How can you use motivational interviewing to identify transferable skills for a new career?

1 What is motivational interviewing?

Motivational interviewing is a method of communication that aims to help people resolve their ambivalence and enhance their intrinsic motivation for change. It was originally developed for counseling people with substance abuse issues, but it has been adapted for various settings and purposes, such as health promotion, education, and career development. Motivational interviewing is based on four principles: expressing empathy, supporting self-efficacy, rolling with resistance, and developing discrepancy. These principles guide the interviewer to listen actively, reflect back what the person says, ask open-ended questions, affirm their strengths, and elicit their reasons for change.

2 How can motivational interviewing help you identify your transferable skills?

One of the benefits of motivational interviewing is that it can help you gain a deeper understanding of yourself and your career aspirations. By engaging in a motivational interview, you can explore your values, interests, passions, and goals, and how they relate to your current and desired career. You can also examine your strengths, skills, and experiences, and how they can be applied to different contexts and situations. Motivational interviewing can help you identify your transferable skills, which are the skills that you can use across different roles, industries, and sectors. Transferable skills can include communication, problem-solving, teamwork, leadership, creativity, and adaptability, among others.

3 How to apply motivational interviewing to your career transition?

If you want to use motivational interviewing to identify your transferable skills for a new career, you can either find a trained professional who can conduct a motivational interview with you, or you can try to do it yourself or with a trusted friend or mentor. To start, express your interest and willingness to explore your career options and goals. Then, ask yourself or your interviewer open-ended questions that can help you reflect on your values, interests, passions, and goals. Listen carefully to the responses and summarize or paraphrase what they say. Affirm their strengths, skills, and achievements, and highlight how they can be transferable to a new career. Finally, elicit their reasons and readiness for change and help them develop a discrepancy between their current and desired situation. By using motivational interviewing, you can identify your transferable skills for a new career and increase your confidence and motivation to pursue your career change.