Identify Your Success Traits By Clustering

Identify Your Success Traits By Clustering

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Are you reviewing your resume and know that you are missing a few great bullet points about your skills? At the same time, you are not exactly sure which merit worthy skills you are missing. Try the pre-writing exercise of clustering to determine what additional skills or professional experience you forgot to originally list on your resume. Clustering can be an alternative to completing a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis that can help you determine where you need to expand your industry knowledge and your professional know how to advance your career.

A clustering exercise can be a leisurely activity that can be journaled at one of your favorite locations or in your office on a whiteboard. Use colorful writing tools to categorize each segment of your resume. Segment options could be your professional summary key points, industry skills, interpersonal skills, or professional experience outcomes.

Best wishes to you for a productive clustering exercise that will result in bringing to mind success traits and accomplishments that employers will respect and find value in.

Which Environment Is Calling You?

Which Environment Is Calling You?

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Knowing your preferred company environment is favorable during your career search. Many companies are transparent with what type of work environment they promote through their company website, blog, and social media platforms. Companies often host chat sessions on Facebook and Twitter to share details about their hiring process, industry insights, and sometimes general day-to-day activities that a prospective employee may experience. On Instagram, you can view fun pictures and brief videos sharing highlights from a successful company event. Companies will also email invitations to their hiring events to people who follow them through social media and/or sign up to receive their company email blasts through their company website. Attending hiring events is also a great opportunity to learn more about the environment of the company. Take your time to ponder, research, and list what specifics you want your work environment to provide you. Below are a few starter inquiries to assist you in developing and fine tuning your work environment wish list.

  • Telecommute Option
  • Flex Scheduling
  • Casual Attire vs. Professional Attire
  • Professional Training and Development
  • Community Involvement
  • Intrapreneurship Option
  • Employee Morale Booster Activities

Next, update your career goal affirmation to include details of your desired work environment. Remember, that your words are powerful. Words frame the outcomes of your life. Repeat your career goal affirmation daily.

Example: I am a business subject matter expert that exceeds assigned metric goals quarterly. I effectively execute training initiatives to team members. I am grateful to be working a flex schedule; three-day a week working remotely from home and working two days in the office.

 

Become a Sleuth Of Titles And References

Become a Sleuth Of Titles And References

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Everyone has a desired career title that they would like to accomplish and feel that they are getting a return on their investment for their cultivated skills, professional development, and education to date.  Depending upon your perspective of your career path, sometimes your dream career can be masked under a position title that initially seems to be unappealing to you. It is not always to your advantage to dismiss positions based upon their title without reviewing the potential position description on job boards or with recruiters and hiring managers. Your desired position income, experience, and benefits wish list can be one perspective shift away from being a reality for you.

Depending upon your industry each position you submit for will require a listing of professional and personal references. It is important to stay in touch with previous managers, mentors, and business peers that you had positive outcomes and interactions with professionally. Give them a call, send them an email, or reconnect with them through various social media platforms. Develop a reference listing that can be viewed as benefit for you.

Position Submittal Preparation

  • Research and identify position descriptions that interest you versus the position title solely.
  • Keep a current listing of contact details (i.e. phone number, email, website, and physical business address if applicable) of professional connections and previous employers.