 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Practical Guides For Your Career
Identifying Your Marketable Skills
Most of us tend to think too narrowly about our marketable skills, and thus undersell ourselves when we are looking for a promotion or a new job. This Career Action List will provide you with a step-by-step approach to examining your life and work experiences, so that you can assess which of the many skills you have are the most marketable.
Staying Marketable: Identifying Your Transferable Skills
On a global level, market demands are shifting and changing monthly, weekly, sometimes even from day to day. In recent years, thousands of individuals who trained specifically for sharply defined “hot careers” are discovering that those skills may not be in such strong demand that they warrant such a focused investment of time, money, and education. In such fields as information technology, for instance, disappointing downturns have dissolved what was previously assumed to be a “sure thing”—a “smart” career choice.
Getting Paid What You're Worth: How To Assess Your Value In The Marketplace
You may be at the beginning of your career, or you may be halfway through it. Wherever you are in your working life, your ability to be paid the salary you want depends entirely on your understanding of how much value you bring to your employer—and how effectively you are able to communicate that value to the person who controls what you are paid.
In starting your job search, you need to have several different kinds of information. You will need to research industry trends, find out details about the particular companies you are targeting, and perhaps even do some research on the hiring manager.
How To Network and Market Yourself
No matter what your organizational position is, and no matter what your career goals are, you can always benefit from networking and marketing yourself. In today’s world, business is driven by relationships. Networking and marketing yourself require you to build strong and meaningful relationships—many that will be long term.
Creating Cover Letters That Sell
A cover letter briefly describes the position you are seeking, why you are uniquely qualified for the job, and why you are interested in this company. It can provide a sense of who you are that may not necessarily come across in a résumé. You will use a cover letter when you know the exact position you are applying for, and when you know the name of the person you are sending your résumé to.
Creating Resumes That Get You Interviews
The key thing to keep in mind is that a winning résumé is not one that gets you the job: it is one that gets you the interview. It is rare that anyone gets hired just from the résumé. You want to create a résumé that gets a potential employer interested enough to want to meet you in person. A hiring manager receives an average of over 120 résumés for every job opening. You want your résumé to stand out among the pack. And remember, you only have 10 seconds to capture his or her attention.
Winning Resumes: Preparing Different Types of Resumes
Every person’s career history is different. You want to design your résumé so that it puts your career history in the most marketable and attractive light. Your particular job search and career goals are also unique. All these factors play a part in deciding which type of résumé has the highest probability of getting you the interview that will lead to your perfect job.
Answering Tricky Interview Questions
Job interviews are the single most important part of the selection process—for both you and your future employer. Once your résumé (or personal referral by someone whose opinion the hiring manager trusts) has established that you meet the basic skills and background requirements, it is the interview that establishes you as a candidate who will fit well into an organization’s culture and future plans.
Do you wake up in the morning full of excitement and enthusiasm about your day? Or do you dread going to work? If your job is sapping the life out of you, then it is time to reassess your life and your work. If you feel like an old dream is stirring and just won’t go away, then it is time to discover and pursue your calling.
Staying Connected and Visible While Telecommuting
Telecommuting offers a delightful compromise between being employed full time (and enjoying the steady paycheck that comes with this arrangement) and experiencing much of the independence and privacy of self-employment. You can dress comfortably, saving substantially on your office clothing, and you can avoid the boring hours of commuting, saving substantially on gas, parking, and public transportation. As a telecommuter, you are also in a working environment that’s all your own with no annoying coworkers nearby, which certainly promotes peace of mind.
Losing Your Job: Survival Strategies For Starting Over
No matter whether you are suddenly laid off with no notice, or you know months in advance that your position is going to be eliminated, the actual event of losing your job can be a shock to your physical system, your emotional health, and, of course, your bank account. The steps you take as soon as you get a hint that your job is coming to an end will help cushion the impact of one of the most stressful times in your life.
