Are you Changing Careers as Much as You’re Underwear?
Does your resume look like you’re a job hopper going from one job to another and you’re always asked why you can’t seem to keep a steady job? One minute your at one location and the next your at a completely different company doing a completely different task or skill? Now you look you’re a jack of all trades master of none without a clue how you’re going to sell yourself in the marketplace.
Statistics show that the average working adult will have approximately ten career changes during their lifetime, and finding a new career is always a process. The current job market is more competitive than ever, and recruiters are focused fishing out the best skill sets from their seas of resumes. The best thing job seekers can do in this environment is to fully understand their personal skill sets. A skill can be defined as the ability to do something well, or an expertise. These behaviors or abilities can be developed through training or experience. Skill sets can be broken down into 3 categories: Natural Skills, Transferable Skills, and Killer Skills.
Natural Skills are intrinsic abilities we were born with, and things we have the aptitude for. We hardly have any control over our natural skills, as they cannot be taught. For example some of us may be talented artists while others are more academically inclined. Some of us may be witty joke-tellers, while others are great with money and business. An essential part of obtaining a successful career is to recognize natural skills and make choices that best fit these talents. Otherwise, we will be unhappy at work and possibly not perform well in comparison to our co-workers.
Transferable skills are obtained from past jobs, hobbies, life experiences, and volunteer work. Transferable skills are also known as employment skills and can be valuable in multiple workplaces. These skills can be taught by our parents, elementary school teachers, or during extra curricular activities. Examples of transferable skills are promptness, timeliness, neatness, journal documentation, and time management. Transferable skills can be further developed to really make you stand out in the workplace. When these skills are backed up by real life experiences, you can help recruiters and employers recognize your Unique Selling Point for hiring and promotional purposes.
Killer skills are the aspects of life and working that make us uncomfortable, or that we absolutely hate. When applying for or considering accepting a new job offer, killer skills must be identified in the job description and thoroughly understood. This all starts by evaluating tasks we disliked or performed poorly at due to lack of motivation in past jobs. Being aware of these skills can save applicants from signing up for a great deal of frustration and aggravation. An example of killer skills are regularly waking up early for long distance travel, high volume customer service, heavy documentation, and scheduling. If you’re looking to apply for or accept a new position and more than 20% consists of killer skills, try to reconsider.
I’d love to hear about your self-discovery and skill sets. Please share them with me by posting your comments below this article in the space provided. We all learn best form others experiences.
What have you done to gain more self awareness?
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With you all the way,
Courtney
