- July 15, 2014
- 2:00 pm
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Guest Blog: Navigating Your Career in Three Easy Steps
By Erika Jones
One of the joys of my work is engaging with students in all stages of career development. “Career” is an intensely personal idea, and we are all on different parts of the path. Whether you’re just starting out, changing careers, or re-entering the workforce after a long absence, thinking about the journey and the work that lies ahead can sometimes feel daunting. Rather than feel overwhelmed at all there is to do, try breaking it down into three steps to help you focus.
- Step One – Identify Your Unique Offer
Getting clear about your strengths and skills is key in figuring out what you can bring to an employer. Embarking on a job search unclear about these things is equivalent to wandering the aisles of a supermarket hungry and without a grocery list. (If you’re anything like me that means filling your cart with junk food, spending more money than you wanted to, and ordering pizza when you get home anyway because you no longer have the energy to cook).
Getting clear about what you have to offer also means taking the time to answer some tough questions. For example: What gets you out of bed in the morning? Why did you choose your field? Of all those transferable skills you picked up at your summer job which ones do you love using the most? What environments do you thrive in? What are you doing when you lose track of time? Knowing the answers to these questions will allow you to create a more targeted job search, resulting in a greater return on investment (i.e. more callbacks and interviews!)
- Step Two – Market Your Unique Offer
Now that you have a clearer idea of who you are and what you have to offer, you can begin marketing yourself. Your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, Twitter presence, blog…..all of these are extensions of your brand. Do they accurately reflect the themes you uncovered and is the content of each in alignment? If you’ve taken the time to do the work in step one, it will make this step all the easier and provide an employer a polished and cohesive picture of who you are – ultimately making it easier for them to choose you.
- Step Three – Communicate Your Unique Offer
This is where everything comes together and you begin living and breathing all of your hard work. Networking events, phone screens, coffee meetings, and interviews…these are all places for you to communicate who you are – both verbally and non-verbally. Are you aware of the messages you’re sending in these spaces? If you write about your passion for the industry, can an employer hear that enthusiasm in your voice? Does your posture reflect the confidence you’ve communicated in your cover letter? When sharing stories in an interview, are the situations you’re discussing a true reflection of the skills you want to highlight? Being strategic and thoughtful in your communication and understanding how you are perceived in this way can quickly differentiate you.
Navigating your career path may not always be easy, but if you take the time to reflect on what you uniquely have to offer the world, it can be quite an enjoyable journey. Enjoy the process and remember there is only one “you!”
Erika Jones, Assistant Director of Business Career Services (BCS): Career Education, engages students in career preparation by developing and teaching career development curriculum for the Quinlan School of Business in addition to other BCS projects and responsibilities.