Mark Hirschfeld

I recently corresponded with a friend who heard a colleague of mine talk a job fair about a concept back in the 1990’s that was important if you wanted to make a career change, a concept that is just as important today.

That concept is called “transferrable skills”.

Transferrable skills are those you have acquired in your current and prior work that could be applied, or transferred, to a new employer and/or industry.

A friend of mine had just finished a graduate management program. She also had been involved in coaching. Although those two experiences, at first glance, might not tell a story, I saw an opportunity for her to combine those experiences to tell a prospective employer about her leadership training and experiences. She showed them how those experiences made her a strong candidate.

She got the job.

You too have a story to tell, where you can show an employer how seemingly unrelated experiences or skills can be just what an employer would value.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

As I look back on my career, there are several folks who mentored me and, in doing so, significantly contributed to my growth and development.

My mentors encouraged me, stimulated my thinking, introduced me to new people and experiences, and offered timely advice.

And, yes, they occasionally coached and corrected.

The main quality of an effective mentor is a person who will take the time to meet with you and offer some of what I mentioned above. They don’t necessarily have to be older or have more education or training. You need to be open to honest discussion feedback and guidance.

You might not see the exchange as mutual, but a good relationship can be of value to the mentor as well, who enjoys the opportunity to help.

As Bruce Springsteen sings: “nobody goes it alone.”

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Donna was interested in working for a particular company, but there was a hiring freeze on for permanent roles.

Not a problem.

Donna identified an agency that placed people in “temp jobs” for that company. Donna was placed in a job there. It wasn’t a job that was great, but she got herself in the door.

A couple of months later Donna saw an ad for a permanent position, and she applied. When the hiring manager asked where she was currently working, Donna said: “one floor up”, and offered her current manager as a reference.

She was hired on the spot.

This may not be a path you would pursue, but I offer it as an example of a creative way to eventually get to a goal you have, such as Donna wanting to work for a specific employer and using a temporary job to move her forward in her career.

Need some creative job strategies? Let Donna inspire you.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

I worked with a gentleman recently who had targeted a specific employer. He was a good fit for the job, and had an additional benefit to help his search—he knew someone who already worked there in the same job who was willing to be an informal coach.

His coach provided him a lot of insight about the company, leadership and opportunities. He also provided one additional important bit of information—the salary range.

Thankfully, the range was within his expectations. When the recruiter called for the first interview she inquired about his salary expectations, and he was able to give her a number that was within the range.

She forwarded him on for another interview.

This is one example of where a networking contact can be extremely helpful. If you’re not networking you’re losing out on chances to advance your search.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

It is never, ever, in your best interest to misrepresent yourself on your application, resume or interviews with a prospective employer.

Don’t. Ever. Lie.

Having said that, I’ve seen far too many job seekers not tell the full story of what they’ve done in their work and the contributions they’ve made.

Tell the facts, and tell ALL the facts.

When employers are asking you about your prior experiences, they want you tell them a story:

~ What was the PROBLEM or CHALLENGE you were facing,

~ What did YOU DO to solve the problem or address the challenge, and

~ What were the RESULTS, where the problem was solved or the challenge was addressed.

Tell your story. Tell it with clarity. Tell in a way where all the relevant facts are offered. And tell it honestly.

You have a story. Tell it, and tell it proudly.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

My grandfather, Ed Moss, was a letter carrier. His route used to include my house, so I often tagged along and, occasionally, he let me put the letters in the mailbox… hoping the statute of limitations has expired.

Fifty-plus years later it turns out that sending a letter in an envelope with a stamp on it to someone you are communicating with in your job search might actually be a differentiator. Hardly anyone uses “snail mail”, so if you have an address to a person you’ve been networking with or a recruiter or hiring manager your letter will stand out because hardly anyone makes the effort.

Sending a simple thank you card can stand out. You might also go a step further if, for example, you see an article you think might be of interest to your contact—print it off and send it along.

It’s often difficult to stand out in a crowd—give my grandfather’s successors some business and you just might land that next opportunity.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Within a year, Jay lost three jobs as a result of downsizings or mergers. In all cases his performance wasn’t at issue—he was a hard worker.

You would think that after the third layoff Jay would become upset or dejected, perhaps even giving up.

If he did, he didn’t show it.

Jay had a plan and he continued to work his plan. Whenever we met he was positive and had ideas about what he could be doing for the coming week.

I’m sure Jay had bad days, but he didn’t let them get him down. He didn’t need to seek professional help, but if you need help please consider doing so. When prospective employers asked him about his changes, he was honest. He also had secured references from each of his employers.

Jay did land another, and has been doing well ever since. Throughout his challenges he kept his focus on what he could control and kept focused on making progress every day.

To the degree you can, take some inspiration from Jay. Keep working. Keep networking. Keep up a positive attitude.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout. This content is free. Please pass along: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

For a time I had a “hitch” in my speech. I said “you know” waaaay too much.

I didn’t realize it, but my frequently saying “you know” was distracting to others. The “you know” thing tended to get worse when I was nervous… like in a job interview.

Do you have a “hitch”?

You’ll never be able to replicate this perfectly, but practicing a job interview with someone may reveal a problem that could be distracting to an interviewer. Ideally, you would push “video” on your phone so could review the interview.

By the way, this advice is NOT directed to folks who have a disability that affects their speech which, sadly, will frequently be a bias they will have to overcome in securing a job.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout the videos reference. This content is free. Please consider passing along: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch

Practicing for an interview can be painful, but rather you get feedback from a friend who cares for you that your answers don’t make any sense than in front of a recruiter or hiring manager.

Give your coach a list of questions. There are a set of common questions on the web site listed below you can start with, but also write some questions you believe will be asked for a specific job interview. In particular, write questions that ask you to explain how your past experiences and successes can be applied to the position for which you are interviewing.

To make it more spontaneous, have your coach throw in a surprise or two. They could do that by mixing up the order of the questions, or dropping in a question you didn’t expect.

You’ll need to get good at this, so practice, and then practice again. Heck, practice some more.

As it is said: “by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” When it comes to your job interviews, don’t let that be your epitaph.

There are training videos on the web site of my faith community and a handout the videos reference. This content is free. Please consider passing along: https://www.thetablempls.com/jobresources

#career #careercoach #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch