Taking Stock

I had the opportunity to present to a group of job seekers.

I wasn’t sure how they wanted to be addressed, but we landed on “mature workers.”

Personally I like to treat people as they are and not group anyone in a particular generational category.

We all have particular strengths.  

Your strengths are best suited for some situations and my strengths are best suited to other situations. 

We complement each other. 

When you are a job seeker, we tend to “know” what our strengths are.

But for me, I was feeling stuck.

I was applying to human resources jobs (what I know best) and not getting the intended results.

I need to disrupt myself.

I learned recently about doing a skills inventory where you reflect and write down the transferable skills that you have.

I think this can go further.

Let’s call this an Inventory of You.

The categories are fluid, but here are some to start off with.

Skills – What are the skills that you have acquired from your work and volunteer experiences? Think about particular experiences that makes you think that you have that particular skill. When you can relate a skill to a particular experience, that can help you answer behavioural questions in an interview (Situation Action Result). The skills that you generate from this exercise can be used in the Skills Endorsements section on your LinkedIn profile.  

Knowledge – What industries have you worked in that would give you knowledge about that industry (terms, concepts, methods, processes, etc.).

Credentials – What credentials do you have from formal learning experiences (certificates, diplomas, degrees, certifications)? Reflect on what those learning experiences mean to you.

Interests – What do you most like to learn about or do in your spare time? Maybe the cooking skills that you excel at could be turned into a catering business?

Mindset – What descriptors describe you best? (I’d use the following descriptors to describe myself: positive, servant’s mentality, curious, collaborative.)

Values – What do you value at this time? (For me, it’s spending time with family and friends. Doing meaningful work.)

Preferences – Which location of the city would you like to work? Do you mind working on the evening shift or on weekends?  

When you’re in a job search for a long time, you begin to think that you’re nothing special, that you’re just like everyone else.

But if you do this Inventory of You, you will soon see that no one else has all the skills, interests, values, etc. that you have. Maybe you can see a pattern and identify a new occupational interest that you can see yourself pursuing thereby re-inventing yourself in the process?

 “Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” – Dr. Seuss

I referred to Marge Watters’ “It’s Your Move, 3rd Edition” (2007) in writing this post.

Originally Published on LinkedIn:  December 9, 2016

Image Credit:  Pixabay