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.

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Who qualifies as a mentor? A mentor can be anyone willing to take a strong interest in another personâ€s professional success. Typically, the mentor is more experienced and connected in the job seekerâ€s field, but that doesnâ€t necessarily mean older. If youâ€ve changed careers, itâ€s possible youâ€ll connect with a younger mentor who has more experience and connections in your new field.

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Itâ€s worth looking for a mentor to take on the following roles:

Suggest Strengths

Sometimes, our most marketable strengths arenâ€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 youâ€re missing a key skill necessary to win the job. A mentor can step in and help you fill in the missing pieces so youâ€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

Itâ€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 whatâ€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 whoâ€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.

Youâ€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.

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You know you’re going to be seeing lots of new and old friends and family members this holiday season, so you may as well make the most of the season to improve your opportunities for jobs or gigs! Make this season your best ever; end this year with some strong holiday networking. Keep these Thanksgiving networking tips in mind.

Self-assess. Know what job you want; be specific and targeted. Identify companies where you’d like to work and be prepared to mention several organizations’ names. Do not plan to be the “I can do anything” job seeker. While you may think it’s a good idea to keep your options open, this approach usually backfires. No one wants to hire or refer someone who seems unfocused or confused about next steps.

Learn how to introduce yourself. We’ve all heard of the “two-minute elevator speech.” Forget everything you know about that and pare your talk down to 30 seconds or less. In less than 100 words (35-50 is better), practice saying what skills you have and mention a key accomplishment. While you won’t launch into this pitch the moment you meet someone, when you’re prepared to discuss your best professional qualities, you’ll be able to make the most of a good contact.

Research the guest list. It’s always best to be prepared, and when you do a little sleuthing, it’s not difficult to find out who plans to be at the event. Many invitations are electronic, and the social profiles of attendees may be prominently displayed on RSVPs. Look up the people who plan to attend. Find their LinkedIn profiles and read their Twitter streams. Identify several interesting contacts and make a point to speak to them.

Keep in mind: you want to identify people who could know someone working at your targeted list of companies. Be aware: these networking contacts may come in surprising packages. For example, the neighborhood busy-body probably has all kinds of great contacts. So does the bartender at your neighborhood pub—or the person tending bar at the party you’re attending. Don’t cross anyone off your list of good people to meet.

Create snazzy business cards. Even if you’re not currently working, you should have professional looking business cards that give the recipient easy access to your social media profiles (for example, your LinkedIn URL). Include your pitch on the card. For example, for an accountant: “Save clients an average of 20% off their tax bill using time tested, effective accounting strategies.”

Dress the part. Even if it’s a casual party, make sure to choose something to wear that looks sharp and in style. If you haven’t bought clothing in years, it’s a good idea to shop the sales and pick out one or two items that really flatter and make you feel confident. Consider wearing a conversational piece to help make yourself memorable. A colorful, in-style scarf or tie can do the trick.

Be a listener. Make sure people don’t sense that you have an agenda when you meet them. Ask questions so you can learn something about the person’s hobbies and interests. Use your research to help you ask quality questions and be a good listener. Everyone likes to talk about themselves, so if you’re a good listener, people will remember you.

Ask for a follow-up meeting. Use your in-person networking time to request another meeting in a quieter location. For example, if you’ve had a great talk, and you think there is potential for you to be able to help each other, say, “I’d love to follow up with you and explore how we may be able to be good resources for each other. How about if I send an email tomorrow suggesting some dates to meet for coffee?” You may even want to ask the best way to get in touch—email or phone.

Say thank you—and good bye. Don’t forget your manners. Be sure to thank the party organizer, even if you have to stand around to have an audience. It’s extra nice to send a card or a note after the event. Remember, you want to make a positive impression. When you go the extra mile to say thank you, people will remember that.

Keep in touch. Depending on the nature of your interactions at the party, you have a lot of options for following up. For example, if you know a new contact’s daughter is moving to Chicago soon, you can send a nice note with an article about fun things for newcomers to do in the Chicago area. Always make a point to connect via social media channels—especially LinkedIn. Make sure you follow through with anything you said you’d do during your first conversation and don’t squander potential opportunities by failing to keep in touch. When you do, you’ll have a better chance of adding new allies to your job search efforts.

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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 youâ€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 youâ€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 youâ€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 youâ€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 employerâ€s needs when you explain why you are a good match.

In the interview. Donâ€t schedule an interview until youâ€re ready with several stories that will address typical interview questions. Use the “PAR” approach when you prepare so youâ€ll be able to discuss problems youâ€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, youâ€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 youâ€re able to flexibly adjust based on the situation and question. Once you identify the stories to tell, youâ€ll be well on your way to job search success!

Is it time to start your own business instead of look for a job? Join my new mailing list for useful information.

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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.

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Incorporate these plans into your networking:

Learn how to introduce yourself. This is more important than you may think, and you’ll want to spend time planning out your pitch so it will interest other people, not bore them to tears. (In other words, don’t plan out a two-minute elevator story. It is unlikely to amaze and impress your new contacts.)

Do not go around telling everyone you are looking for a job. No matter what your friends told you, if you focus on your status as a job seeker, people may lose interest in your story from the start.

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Be generous with your expertise and identify ways to help your network. What problems do they have that you can help solve?

Listen carefully. Don’t talk so much when you network. People appreciate a good listener. Let that be you.

Find new places to network. You can meet a new contact while in line at the post office, but it may be worth your time to target professional groups where your target audience is likely to gather.

Track your contacts. Use all the tools at your disposal so you don’t waste any opportunities. If you meet someone and never follow up, that’s a lost opportunity.

Click through for details about these topics, including specifics about how to create a great pitch, how to keep the proverbial doors open when you’re networking, details about ways to be helpful for your network, techniques to be a better listener and suggestions about how to track your contacts.

Read the entire article on Vault.com.

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If you’d like a guide to help you through every step of your networking journey, I authored one for Vault.com, and it’s available now. Vault is known for its influential rankings, ratings and reviews of thousands of employers and hundreds of internship programs. Vault.com also shares information about what itâ€s really like to work in an industry, company or profession—and how to position yourself to launch and build the career you want. You can find the Vault Guide to Networking available online.

In the meantime, click through to learn:

• Compelling statistics to prove networking deserves your attention.
• What is networking — and what it is not.
• Networking myths.
• How to network for success (including some tips to help you become a networking sleuth).
• How to look beyond the obvious.
• Understand what you offer.
• Why networking isn’t about asking for a job.
• How to time your networking to your best advantage.
• Why it’s important to be a good listener.
• Why it’s important to be persistent.

Get my free white paper: 5 Mistakes Preventing You From Landing a Job This Week 

Read the entire article on Vault.com.

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That can be good or bad news, depending on what that person finds! The good news is you can influence what people find when they search for you online. One way is to create a stream of professional content via social media tools, such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus. Using these tools is free, does not require a lot of technical skill and, once you understand social media basics, makes it easy to showcase your information.

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One additional strategy many job seekers overlook is building and maintaining a personal website, also known as a “social résumé.” Domain.ME – provider of the “.me” domain extension –  conducted a survey of 600 professionals who own their own websites. Eighty-four percent of respondents reported receiving tangible career benefits from their personal website.

A  Forbes article, when referencing Workfolio, noted that “56 percent of all hiring managers are more impressed by a candidateâ€s personal website than any other personal branding tool – however, only 7 percent of job seekers actually have a personal website.”

How can having your own website help your career? Predrag Lesic, CEO of Domain.ME, offers these insights:

1. It helps you clarify your brand. Can you think of a brand you respect that does not have a website? Would you hire a service provider who didnâ€t have a strong online presence?

“Today, a web presence is a measure of credibility and a powerful tool for communicating what you are all about to your target audiences,” Lesic says. “While it may seem unusual to consider yourself a commodity, as a job seeker, you are marketing yourself to meet a need. Like every good brand, your personal brand should live online.”

2. It gets you noticed. In the Domain.Me survey, 70 percent reported believing that employers review their online presence prior to an interview. In fact, a 2014 Jobvite survey of human resources professionals reveals that 93 percent of recruiters will review a candidateâ€s social media profile before making a decision, and that candidate information found on the Web influences their hiring decisions.

“As employers increasingly turn to the Internet to identify and research potential candidates, you want to be searchable. Your Facebook page may entertain family members and friends, but it isnâ€t designed to highlight your strengths as a job candidate. Conversely, your LinkedIn profile, while providing professional credentials, can be dry and impersonal,” Lesic says. “Not only is your website a fully customizable platform to showcase your personal brand, the savvy you demonstrate in owning your Web real estate and building a site can impress potential employers.”

Creating this online real estate is not difficult, and there are various ways to accomplish it. One way is via “hosted” sites, such as About.me or Flavors.me, which allow you to design your own landing page on their directories. These options result in an online presence, but the URL will not be in your name only.

If you want to own a memorable, personalized domain, you can purchase an address using any of the major domain registrars. Lesic explains: “With .com availability dwindling, a popular choice for personal websites is the .ME extension.”

Once you own a domain of your choice – ideally, “YourName.com” or YourName.me – you can turn to various tools to populate and publish the site, such as WordPress, Wix, Squarespace or Jigsy.

3. Itâ€s more than a résumé. In Domain.MEâ€s survey, respondents were asked which is more important for long-term career success: a personal website or a résumé. The majority (63 percent) favored websites. “A website is interactive, evolving and dynamic,” Lesic says. “Your portfolio, writing samples, testimonials, images and more add color to your professional history. And your siteâ€s design aesthetic and tone of voice help to convey your personal brand.”

4. It networks for you. While in-person networking isnâ€t going out of style, digital networking can help make the job a lot easier. More than half of survey respondents believe their personal sites help them achieve professional recognition, connect them with a network of like-minded professionals and attract new customers.

“Your website never sleeps or takes a day off,” Lesic says. “It makes you accessible to an enormous audience and invites people to engage with your content and to contact you.”

Originally appeared on U.S. News & World Report.

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Is someone on your holiday gift list looking for a job? Whether your friend or family member is a new college graduate, an unhappy careerist who covets a new job or an unemployed baby boomer, there are many great gifts that will be perfect for someone who is wishing for a new position in the new year. What are the best gifts for job seekers?

Give a gift that keeps on giving. If you have even a small part in helping someone find a new job, theyâ€ll always remember it.

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Making a career change isn’t easy, and it’s especially challenging when you’re transitioning from a military to a civilian environment. You need to showcase why you are qualified for the targeted job, even if your past experiences do not identically match the employer’s requirements. Adding to the complexity, most employers are not familiar with military service, positions, jargon or acronyms, so it can be even more challenging for veterans to make a strong case. However,  job-seeking veterans can take steps to help make the transition into civilian positions as smooth as possible.

Identify your skills. Evaluate your military service. What did you do on a daily basis? Make a list. Once your list is complete, pair skills you used with each task. Pay special attention to your transferable skills—the ones you can easily use in different organizations.

For example, if you were an infantryman and your main responsibilities were related to combat missions that do not easily correlate with civilian jobs, you’ll want to dig deeper into your skills. Don’t just think about what you did—ask yourself how and why you were successful. You could highlight your abilities to quickly assess and respond to a situation, focus on how you thrived in an exceptionally stressful environment, and point out that you worked well with a team while demonstrating leadership. You’ll want to look for jobs requiring the skills you identify.

Note your accomplishments. Do not underestimate the value of awards and accolades you received, but do translate them into terms non-military personnel will understand. Note the award name with a brief description of why you received it. If you do not have specific honors, think about praise you may have received from a superior or member of your platoon. Did an officer comment about how you are always planning ahead or mention a specific detail you can share with your targeted employer? This information will be helpful in determining your next career steps.

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Focus on what you enjoy doing. Don’t ignore your “soft skills,” or emotional intelligence. For example, are you a good communicator? Do you have a knack for leading teams? Maybe you’re a great negotiator. Identify your best skills and include these on your list.

Research potential 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 search for “supervise,” “oversee projects,” or “leadership.”  Keep an open mind and see if there is any pattern or type of job that keeps coming up.

Make a list of job titles and company names. Was there a particular industry that appeared repeatedly in your results? Continue to search online for more information about those fields or organizations.

Inform your network. Once you know what you want to do, be specific when you describe your goals to your network. Don’t just say you are looking for “a job.” It’s tough for people to help you without detailed information and a focal point. Tell your friends and contacts the names of companies and positions that interest you. Be specific. For example, “I’m hoping to find a sales position in a high-tech field. Do you know anyone working in X, Y, or Z company who might be willing to meet me so I can learn more about their organizations—even if they aren’t currently hiring?” Follow up by asking for an informational meeting.

Translate your experience. A common problem for job-seeking veterans is helping civilian, non-military hiring managers understand their work history. Be sure to avoid military jargon in application materials and describe your past experience in layperson’s terms. Ask a non-veteran friend to read your resume and application. Can he or she describe what you used to do? If not, revise your materials and be sure to focus on the skills you used, not just the things you did. Consider using this template to write some of your resume’s bullet points:

Used _____, ________, and _______ skills by (doing what?), resulting in (list an accomplishment).

Always try to make the information you list as relevant as possible to the employers you identified.

Be sure to include specific, quantifiable points in your descriptions. For example, do not assume the reader will know how many troops you led based on your rank and title. Whenever possible, incorporate percentages, dollar amounts, and numbers in your resume. Paint a vivid, relevant picture to help the hiring manager envision you doing the job.

Tell your story. In an interview, be sure to describe your experiences in a way that a layperson will understand. Avoid military jargon and acronyms, and give examples relevant to the job you want. Have three or four stories in mind to illustrate your accomplishments and describe how you overcame challenges and solved problems.

Following these steps from the exploratory through the interview stages of job hunting will help you identify and compete for suitable opportunities. For many more insights and suggestions about job search, please review my other blog posts.

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