- Getting Ready: Get Organized and Develop a Plan of Action
- Develop Your Job Hunting Tactics: Timesaving Tips and Tools to Be a Smarter Searcher
- Fire Hose Technique
- Selective, but Out There
- Come and Get Me
- Go for the Kill
- Time to Decide: Are You an Active or Passive Job Seeker?
- The Plan Is in Place...Now Get Organized Before You Make a Move!
- Create a Tracking Sheet and Job-Hunt File
- Complete a Job History and Accomplishments Worksheet
- Define Your Transferable Skills
- Have a Basic Résumé and Cover Letter Ready
- Develop a List of Keywords
- Set Up a Special Email Account
Define Your Transferable Skills
Transferable skills involve doing something with people, data, or things. The more complex the function, the more specialized and valuable the skill. To determine your transferable skill set, take a sheet of paper or word processor and create column headings with these categories: people, data, things (machinery, equipment), communication, leadership, creativity. Under each heading start with "I am good at...." For example:
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record keeping and filing
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helping others retrieve information
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compiling
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researching
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fact-checking
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memorizing
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paying attention to details
DATA
When dealing with data, I'm good at...
Better yet, go online and find a virtual transferable skills test. One of the better ones is available at career-3.wustl.edu/cps/self/transfer.htm at Washington University in St. Louis' Career Center (see Figure 3.3). The site has a Career Prep Series (CPS) Skills Search to help you identify your skills by taking Transferable, Self-Management, and Job-Content skills inventories. A must-see for any job seeker looking to gain the competitive advantage in the job search.
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Figure 3.3 The Career Prep Series Skills tools help you identify career interests, job readiness, and define transferable skills.
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