Keppie Careers

Social media speaker, social media consultant, job search coach

How to Showcase Your Transferable Skills

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The most challenging thing about making a career change is not always the obvious obstacle. Before stepping off of one career path for another, you may have thought making the time for continuing education in your already busy life would be the toughest part of your career shift. However, many people find it equally, if not more difficult, to illustrate why an employer should value their transferable skills.

For example, if your entire resume is filled with healthcare experience and you are now seeking a position in law enforcement, it is up to you to show the employer how important and relevant the skills you used in the past are for your new target jobs.

How can you be sure the employer knows you are perfect for the job? Follow the following advice to help showcase your transferable skills, and no one will question if you are qualified. 

Identify your skills. You cannot showcase your transferable skills until you know which the employer will think are the most important. What did you do in your previous positions on a daily basis? Make a list. Once your list is complete, pair skills you used with each task with job descriptions that interest you. Pay special attention to skills you can easily use in different organizations. Do not ignore your emotional intelligence. For example, are you a good communicator? Do you have a knack for leading teams? Maybe you are a great negotiator. Identify your best skills and include these on your list.

Research opportunities. Once you have your lists, plug your skills (your keywords) into job-board search engines to see what types of positions come up. For example, you may include terms such as supervise, oversee projects, or leadership in your searches. Keep an open mind and look for a pattern or type of job that keeps coming up.

Use your target employer’s language to describe your previous experience. You don’t want to make the employer try to figure out what you did in the past. Avoid jargon, abbreviations and other words specific to your old industry. Describe your background, skills, experiences and accomplishments using easy-to-understand language that relates to what you want to do next. For example, if you were solving problems, managing people and overcoming obstacles in your past job, describe that background in words your new employer will understand and appreciate.

Use social media tools to feature your expertise. One of the best things about social media is it allows you to showcase what you know and to communicate that expertise to exponential numbers of people. When you share news and information relevant to your industry, you become a go-to source. People will naturally view you as an expert in your arena, which helps fill in perceived experience gaps.

Network all the time. When you are changing careers, your network is even more important than ever because you may need to rely on someone to take a chance on you. Make an effort to tell people what you are doing. For example, attend professional networking events and take on volunteer roles. Ideally, you will be able to fill a role that uses some of the same skills you will need on the job. The best way to showcase your transferable skills is to use those skills with people who can influence your career path.

Focus on your transferable skills and put these action tips to use and you will discover how much easier it is to land a job in a new industry.

How a Mentor Can Help You Land a Job

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Finding a job does not need to be a solitary activity. In fact, it’s better when you can tap into other people’s skills, experiences and resources to help connect with an opportunity. Networking is one great way to accomplish those goals, but having a mentor is an even better way to help you land a job faster.

Who qualifies as a mentor? A mentor can be anyone willing to take a strong interest in another person’s professional success. Typically, the mentor is more experienced and connected in the job seeker’s field, but that doesn’t necessarily mean older. If you’ve changed careers, it’s possible you’ll connect with a younger mentor who has more experience and connections in your new field.

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It’s worth looking for a mentor to take on the following roles:

Suggest Strengths

Sometimes, our most marketable strengths aren’t obvious to us. A mentor can hone in on what you offer and suggest how to market those skills to be attractive to your target employers.

Point Out Weaknesses

Is a weakness preventing you from landing your dream job? Perhaps it requires someone experienced in your field to notice you’re missing a key skill necessary to win the job. A mentor can step in and help you fill in the missing pieces so you’re competitive for the job you want.

Create a Plan

A mentor can help you strategize about a plan to accomplish your goals. Whether this involves focusing on strengths or addressing weaknesses, the mentor can help guide you to your goal based on his or her experience in the field.

Offer Connections

The best mentors open up their networks to their mentees and make introductions likely to lead to new professional relationships. A great mentor can make all the difference for a job seeker, because all it takes to find an opportunity is one great connection. An experienced mentor can be the bridge to that connection for you.

Give Advice

It’s great to read job search advice, but sometimes, having someone with their personal best interest at heart makes all the difference for job seekers. A mentor can provide insider knowledge on everything related to your search. For example, how to apply, when to follow up, how to prepare for an interview and what’s negotiable in an offer.

Teach You By Example

One of the best ways to learn how to do something well is by watching someone else who’s already mastered what you hope to accomplish. A mentor can teach you what you need to know to get the job you want.

Push You to Succeed

Sometimes, you need a pep talk from someone who has been in your situation and succeeded. A mentor can give you that boost and encourage you to stick to your goals.

Inspire You

The best mentors will inspire you to be the very best you can be, which should lead to new professional opportunities.

You’ll never know how much a mentor can help you unless you try to connect with someone willing to serve in that role for you.

How to get a job at the holidays

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GobbleAre you excited about Thanksgiving this year, or dreading it? Maybe you’re between jobs and not really feeling the spirit? Don’t despair and let it ruin your Thanksgiving and holiday season. With a little preparation and the right attitude, you can turn festive occasions into opportunities for you to meet new allies for your job search. Follow these tips to turn your not-working into effective networking at any event.  [Read more…] about How to get a job at the holidays

How to Tell Your Career Story So People Will Listen

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tell your storyStorytelling may seem like a topic more appropriate for preschoolers than job seekers, but the most astute and successful job seekers understand how important it is to be able to articulate an interesting and compelling story detailing their work history and accomplishments. Don’t underestimate the importance of outlining your background and describing it effectively. Hiring managers want to hear your story so you can prove you’re a good fit for the job.

Identify Your Relevant Skills

The first step to a great career story is to outline your best skills and accomplishments. What do you want people to know about your work history? How can you explain what you’ve done in your past in a way that convinces your target employer to want to hire you? You need to understand what you offer before you can decide how to market yourself. Think about examples of times when you navigated problems and challenges at work and when you delivered measurable results.

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One easy way to help you decide on a focus for your story is to study the job descriptions that interest you. Highlight all of the skills listed on the job description you’ve used. Use the highlighted skills to help you decide what parts of your story will interest the employer.

Mold Your Stories

With a list of skills and accomplishments that interest the employer, you can begin to outline your career story for each part of your job search.

Networking. Share your story in person and online. Showcase your best skills in your LinkedIn profile. Use the “Summary” to feature a conversational bio demonstrating what you do and why you’re good at it. You can use the first person (I, me or my) in the summary to speak directly to readers in LinkedIn. For example, if you’re in customer service, may say, “Growing up, I always helped all of my friends solve their problems. Today, I do it for a living.” When you meet in person, remember to tell your story succinctly and directly. No one is interested in long, drawn out tales about your skills and background. Narrow your story to a quick “pitch” of about 30-40 words at the most.

In your resume. All of your bullet points should focus on your career story. Include important information about how you solved problems by using the “PAR” method; include details about the problem, the action you took and the results you created. Focus extensively on the job description and incorporate keywords that match the employer’s needs when you explain why you are a good match.

In the interview. Don’t schedule an interview until you’re ready with several stories that will address typical interview questions. Use the “PAR” approach when you prepare so you’ll be able to discuss problems you’ve solved, explain how (what actions you took) and discuss results during the interview. Spend the majority of your time explaining how you overcame the problem and the rest of your time detailing the results of your efforts. Ideally, you’ll mention the long-term impact you had on your organization. For example, “One year later, the office is still following the protocols I instituted.”

Remember, in all cases, be brief, focus on results, address the items the employer wants to know and practice your stories so you’re able to flexibly adjust based on the situation and question. Once you identify the stories to tell, you’ll be well on your way to job search success!

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How to use social networks to get a job

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http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photo-people-social-networking-computer-network-concepts-image41603635Your resume isn’t the only important document employers consider when it comes to hiring decisions. What you post on social media can help or hurt you in your quest to land a new job. Your goal should be to ensure you do what is necessary to create profiles that potential employers will appreciate on networks where you expect people in your industry to spend time.

How can you really make the most of time you spend using social media?

Identify the best networks for your industry. If you’re putting out amazing content on networks where no one will see it, the value is questionable. Identify where your network spends time online and share content there. Options include LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, Periscope — the list is endless. It’s up to you to decide where you’ll find your audience.

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Create magnetic profiles. You want to attract your audience to your online profiles. What can you include in your profiles to make sure people are both drawn to it and impressed once they get there. Start by creating a LinkedIn headline with the important elements of key words and a direct pitch. Don’t use your job title!

Decide what you should post online. What do you want people to know about you and your expertise? That’s what you should share.

Be active on social media. Having a profile isn’t enough. If you want to impress and engage, you can’t have stale and dull profiles.

Showcase your critical thinking and writing skills. These are important for just about any job, and it’s easy to let people know you have this skillset.

Pay attention to what organizations that interest you post online. Follow their accounts and keep up with what they post so you can use that to your advantage.

Don’t post anything that will give employers pause. If you’re mentioning your illegal drug use, just assume you’ve missed an opportunity with most employers who notice it.

Read the entire post on Vault.com.