|
Did you set a goal to change your job or career in 2005?
Is the task so overwhelming that you haven’t done
anything? Following are three recommendations to
implement before you begin your job or career change to
make the search more successful.
|
The first step is to
assess your skills by creating a professional
development file of performance reviews, feedback from
managers, customers and peers. It is easy to forget your
accomplishments as time passes. |
 |
For example, in a prior
position, I received feedback from a customer indicating
that the way I handled a situation led to our company
being selected as a preferred vendor. I kept the memo
from my manager to recall this accomplishment and was
able to cite this example in an interview to demonstrate
my ability to provide excellent customer service.
If you haven’t saved
past performance reviews or written feedback, take the
time to identify positive verbal feedback. I was
working with a client recently that wanted to make a job
change after 20 years. Even though she had not saved
copies of her written performance reviews, we recreated
them for her resume by piecing together the customer
satisfaction awards she had won. We then looked at how
she could effectively use these accomplishments and
awards in an interview situation.
The skills you have
are transferable from one company to another. I once
had a student tell me about a fight that broke out in
the fast food restaurant where she had worked. The
student knew that her manager had the situation under
control and she continued to take and fill orders in the
drive thru window during the fight without missing a
beat. It would have been easy to get distracted. This
is a good example of being able to perform in a
high-pressure situation and is a skill that could be
utilized in any industry and is valuable to employers.
We discussed how she could use this in an interview if
asked about a time where she worked in a high pressure
situation.
As you prepare to
enter the job market or change careers, another
recommendation is to increase your knowledge of the
local business climate. I have had many job seekers tell
me that they don’t read the daily newspaper. I always
recommend reading the business section as an excellent
way to gauge company expansions, business downturns, new
product offerings, and changes in personnel.
In one situation, I
asked a student the names of the companies where she was
completing applications. She identified company XYZ. I
had read several weeks earlier that this particular
company had filed for bankruptcy. A month or so later
this company closed.
Utilizing the business section also allows you to
identify potential target employers. Our weekly business
newspaper highlighted the opening of an inbound call
center that would create 250 new jobs.
 |
My recommendation
to the students interested in customer
service positions was to proactively get in
touch with this company and apply for these
positions. The article about the
expansion appears sooner than when the
classified advertisements are placed.
Once the classified ad appears, your
competition greatly increases. |
After identifying
some companies you wish to target, the third
recommendation is to do some research on the Internet.
If the company has a web presence, you can quickly
identify information that will further help you make
informed decisions about this potential employer. A ten
minute search on a company’s website can give you a
brief company overview of their products, services and
upcoming events. This resource can also set you apart
from your competition who may not have prepared at all.
If you take the time
to use these suggestions, you will have a greater
awareness of the skills that separate you from other job
seekers and the ability to identify target companies.
RETURN TO TOP |
