Interview Chatter

No Experience Necessary: Why He Hired Him Even Though…

by Gina on July 4th, 2008

Last month I wrote a post about how the new head coach of the Chicago Bulls, Vinny  Del Negro, was hired with despite having no coaching experience what-so-ever. 

Since then, I received a letter from the Bulls General Manager, John Paxon (he hired Vinny) which explains what Vinny did that was so impressive it made Pax hire him despite his lack of direct coaching experience. 

These letters are sent to season ticket holders throughout the year when something than needs explaining happens (like hiring a coach whose never coached before) and I’m sure Pax won’t mind me sharing part of his letter in the hopes it may help a few folks get a great job. 

“Let me share with you what sold me on Vinny.  When he and I sat down to talk, I was impressed by his knowledge, his confidence, his strategic ideas…and his gift for communication.  He also promised a desire and willingness to look at this team, its talent, and its promise with fresh eyes.  His ability to draw from his experiences as a player, scout and executive, combined with his energetic and innovative approach, convinced us he was the man to lead our young players and turn this team into the winner that we have the talent to be.  Everyone we talked to who had any previous professional relationship with Vinny, whether as a teammate, a coach, a colleague, or a friend, had nothing but superlatives to say about him.”

Here’s the take-away.  Focus on the five items below at your interview and your lack of experience won’t reduce your chance of getting the job.

1. Demonstrate your knowledge of the job.  You can do this, even without direct experience.
2. Be confident.  This is probably the most important factor in interviewing for a job that you don’t have direct experience with.
3. Be a great communicator.  Even if you know in your heart that you are the right person for the job, it won’t matter if you can’t convince the hiring manager of it. 
4. Explain how all your previous job experiences (even though they may be different from the one you are applying) prepared you to be successful in the job you are interviewing for.
5. Have great references. 

We’re still interested in hearing some stories from those of you who were able to get a great job without any direct experience.  Leave us a comment to tell us about it.

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POSTED IN: Preparation & Planning, The Interview