Uh... Not so much.
In the workforce these days, there are many, many bright and talented individuals that have skills, abilities, and experiences that are not readily seen. Thus preparing for your next chapter as a job hunter becomes mission critical.
A couple of ideas that I would like to share, most of which are considered "DUH" ideas, but nonetheless, are share worthy.
- Keep your eyes wide open while currently employed. New employers/hiring managers have ego's too. They love the idea of "stealing" talent from another organization, however, are not as boastful if they find a "stray".
- Research - Social media offers insights into organizations and leaders that 30 years ago were not as easily attained. Know who you are interviewing with and what that person focuses on. Understand and use jargon that are hot in your industry now.
- Plan your behavioral responses, based upon how you utilized your skills and abilities in situations you have been faced with. How did these contribute as successes and failures to your overall experience for the position.
- Share openly during the interview, but not too openly. You don't want to be perceived as condescending, individualistic, or hard to get a long with during the interview. Be able to share what you learned as a result of the situation you provided as an example. Negative situations are the best sharing opportunities as they demonstrate your ability to grow personally and professionally.
You are GREAT! Plan for where you want to be, not for where you are. Network, network, network! Doors will open, and you will be able to walk through them! Good Luck!!
Have a great week!
I love that last paragraph. Summed the post up so well.
ReplyDeleteI am not a great dots connector when it comes to myself, but I can certainly plan for where I want to be, open a door and walk through it :)
Yes, many people today are talented and have lists of accomplishments. One can sometimes differentiate with developing good relationships - if someone likes having you around, they will ask you to do the task instead of someone else.
ReplyDeleteIn terms of research, you don't need to know everything, but you do need to learn more quickly about certain topics than those for whom you will work. They will depend on you for those topics.
I like going into interview with the attitude that we are both checking each other out to see if we're a good fit. This way I feel as I am at the same level as the person interviewing me as the one who is checking me out. I suppose it's my way of feeling great while they kick my tires :)
ReplyDeleteGreat advice. I was shocked by the tip to share the negative experiences, but after reading it I completely understand why. Not only is important to share the good qualities, but acknowledging mistakes makes us an even better person. But we must be able to acknowledge our mistakes and share how we grew from that to show our true greatness.
ReplyDeleteI had a saying when I managed a large department. Always be interviewing. It meant that you needed to ready for what ever may show up, often when you least expect it. That applies to ourselves as well. It's very easy to become complacent when everything seems stable and we are valued, but that can (and does) change in an instance. Regardless if the fact that they are DUH ideas, they do bare repeating on a regular basis. :-), Susan Cooper
ReplyDeleteI agree I think a lot of employers are trying to find out the more humble potential workers who know their strengths as well as their weaknesses. It is just hard for me to give them a real weakness of mine...I don't like to appear incompetent in any area!
ReplyDeleteThere's an old Jewish saying, if you don't believe in yourself, who will? It's very true! Sometimes it's hard but you have to find ways of pulling yourself up by those cliched boot straps. I also like your advice to share negative experiences - not only does it show you're human, but that you know your weaknesses and have worked on them. Great post!
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