[BizCareers] What to do when you aren't equipped for the job

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"I was recently approached by my company to become a manager, as the current manager resigned. Although I am flattered, I really don't think I am at all ready. I've only been at the company for 6 months and have nowhere near as much knowledge as the previous manager. How do I tell them this without insulting anyone?" - Matt

Hi Matt,

Thanks for your question. Although you may think it's quite an unusual question, it's actually not at all. Many people fear moving into a role with more responsibility and will pass up the opportunity. If you really believe that you are not suitable for the job (and it's not just your nerves talking) then it would probably be best to sit down with your employer and have a discussion about why you feel this isn't right for you. You can use phrases such as, "I really appreciate that you have considered me for this role, but at this stage I don't feel that I have enough experience to take this on. I do not want to do you or your company any disservice by accepting a position that I cannot fulfil satisfactorily. I would love the opportunity to gain more experience and educate myself so that I can fulfil this role excellently in the near future" Would you be willing to relook at this in 6 months/1 year?"

Before saying anything though, perhaps speak to your colleagues and the current manager as to whether they feel you could do the job. Your judgement may be clouded by fear of change and sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and be pushed out of your comfort zone for a while in order to reap the rewards.
Best of luck, I hope this helps.

"I have just started a new job and my manager wants me to conduct interviews to hire a team that will report to me. I have never done this before and am terrified. What questions should I ask in the interview?" - Aliya

Hi Aliya,

I am sure you're in the position you're in because you're more than capable to do so, so don't worry. The key factor for an interview is to be prepared. Have a set list of objectives that you want to achieve in an interview e.g. I will know enough about the candidate to send them through to the next round or I know that my MD will like this person or I need to find out how good they are at Microsoft Excel.

List what is important for the role and the priority areas for you and focus questions around this.

You can follow various structures for an interview, for example: a) Personal and rapport building questions, b) Job Specific questions c) Historical/previous job specific questions d) Future aspirations questions.

Ideas on questions to ask in these various topics can be found on Google quite easily. You want to make sure that you have an evaluation sheet with you, and write down points about the candidate in the interview. You would be surprised how quickly you will forget information when you're interviewing a number of candidates in a row.
Finally, before the candidate leaves, make sure you have contact information for references, tell the candidate when you expect to have a final hiring decision and how that will be communicated and most importantly thank the person for coming for the interview.

I hope this helps.

Always love what you do!
Juliette

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