you answer this question in 60 seconds or less? What if you were in an interview? What would you say? One of the biggest things transitioning teachers struggle with is explaining why they're leaving the classroom. Teachers are leaving for so many reasons good, bad or indifferent. So in today's episode we're going to talk about crafting your why statement for your career after teaching. Stay tuned.

Narrator:

Welcome to the UX Teacher Prep Podcast, the ultimate destination for educators who aspire to break into the field of user experience and product design. Your host, Zee Arnold, a 15-year teacher turned UX researcher, is here to guide, coach and mentor you through every twist and turn as you make your career transition into tech. If you're ready for a more satisfying career and lifestyle and you want the balance to unleash your creativity, this podcast is for you. Now for the show.

Zee:

When you decided to become a teacher, you probably did some work around crafting your why. Why do you want to teach? What is your teaching philosophy? What drives you to the profession? Well, in the same way, when you're thinking about leaving the classroom, you need to be able to explain why you're changing careers. It might feel obvious like you want to change. You want more money, you want to explore something new, but articulating your why in a job interview is super important, because it helps the interviewer understand who you really are and what makes you tick, what you value and how much you vibe with the company culture and goals. You value and how much you vibe with the company culture and goals. Your why is basically your value proposition. That tells the company what you're going to deliver as an employee. So today I want to talk about how you can effectively communicate your why in job interviews, and this can also work in your cover letter, if you choose to submit one. Make sure you listen to the end, because I have some bonus interview tips to share with you as well, so let's get into it.

Zee:

The first part is knowing who you are. Before the interview, you'll need to do some self-reflection, review your career goals, your values and what excites you. You need to understand how you and your goals align to the role or company you're interested in. In order for you to do this work, you have to also research the companies you're interested in. In order for you to do this work, you have to also research the companies you're interested in, learn about their mission, their culture, their values and how those align, or don't align, with your own. One way you can start to map this out is by writing down a list of what you value in an employer and what your non-negotiables are. For example, I value work-life balance and one of my non-negotiables is being able to work remotely. Think about the things you're willing to compromise on and the things you aren't.

Zee:

Next is my favorite part storytelling. When you're asked why you're leaving teaching, this is where you tell your story about what is driving you and motivating you in terms of the new position. A lot of teachers get confused about this. You have to craft your story. This is the story you will tell interviewers and hiring managers over and over again. It's your story and you're sticking to it here. You want to explain why you're passionate about the role you're applying to, not why you want to leave your current role. Why are you interested in this company, this role, this industry? And, since you're storytelling, it's a good place to talk about a specific experience that led you to this new career path. Stories are memorable and they help the interviewer understand your motivations and how they've shaped your career journey. So here's an example of how you might answer this question in a UX researcher interview.

Zee:

I recently attended a tech conference where I discovered UX design and learned about how UX Researchers study target users, to collect and analyze data and to help improve products. So I started doing some research and the role of UX researchers seemed like a natural fit for me. I'm excited about the opportunity to combine my teaching and data analysis expertise to contribute to an EdT ech company like yours that focuses on making education equitable and universally available. Your company's mission is aligned to my educational philosophy, because I believe technology should be used to create an inclusive environment and it should be accessible for all students and teachers everywhere. That's what really drew me to this particular organization, see, and of course, you can make that your own. So here you're showing that you're not just looking for any job, but that you're genuinely excited about contributing to this company's success, and I get so excited when I talk about this topic because this is your time to shine. I'm literally stuttering while I'm saying this. Remember, this is a company that you really, really, really want to work for, right. So you have to show that excitement. Okay, you want to show them that your goal is to make a meaningful impact and grow within the company over the long term. It's not just I want to hop out of teaching and this is what I want to do. You've got to be passionate about what you're doing. You've got to have a real vision and mission behind what you're doing next. So I provided an example from a professional learning experience, but you can provide an example from a challenge you overcame, a project you worked on, or even a personal passion you have. Basically, you want to show your passion and commitment to this role in this organization.

Zee:

The next thing is to be confident. Now is the time to be bold. Don't be shy or afraid. I know it's nerve-wracking, but you need to speak confidently and boldly about your desire and ability to take on this new role. So it's going to take some practice. Draft it out and then read it. See how it sounds. Let it sit for a few days and go back to it, edit, revise and make it yours. Then I want you to practice your wise speech in the shower, in the car, on the train, with your spouse, with your children, your friends. Practice, practice, practice until you have it memorized and you can confidently say it and believe it.

Zee:

The next part is the body language, and that's whether you interview on Zoom or in person, any type of online interview or even in person. This is one thing that I struggled with a lot. I literally had to practice smiling in the mirror because I'm a lik. One thing that I struggled with a lot. I literally had to practice smiling in the mirror because I'm a likable person and I do have a smile, but of course, I get nervous in interviews, and we all do so it's going to take a lot of practice for you to be able to deliver your value proposition even with your eyes closed.

Zee:

Now, this last part is tricky to know when and how to present your why. One thing you want to be sure to do is to actively listen during your interview so you have a pulse on where the conversation is and where it's going. You don't want to start off by saying here's my why or by just going into your why speech at any moment. Make sure that you insert your answer in the right place, based on where the conversation is going to help the interviewer understand how your why aligns with the company's needs At this point. You've practiced it so much that you can sprinkle bits and pieces into an interview conversation to make it all make sense. An interviewer probably won't ask you so what's your why? They'll be more likely to ask you something like so why do you want to leave teaching? Or why us Fill in the company's name? Or even why are you interested in a UX Researcher position. So be prepared to sprinkle in your why statement depending on what the interviewer is asking you at the time.

Zee:

I want you to remember that effectively communicating your why is not just about leaving a lasting impression on the interviewer. You definitely want to do that, but this is also about making sure that the role and the company are a right fit for you. You're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you, and I'm sure you've heard that before. So as you go through the process I outlined, you'll start to weed out certain companies because you'll find out that their mission and values don't align with yours. So it's really a great exercise to go through.

Zee:

When I first discovered UX, it was UX writing that got me intrigued about the industry and I wrote an article on Medium to share my story. And I'll share that article in the show notes and the description, because I really feel like simply writing about what inspired you can help you to craft that. Why statement Okay? Now I know a lot of teachers haven't been on interviews in years because once you start teaching, you basically don't go on job interviews for a long time. So I want to give you some bonus interview tips based on questions.

Zee:

I get asked a lot and the first one is always have a few questions prepared. It shows that you're genuinely interested in the organization and you've done your research. So be genuinely curious and look up answers to questions you want to know, but don't ask questions you can find on their website. So here's some examples of good questions to ask, and only ask if it's not listed on the job description or you can't find it online. So the first question is what will the first 30, 60, and 90 days look like in this role? This shows that you want to know what the expectation of you is in those first 30, 60, and 90 days in the role, and it also helps you understand how much training you're going to get on the job. Another good one is can you tell me about a time when you changed direction or strategy as a result of UX research? Now, this is specifically related to a UX researcher position, but you can change the title depending on the job you're looking for, and this question is going to let you know how committed they are to UX research as an organization. Another great question is related to the problems the company is currently trying to solve. Remember, you want them to hire you to help them solve their problems, right? So you can ask a question like what's a goal your team has recently been working on and one challenge that has come up in that process? Getting a better understanding of the company's pain points can help you articulate how your expertise can help them.

Zee:

Now the next tip is tailor your answers to the person who is asking you questions in the interview. When you're interviewing for a UX creative role, a lot of times you'll be interviewed three to five times, and sometimes by more than one person at a time. Different team members will have different interests, while a product manager might want to know your communication style so they can understand how you work. A product designer might be more interested in a project you recently worked on and challenges you overcame.

Zee:

In that situation, it's important to actively listen to who's asking you what and answer that person accordingly, and don't be afraid to pause after you're asked a question just to process it and think about how you're going to answer it based on who's asking, and you can also jot down quick notes to help you keep yourself focused. If you want more interview tips, leave a comment or send a message on Instagram and I'll share a few more of my favorites. I hope you learned how to answer the question about why you're leaving the classroom and if you want me to take a look at your why statement, feel free to reach out on Instagram. I'm happy to provide feedback. If you're looking for additional resources or support on your transition journey, check out uxteacherprep. com and don't forget to join our online LinkedIn community. All those links will be in the show notes and description box. Take care.

Narrator:

Hey, thanks so much for tuning in. If you like this podcast, hit, follow and scroll down to leave a five-star rating. Then share it with a friend. If you're looking for resources to help you on your tech transition journey, head over to uxteacherprep. com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram at uxteacherprep for daily tips and motivation. Have a topic you'd like to hear addressed on the show? Send us a DM on Instagram. If you're listening on YouTube, like, subscribe and share. Until next time, be well.