By Susan B. Posluszny of OPTIONS for Career & Life Planning LLC
Sometime back, I received a phone call from a woman who was looking for support with her resume. She wanted it to stand out from the masses…to ‘pop out’ at employers so that they would take notice of it. As I inquired about her job search goals, I learned she was working as a dental hygienist and that she was in the process of completing an MBA degree. She was eager to apply the business knowledge that she was gaining in the work world.
I asked her a number of questions: Do you know what industry or industries you’re targeting? What business functions interest you most…sales, marketing, finance, management, or others? Do you wish to use your knowledge and experience from the dental field in combination with your business education or do you prefer not to? What prompted you to pursue the MBA degree and what were you hoping the MBA would do for you? What would your dream, or ideal, work scenario look like? She was caught off guard by my questions and struggled to answer them.
All she wanted was a powerful resume but, knowing the role of a resume as a ‘marketing document’, I needed to know her ‘target audience’ in order to make the resume stand out to that targeted reader. I would not be able to deliver the results she requested of me without knowing, at least in a general sense, what she was shooting for. I also knew that employers would be asking her similar questions and that considering her answers would help her prepare for future job interviews. My client prospect quickly realized the value of taking time to answer these questions and to clarify her preferences before a powerful resume could be developed.
In my experience, the scenario above is not uncommon with job seekers. They desire a job but they don’t always know what they’re shooting for. They declare that they wish to ‘keep their options open’ and that they ‘don’t wish to limit themselves’, especially during these times of economic uncertainty, yet they don’t realize that having a sense of direction can greatly support their self promotion efforts. I have also found this scenario to be relatively common for business majors and MBA students in general. There’s a perception that business is such a focused college major, much more so than a liberal arts degree for example, yet it’s broader than most people realize. After all, business skills are needed in all industries and there are many work functions that require business related knowledge and expertise. So…just what am I proposing?
Determine Your Job Search Preferences and Priorities
I’m proposing that you take the time to consider your favorite and best work skills, your key career related interests, your most important career (and personal) priorities, the employers you wish to target, and the strategies you will use for self promotion. Career counselors and coaches work with clients to gain clarity around work and life preferences and priorities such as those mentioned above. You begin by going inward and identifying your dreams for the future, your interests and passions, your favorite skills, your key personality traits, your high priority values, and your commitments and intentions. This self probing provides you with a vision for your future and a sense of direction to guide your career exploration, educational pursuits, and job search. Taking the time to clarify preferences and priorities will also support your self promotion efforts. You will be better able to target employers who match your interests and needs and to promote your accomplishments along with the skills you possess. It will be obvious to employers that you’ve ‘done your homework’ and your enthusiasm for the position you seek will be readily apparent. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that you can’t be open to unexpected and interesting job opportunities that come your way. What makes a job search truly exciting are those unexpected job prospects that turn up as you go about your search. What I am saying is that you don’t need to wander around aimlessly during a job search feeling like you have no power to create the career of your dreams. Chances are that you have much more power than you realize. Plus, when those unexpected job opportunities present themselves, you’ll be in a better position to evaluate whether they match your interests and needs if you’ve gone through the self probing process that I propose.
What Are Your Job Search Goals?
So, what about your own job search? Does it lack focus? Are you casting out your job search net without rhyme or reason simply because you wish to keep your options open? Take time to consider and answer the following questions and find out just how clear your job search vision is…
- What are your favorite work activities? What skills do you excel at? What are the work functions you seek to perform?
- What are your top career interests? What special knowledge do you wish to use in your next job?
- What’s important to you in the work portion of your life? What’s important to you in your personal life? What are you 100% committed to…that is, what do you require in your work and personal life?
- How would you describe the nature of your preferred work environment and location? How do you identify employers that meet your needs and interests?
- How will you identify the person who has the power to hire for your preferred work function? How will you approach employers of interest and how will you promote your skills to them?
- What actions will you take to explore new work opportunities and when will you take them?
About the Author: Susan Posluszny is the founder of OPTIONS for Career & Life Planning, specializing in unique programs and services to adults in career transition and teens with college major choices. Susan is a Master Career Counselor with over 25 years of career counseling experience. She is the author of In Search of a College Major & Career Direction, an interactive DVD program designed to support teens and young adults with choosing a college major and career path. Her career counseling and coaching practice is located in New Boston, NH. Subscribe to Susan’s free e-newsletter, Career Options, at her website: www.careeroptions4me.com
