Knowing who you are…as a Professional.
Have you been applying to jobs and not receiving feedback.
Have you been interviewing at opportunities that you feel are a great match to
your abilities and interests but just can’t get past the first screen? You are
sure you nailed that interview but didn’t receive an offer? You are confused, surprised and frustrated? Do
you feel that there is a disconnect?
There is a disconnect and it stems from not truly knowing
who you are as a professional.
Titles, roles and responsibilities have changed drastically
over the last few years. These changes may be attributed to rapid advances in
technology, differences in consumer behavior and an exceptionally stressful
economy. What does that mean to you? It is important that you understand who you
are as it will help define what you can bring to the table. Knowing who you are
will allow you to present the skills and experiences that are most desired by
your future employer. Knowing who you are will save time, money and aggravation
because you will only be looking at opportunities which are a realistic match.
Recently, I spoke with a candidate who had been interviewing
for a number of Social Media roles and just wasn’t “getting the love”. The
candidate was convinced that he was an ideal match for these roles but his
resume and story did not reflect his sentiment. His story was typical of many,
hired as coordinators, and their roles expanded and contrived to include
strategy, management, marketing campaigns, social and digital marketing. As
someone early in his career he really did not know what his position was and
what it meant in the market. He was a bit of a chameleon and entirely
frustrated at this point. I asked him a
couple of simple questions which helped define who he was as a professional. As
a result he was able to put together a resume that gave a much stronger
presentation of his experience. After
all was said done he truly was a Social Media Manager.
The series of questions that I asked the candidate came from
a four- part process which allows you to better describe your story and
experiences.
1)
Who
Here we are dealing with tangibles. Your title, the name of
your current and past employers, your industry experience, your years of experience
and your education.
2)
Why
This is your opportunity to talk about why you are doing
what you do. Why you are in this role and why you are working in this organization.
Speak of what you are gaining in this type of role and organization. Is it
education, benefits, professional development, are you simply having fun or is this
role just a “means-to-an-end”?
3)
How
Really think about the things that you do on a daily basis
and determine how you go about doing them. What process or methodology do you follow? Which tools do you use? Which
skills are you using? How do you do what you do?
4)
What
What have you achieved? Describe your accomplishments and
how you have impacted your team and the organization. How have you made your
boss’s life easier?
By following this simple process you will draw a very clear
picture of who you are. This will allow you to find more suitable matches as
you search for the right opportunity.
