Reinvent Your Career In Five Simple Steps

The phrase “reinventing yourself” seems to be popping up all over lately. Just a few days ago a friend asked me how he could do it without starting completely over. His concern was, “How do I move in a new career direction without sacrificing all the skills and experience I’ve worked so hard to achieve?” The underlying question is, “Is this even possible?”

Yes, it is possible to start fresh without starting over! Here’s how:

1.) Take inventory of the skills, experience, credentials and achievements you’ve built into your career to date. Know your strengths and weaknesses, your assets and your liabilities. Recognize your transferable skills and how to market them. Describe the breath and depth of your work experience. Understand the value of your credentials. Match power verbs, specific nouns and quantifiable descriptors to your achievements and practice telling stories about them.

2.) Clarify your values. Dig deeply enough into yourself to know which values are yours and which are your parents’, mentors’, employers’, culture’s, society’s or faith community’s. Claim yours and release theirs. Look again at any value regarding money or security: What you think is a value may not be a value at all, but a mask covering a cluster of values. For example, “money”, “benefits” and “security” often mask values such as lifestyle, adventure, independence and safety, so record these values as the latter, not the former, if you hope to actually live them.

3.) Identify the talents, gifts and passions that drive you. Be honest and real with yourself and if necessary, seek the objective opinions of others. Claim what is truly yours then describe it in who-what-when-where-why-how detail and practice condensing your description into a 60-second story. Note how related talents and gifts seem to cluster around passion themes. This is not coincidence, but a sign pointing the way to your life’s purpose.

4.) Use all the data you’ve collected about yourself in Steps 1,2 and 3 to brainstorm a list of jobs, careers, employers and industries that match and make positive use of your skills, experience, credentials, achievements, values, talents, gifts and passions. Use career professionals and reference materials such as the Dictionary of Occupational Titles and the Occupational Outlook Handbook to assist you. Shorten, refine, categorize and prioritize your list.

5.) Develop a stellar self-marketing package to match each cluster of jobs, careers, employers and industries you want to market yourself into. Create multiple versions of your resume and cover letter to cover a series of related titles, career paths or industries. Use the key words associated with each profession. Distribute your resume and cover letter package to employers strategically via ads, online postings sites, networking, recruiters and targeted mailings.

It really is this simple! Yes, these steps are dense with all kinds of “to do’s”, but if you do everything suggested, you will get to where you want to be. The worst mistake you can make in career reinvention is to believe it you can’t do it. Aren’t you worth that hope?

By Cheryl Lynch Simpson

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Take a Chance on Transforming Your Career

I have enjoyed a wonderful 20+ year career as an Executive Coach and Career Transformation Coach. Eight years ago, I moved from corporate director roles to professional service and HR consulting companies. Specifically, I worked for one of the largest career transition companies. I felt it imperative that I not just focus on assisting my clients in successfully finding their next opportunity, but also help them uncover their passion and identify where they would like to be in their careers in 5 to 7 years.

Day after day of asking "What are your 5 - 7 year career goals" forced me to consider where I would like to be in my career in 5 years. So, I embarked on a journey to identify my career transformation strategy, implement it and evaluate my progress.

What are the steps to transforming your career?

First identify your education, background, roles, experiences, passion and competencies (skills). Then, purchase a spiral notebook or diary and begin to list your accomplishments. This list should include all of the accomplishments documented on your resume as well as those you add. Develop the habit of thinking about your accomplishments several times a day and recording them in your notebook or diary. At this point you don't need to write them in a grammatically correct format, you just need to begin to build a comprehensive list.

The best way to write accomplishment statements is to use the PAR, CAR or STAR method: state the Problem, Circumstance, Situation or Task, identify the Action you took and state the quantifiable (or qualitative) Result(s).

After you have identified at least fifty to one hundred accomplishments, you can put them in categories and analyze your list based on type and your level of satisfaction with each type of accomplishment. This analysis will lead you to uncover a pattern of the activities that afford you the most satisfaction.

Next, articulate your value proposition(s). What is unique about you? Then write your career goals for 5 to 7 years out and the steps you will need to take in order to achieve those goals.

Understanding your accomplishments, value proposition, career goals and making sure you know the steps to achieve your goals will put you on the path to career transformation.

By Christine M. Glasco

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The Job Interview

To make a positive and lasting impression at a job interview, you have to be prepared. The interview is where an employer will decide if you will be an asset to the company. Knowing the proper way to conduct your self is a key factor to achieving a successful interview. You need to be familiar with the interview jargon. The following is a list of language tools you should be well versed in before attending a job interview:

1. Don't Use Unfamiliar Terminology. Don't use terms an interviewer is not familiar with. You should be well versed in the language the employer understands. For example some employers are not well versed in computer technical terms. If possible, research information about the employer and the company.

2. Don't overuse the Word "I": If you use "I" too much when discussing past experiences, an employer may think that you are taking all the credit for work that others did. If you don't use "I" at all, the employer may think that you unable to work independently from others. Make sure you use both "I" and "We" during the interview.

3. Relaxed Communication: An employer wants to learn all about you. You have to be able to speak as though you are having a conversation. Say more than just "yes" or "no." You're your speaking style should flow and demonstrate that you are comfortable in any situation.

4. Overusing a Word or Phrase: Don't use a word too many times as it gives the impression that you are nervous. For instance, saying a word like "however" many times can distract an interviewer

5. Don't Use Marginal Words or Phrases: It does not sound professional if you keep repeating words or phrases such as "Like" or "you know" Always use professional words.

6. Engage The Employer: Don't just list your experiences. Use experiences to highlight particular qualifications. For example, if an employer wants to know how well you work with others, tell a story about an experience about when you and former employees worked together to solve a problem.

7. Prepare For Basic Questions: Don't focus solely on difficult questions an employer might ask. There are general questions that almost every employer asks. One such question is: Why do you want to work for us? You should be prepared to answer general questions

8. Don't Slight Past Jobs: Don't ridicule past jobs. If you worked at a fast food restaurant and make negative comments about it, an employer may think you have a bad attitude. It would be more impressive to say what you learned from working there and how it allowed you to save money for college.

9. Be Attentive: Make eye contact with the employer. Listen carefully to what the employer is saying and make your answers complete to show you understand what the employer is saying. If there is more than one interviewer, make eye contact with all of them as you speak.

10. Don't use Slang: There is standard of acceptable business communication. Words like "buddy" and "dude" will not impress an employer. The employer wants to hire someone who communicates professionally.

11. Avoid Profanity: If you swear during an interview or use vulgar and offensive language, don't bother sitting by the phone waiting for the employer to call. Businesses expect their employees' language and behavior to be professional and respectable.

12. Body Language: Don't fidget in your seat. Keep calm, relaxed, and always smile. Don't play with your hands. It is important to keep your mind and body composed during the interview. By maintaining a relaxed and happy composure, you will give the impression of competence and confidence.

13. Ask Questions: Employers expect that an interviewee is going to ask questions. Make sure your questions are clear and relevant to the business. Do some research about the company so that you can ask a good question. The job interview is the stage where one can make a first-rate impression. How you conduct yourself at an interview will drastically increase your chances of getting a job.

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