Career Stalled? Spiff Up Your Skills!

Whether you are currently employed or among the many who are “between opportunities,” keeping your skills and knowledge current and relevant can mean the difference between moving ahead and lagging behind.

What’s next for you? Is there a promotion you’ve set your sights on, or a job that’s just slightly out of reach? Now is the time to “get real” and put a plan in place to increase your skills and knowledge, improve your marketability, and build your confidence. Here’s a 5-Step Plan to get you going.

1. Take inventory.  Get a piece of paper and make a list of your strengths and your development areas. Think about what you want to do next. Do some research to determine the skills and knowledge required to get you there. Is there anything you’re currently lacking?  Add it to the list. Is there a certification or license required that you haven’t earned yet? Add it to the list.
2. Create a personal development plan. Determine which of the skills/knowledge you’ve identified in step one will most contribute to you successfully attaining your next career goal. Select one or two you will focus on in the next three months.  Seek out resources that will help you develop in those areas – classes, a coach, book learning, volunteer opportunities. Create specific development actions for each skill/knowledge area.  Commit to paper a plan that includes:
   1. Skill/knowledge to develop/enhance
   2. Resource
   3. Target completion date
3. Execute the plan. Post your plan somewhere visible – your calendar, your desk, your refrigerator. Stay focused! Concentrate on the one or two areas you’ve prioritized – don’t get distracted by the other areas on your inventory list. Take a “melting pot” approach. Keep your eyes and ears open for articles, blogs by experts, presentations, webinars, etc., related to your focus areas. Learning comes in many forms, from many places. Capture it! Be accountable and/or enlist someone’s help to keep you accountable. Reward yourself for completing your development goals.
4. Update your resume/personal “infomercial.” When you’ve gained proficiency in the skill/knowledge area, add it to your resume, if appropriate. Practice incorporating your new knowledge/skill into your interview discussions. Blend it into the evolving “you.”
5. Review, revisit and revise the plan. How did your plan work? Did you set reasonable goals? Were the resources worthwhile? Did you find additional or alternate ones you’ll use next time? Revisit your inventory. What are the skills/knowledge areas you’re going to work on next? Create and execute a revised personal development plan that reflects your new focus areas and goals.

Too often when we’ve “got the job” we become complacent and/or too busy to think about what’s next and prepare for it.  Putting a plan in place to continually add to your abilities and knowledge will keep your market value on an upward trend.

And remember: Don’t stop believing!!

Till next time,

Karen

Your Job Search Elevator Pitch

Picture this. You’re at a networking event (as part of your job search strategy) and someone says to you, “what do you do?”  Or, you’re in an interview and the first question is, “tell me about yourself.”

How do you respond?  If nothing immediately comes to mind, then it’s time for you to prepare a personal “infomercial” or elevator pitch – a concise, informative statement that describes your key competencies and tells the listener what you’re looking for.  You can use it when you’re looking for a job externally, or even when you’re looking for a new opportunity internally.

Your infomercial should include a brief summary of:

• Your profession/level
• Your capabilities and unique qualities
• The type of opportunity you’re seeking

If you’ve done the job search inventory work that I talked about in an earlier post, you should have this information readily available. The key is to shape it into three or four short sentences that you can state in about 30 seconds.  Here’s an example:

I’m an experienced learning and development professional with expertise in leadership and communications training. My particular strengths are curriculum development and facilitation. My career has spanned a number of industries. Right now I’m looking for contract opportunities in companies that want to enhance their leadership development.

As you create your infomercial, think about your potential audience.  What are some key words that will resonate with them? Use visual, descriptive words that paint a picture of who you are and the unique value you bring to an organization.  Be specific. The clearer you are about what you want, the easier it will be for someone to help you.

You may need to create multiple versions for different audiences. Practice each version until saying it is as natural as stating your name.  Then get out there and use it!  You never know where you might meet the person who has the perfect opportunity for you.

Going up?

Till next time,

Karen

Ready to “Get Real” about your career? Check out our online guide here.

Get Real About Your Career – Start by Taking Inventory

The start of the New Year is typically when we “resolve” to make changes: eat less, exercise more, learn something new, change careers…

If a career change is on your list this year – whether it’s moving to a new career, finding new work in your current field, or creating more work/life balance – an important first step is figuring out where you are today. This is what I call Taking Inventory.   Clarifying who you are and what you want will help you define, communicate and achieve your career goals.  Here are 8 key areas for your self-assessment.

1. Skills.  What are the skills and competencies that have helped you succeed in your career so far? Which of them are transferable skills that will help you contribute regardless of industry or position? Write them all down.
2. Values. What are the things you MUST have in a company, a position, a leader to be happy and do your best? What motivates you?
3. Natural talents. What are those innate abilities that keep coming up in compliments and performance reviews? “You’re a natural at…” Fill in the blank.
4. Interests. What do you like to do? Think large on this one. You never know when an interest you haven’t really focused on so far may lead to a new opportunity…
5. Job Satisfiers. Or, as I like to call them, “the good, the bad, and the ugly.” What are the factors that have made your past work situations rewarding (the good), boring or frustrating (the bad) or something you never want to repeat (the ugly)?
6. Barriers. Here’s where you really need to “get real.” What are those internal blocks that have kept you from being all you want to be? Write ‘em down.  Recognizing them is the first step in eliminating them.
7. Key accomplishments. Think back over your career and other areas of your life. What have you done that made a difference for your team, your department, your company, your community?
8. Salary requirements. In today’s job market, this is often one of the first questions asked, so it’s good to start thinking about this early.  Consider what your basic expectations are and then, when you’ve determined your target market, do some research to validate your expectations.

Completing these inventories will take some time.  However, you will be amazed at how much you’ll learn about yourself, and how the resulting personal career snapshot will guide you to “what’s next.”

Want to know more about how to “Get Real” about your career? Check out our online guide here.

Whatever you do, don’t stop believin’.  ‘Til next time, Karen.