Mark Hirschfeld

I recently corresponded with a friend who heard a colleague of mine talk at 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 may 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.

P.S. Having trouble articulating your transferrable skills? Drop your resume into your favorite AI tool and prompt!

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You walk into a company for your job interview. You see a poster, often nicely framed, in the lobby. The poster presents the “mission and values” of the organization—the investments they are supposedly making in their employees.

Although they are generally well-intended, I’m often surprised at how little these statements represent what it is like to work there. There is a gap between what they present and what they actually deliver.

That might feel like expensive wallpaper.

As you are considering a potential employer, find out if there’s something more to the place than nice wallpaper. There are numerous online sources, but also talk to former employees, to current vendors or providers of other services to the employer.

No employer is perfect, but if what they are representing as behaviors they value and what they actually deliver to employees is so glaringly different you will want to take that into consideration.

A colleague of mine has a term for this—he calls it propaganda.

Do your homework.

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In describing relationships, Dr. Gale Muller said that “relationships should eventually be equal, but are never equal at any one time.”

When you are networking in search of a new job, you may feel the exchange is one-sided, where a networking contact is only helping you.

Although it may feel that way, that doesn’t mean you can’t add some value or be of help to your contact.

How?

~ Perhaps you can offer information about a former employer or a contact of yours,

~ Maybe you can bring an article about an industry trend the contact hadn’t seen,

~ Or you make an introduction to a contact of yours that would be of value.

Be proactive. Show you are willing and able to reciprocate.

The exchange may not be perfectly equal, but you can make an effort that will be noticed.

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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 lists on the internet you can access, and also write your own questions! Write questions that ask you to explain how your past experiences and successes can be applied to the position.

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.

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You land the new job. You’re not sure you’ve made the right choice.

Be awesome anyway.

Your new co-workers are, at best, okay.

Be awesome anyway.

The pay and benefits are fine, but you’re not going to get rich.

Be awesome anyway.

This job looks interesting, but you’re not sure there are opportunities for you to grow here.

Be awesome anyway.

It’s a longer commute than you were planning, and that’s stressful.

Be awesome anyway.

There are far more reasons why a new job might not be great, and the temptation would be to mail it in while you look for something better.

If it’s really bad, go ahead and look for another job. But in the meantime give them more than an honest day’s work.

Why?

If you do leave, the worst thing they can say about you is “there goes an awesome employee’.

More importantly, you will have the satisfaction of knowing that even in less than ideal conditions you acted with honor and integrity.

And that’s worth a lot.

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Losing a job and being unemployed is awful.

I know. I’ve been there.

You have lots of feelings—of loss, anger, frustration.

Aside from the loss of income, you often lose relationships and the meaning that can come from work.

In my ten years as an outplacement consultant, I saw most of my clients work through these feelings in a way that didn’t get in the way of their search. I’m not saying it was always easy for them—far from it. But with support from family, friends and a job support group they were able to push through.

There were times when a person needed additional help.

Sadly, some folks feel there is a stigma or that they will be labelled weak.

Baloney.

If you feel like all of this is getting to be too much, get help. And know there are people who are keeping a good thought for you as you migrate these challenging times.

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A research study found folks were more likely to exercise if they could only watch a favorite television show AFTER they had exercised. The idea is you are more likely to do what you dislike if you have an enjoyable experience to look forward to after you’ve done the unpleasant task.

We may put up with a bit of pain if we have something pleasurable to look forward to after the pain.

As part of your job search plan, trying using this approach:

~ Reach out and do networking calls with strangers, THEN watch “Stranger Things”.

~ Send out an incredible resume and cover letter that is customized to a specific job, THEN watch “The Incredibles”.

Is binge watching not a reward that motivates you? Maybe your reward would be to head out to a local park—do the unpleasant task FIRST and make that your reward.

William Butler Yeats said: “Joy is of the will which labours, which overcomes obstacles, which knows triumph.”

Let’s push forward and enjoy a bit of a reward for our efforts.

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Several years ago, I worked with a company to conduct their annual employee engagement survey. After I presented their results, I was asked to come back a few weeks later for another meeting. As I was waiting in the lobby, I noticed a book on the coffee table.

I opened it up and found copies of all the reports of the survey I had just presented.

I was stunned.

When my contact came to fetch me, I asked her why this was in the lobby: “We talked about it as a leadership team, and we decided that we wanted everyone who visits us, including prospective employees, to know how employees feel about working here.”

“As you know, not everything is positive in that report, but we wanted to be as transparent as possible.”

Then I was impressed.

Most companies don’t do this, but you can still learn about potential employers. Check out online company ratings. You can also talk with former and current employees.

Do your homework.

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I’m sure you’re worried about getting a job and want to spend most of your time responding to postings and networking, but I’d like to encourage you to take time to consider jobs that fit your skills and interests.

How are skills and interests different? I love to play golf (interest), but for the life of me I can’t make a three-foot putt (poor skill). On the other hand, I’m actually pretty good at project management (skill) but I hate doing it (not an interest). If we find a job where skills and interests align, we’re likely to be happier and more successful.

There are several free self-assessments out there and some for a nominal fee. None of them are perfect, but they can give you guidance. Additionally, ask others who know you to provide feedback on what they see in your skills.

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Recruit someone to act as your coach, who can provide accountability and support along with way. Your coach can also help with some job search tasks, such as prepping you for an interview.

The only requirements of a coach are they care for you and are willing to help. A good coach could be a loved one, co-worker, or neighbor.

Have at least one meeting with your coach every week. Show them your work plan and talk about where you’ve made progress and where you fell behind. Your coach doesn’t need to show up with a ruler to wrap your knuckles, but are there to listen, to support and to inspire.

What do you pay your coach for their efforts? I’ve found a heartfelt thank you, and maybe some homemade cookies, to do the trick. You might also want to keep in mind that although you may not be able to help the coach right now, you could sometime down the road.

#career #careercoach #jobhuntingtips #jobhunting #careers #jobsearch #jobsearchtips

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