“Can you talk us through your career journey and what has attracted you to this opportunity at this point in your career?”
The career journey interview question is one of the most common openers for senior leadership and board roles.
Many candidates treat it as a warm-up question. A chance to settle in, build confidence and ease into the conversation. But your answer is much more important than you might think.
Having supported countless recruitment processes and sat through hundreds of interviews, I’ve heard this question answered in every possible way. The weakest answers often spend several minutes taking the panel through a detailed career history that tells us very little about their suitability for the role they’re applying for. The strongest candidates use it to frame the rest of the interview.
In a previous blog, How to answer “talk us through your career” in an interview, I explored how to tell the story behind your career and explain the decisions, transitions and motivations that have shaped your journey. This time I’m focusing on making that story relevant to the role you’re interviewing for.
What is the panel really asking?
Within the first few minutes, the panel is already forming impressions about how clearly you communicate, whether you’ve reflected on your career, how well you understand the opportunity and whether you are a credible fit for the role.
Yet many candidates start at the beginning and work through their CV role by role. They spend five minutes talking about positions they held 15 or 20 years ago and very little time explaining why they are sitting in that interview today.
Although the question sounds straightforward, the panel is usually trying to understand three things:
- What are the key themes that have shaped your career?
- How has your experience prepared you for this role?
- Why does this opportunity appeal to you now?
In other words, they are not asking for a detailed career history. They are asking you to help them understand the connection between your experience and the role in front of you.
Find the thread that runs through your career
Many candidates answer chronologically:
“I started my career in… then moved to… then spent three years at…”
Starting with the themes that have run throughout your career is often a stronger approach.
For example:
“Throughout my career I’ve been drawn to organisations working with young people facing significant barriers. While my roles have included operations, service delivery and organisational development, the consistent thread has been leading change and building services that improve outcomes.”
This immediately gives the panel an overview of your experience.
The best answers can clearly explain the themes, motivations and experiences that connect their career to the opportunity in front of them, regardless of how impressive their CV looks.
Think about your own career:
- What themes have remained consistent?
- What motivates you?
- What types of challenges have you repeatedly chosen to take on?
Identifying those themes will help you create a more compelling and memorable answer.
Focus on what's relevant to this role
The panel already knows the headlines of your career. What they want to understand is which experiences are most relevant and how they have prepared you for this opportunity.
Before your interview, ask yourself:
- Which experiences are most relevant to this role?
- What achievements best demonstrate my suitability?
- Which parts of my career can I summarise briefly?
The strongest candidates edit their story. They focus on the most relevant experiences rather than trying to include everything.
Show that you understand the role
A good answer should also demonstrate that you understand what the organisation is looking for.
If the role requires someone to lead growth, manage complexity, strengthen culture or build partnerships, those themes should feature prominently in your answer.
Make it easy for the panel to understand why you would be a great fit.
Ask yourself:
- What are the three or four most important requirements in this role?
- Which examples from my career demonstrate those requirements?
- Have I made those connections clear?
Tell them why you’ve applied
Another common mistake is spending most of the answer talking about the past and only a few seconds explaining why you’ve applied.
The panel should not have to work hard to understand why you’re a strong fit, so don’t leave your motivation until the end.
For many panels, your motivation is one of the most important parts of the answer. What draws you to this organisation and this role?
The strongest candidates can articulate why this opportunity feels like a logical and exciting next step.
If your explanation could be used for ten other organisations, it probably isn’t specific enough.
Read more: Be prepared: application and interview tips for aspiring CEOs
A simple structure to use
When preparing your answer, think about three elements:
1. The thread
What themes have run throughout your career?
2. The evidence
Which experiences best demonstrate your suitability for this role?
3. The motivation
Why does this opportunity appeal to you at this point in your career?
This simple structure helps you stay focused and ensures you’re answering the question the panel is actually asking.
Read more: How to use the STAR method to answer job interview questions
How long should your answer be?
Aim for two to three minutes. You want to provide enough context to help the panel understand your journey, but leave them wanting to explore specific experiences in more detail through the rest of the interview.
Think of this answer as setting the scene for the rest of the interview.
Start the interview strong
You know this question is coming, so prepare it properly. Practise it out loud until it feels natural.
You don’t need to improvise your answer at the interview. This means you can start with a confident answer that makes a great first impression and sets up your success for the rest of the interview.
It also gives the panel a reference point for later questions, so you can build on what you’ve already talked about.
Clare Chesworth is Head of Social Justice at Peridot. She is passionate about recruiting executive and board leaders for organisations supporting marginalised communities. With an empathetic and driven approach, Clare can find the right leaders to suit your mission.
