Transferable Skills and How to Sell Them

Transferable Skills and How to Sell ThemTransferable Skills and How to Sell ThemHow do you sell your skills to a new industry? Prove that you know more than they think you do.Dont believe them.When companies tell you they arent hiring because of the recession, dont believe them. What they mean to say is that during a recession they are very, very discerning about who they hire and who they keep on their team. However, every company is always hiring as long as they believe they are getting an amazingly talented person who fits well within their culture.Transferable skills are what will make you a person of interest in multiple industries. I define a skill as something you do with a high degree of competency and passion. A transferable skill is one that can be taken from one type of job and applied successfully to another job.ExampleTitle X-ray TechnicianCurrent Industry MedicalDesired Industry HospitalityNontransferable Evaluating X-ray scansTransferable Solving complex technical issu esAn X-ray technician with an interest in operations jobs wont be able to use his training in reading scans, but he can redirect his ability to understand and solve complicated technical issues.Your job is to know your skills, hone your skills, showcase your skills, and charge for your skills - in that buchung.Too often, Ive binnenseen people charge for skills they plan on developing later. They might get through the door once with that approach, but they wont build a great career that way.Think of your skills as a new product your company wants to sell and eventually make a lot of money with. First, your company would work to understand what product would be of value to its customers. Next, it would work to create and improve the product. Then it would let customers know that the product was available by showcasing it in a variety of ways. And finally, it would charge an appropriate amount in order to generate a profit for the business. These are the same four steps I want you to consider in accelerating your career.Step 1 Know your transferable skills.The first step is to understand what you do well and with passion. This has nothing to do with your current age, years of experience, title, income, height, gender, race or anything else. When you strip away everything else, what youre left with is the value you bring to any situation and that is the combination of your strengths and your passions.Write down your answers to this question, What do I do well with passion?As I mentally scanned across the more than 150 executives Ive personally coached, Ive landed on one I will use as my example in this article, even though the persons name was not species. Heres how he identified his transferable skillsArts Transferable Skills (what he did well with passion)Very organized. Always shows up on time prepared for the discussion.Exceptionally good listener in private conversations and large forums.Starts each day with a checklist and stays focused on getting things of f the checklist.Very good at facilitating group discussions and drawing input from a variety of people.Can both take and give direction in a professional, classy manner.Can explain plans to a group in a friendly, down-to-earth manner.Willing to change approaches depending on the makeup of the group.Step 2 Hone your transferable skills.Once you know the transferable skills you bring to the party, the next step is to make each of them better. Just as Apple continually works to improve each new iteration of its iPhone and Disney/Pixar Animation Studios works to improve each new film it makes, you need to sharpen your transferable skills continually.Art worked very hard over a number of years to improve his good listening skills in order to become a fantastic listener, his skills at facilitation to become the person everyone wanted to facilitate meetings, and his public-speaking skills to be an even more polished speaker to whom more people could be comfortable listening.Step 3 Showcase your transferable skills.Of course, having well-honed transferable skills will not help your career if no key decision-maker knows about them. You have to put these skills into motion where the right people can see you in order for them to consider you for new positions. Unfortunately, most of these opportunities come disguised in no- or low-pay options. Who cares? Think of them as career-accelerating options. Just as a great new product needs to be nurtured in the marketplace until customers know about it, your skills have to be demonstrated over and over until the right people notice them.Make a list of every opportunity you can think of to demonstrate your skills, both within and outside your current organization. The objective is to get people talking about your skills. Here are a dozen or so ways Ive seen people demonstrate their skillsJoin a local professional association and volunteer to run a fundraising event. Demonstrate your organizational and leadership skills.Offer to emcee an important community event. Do a killer job in your opening and closing remarks and in keeping the event moving smoothly and on time.Volunteer to mentor up-and-coming employees in your organization. This is what Art did. After three of his protgs proved to be highly successful employees, Art was promoted into a far more senior management position.Offer to work with long-term difficult clients. Demonstrate your ability to solve problems and create win-win scenarios for the company and the customer.Start a not-for-profit organization on a volunteer basis and make an enormous impact in your neighborhood. I saw one person collect hundreds of baseball gloves, bats and balls and then take them to the poorest neighborhoods in the Dominican Republic. A lot of people sat up and took notice of his organizational and inspirational skills.Join a local Toastmasters group and/or take a Dale Carnegie Course on public speaking. You will meet a few dozen people from a variety of organization s, and they will hear you speak on topics of your choice. One really good speech can lead to several really good conversations that might lead to all kinds of things.Become a board member of an association about which you care deeply. Take your responsibility as seriously as you do your own job. Demonstrate that you can be on time, prepared and willing to tackle touchy subjects.Within your organization, take a lateral assignment overseas to show you can operate successfully in multiple cultures.Take a pay cut to move into a different department in order to let new people see your specific skills.Offer to do a breakout session at a national trade conference to demonstrate your skills in front of a variety of decision-makers and recommenders in other companies.Get involved in community groups such as a religious organization, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, Optimists Club or Rotary Clubs. In casual conversations, be willing to add value to what the other person wants to achieve .Head up a high-school or college reunion. Demonstrate expertise in social-networking tools and other technological ways of enhancing the event.Write articles for your in-house publications and trade publications both within and outside your industry. Articles are a great way to deliver value to other people.Step 4 Charge for your transferable skills.In the end, your transferable skills are of great value to a number of organizations. Dont take them lightly. Youve spent years honing and showcasing these skills. They quite literally are your stock in trade. But dont toss them around lightly. Just as a great product deserves to demand a great price, you definitely will have earned the right to request a strong compensation package. If you dont take seriously the value of what you bring to an organization, how can you expect other people to do so?You can deliver value at low prices during the showcasing stage, but when it comes down to the hiring stage, you need to ask for what you hon estly believe youre worth. Dont start low with the expectation your income will rise dramatically. If your new employer can get your transferable skills on a full-time basis at a low price, why will she ersatzdarsteller your salary in a short time? Your new boss knows the value she is receiving because youve already showcased it. Now you need to request the value you think you deserve in the form of compensation.There they are. Four steps to leverage your transferable skills and accelerate your career.

Finding a Job as a New Graduate

Finding a Job as a New GraduateFinding a Job as a New GraduateFinding a Job as a New GraduateTrying to find a job as a new graduate can be intimidating. Maybe its taking longer than you expected, or perhaps you still arent quite sure what to do with yur degree. You should know that this is perfectly normal, so dont panic As you get ready to put your new degree to work and begin your career, its easy to feel discouraged. However, there is hope, in addition to some good advice, to help you get noticed amongst the other candidates.According to NACEs (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Job Outlook 2016 Spring Update report, employers expect to hire 5.2 percent more new graduates from the Class of 2016 than they hired from the Class of 2015. While this news is positive, a larger number of employers are reporting plans to trim hiring. Additionally, the average number of job postings for the 2015-2016 recruiting year is way down compared to the 2014-2015 year, but the average n umber of applications per posting remains consistent between the two years.Here are some strategies that are especially relevant in todays challenging market to help you get your foot in the door.Network.Networking is one of the best ways to find your first career. While methods such as connecting on LinkedIn are great, you can even take things a step further. Identify major influencers in your industry and reach out to them on social media. Comment on their blogs and become part of the conversation. Showing an interest in your field will go a long way towards finding you a good job. Also find out if any family or friends know people in your field of interest, or even at a company youre interested in. Consider the connections you have at your college professors, advisers, administrators, coaches, alumni, etc. Having a connection is a great way to get your foot in the door. Volunteer and intern.If youre having trouble finding a position, use it as an opportunity to expand your skill set, gain practical experience, and forge relationships with people who may someday (soon) be considering you for a position. Interning at a company you are hoping to work with is an excellent opportunity for you to make an impression and potentially be hired.Keep your eyes open.Attendcareer fairs, keep your resume updated and ready, apply for jobs, contact companies in which you have interest, and dont stop until you find the position you want.Stay mobile.If you are comfortable with relocating, consider looking outside your geographic area. Different parts of the company might be hiring more for jobs in your field versus where you are now.Eventually, your new grad job search will reveal what youre looking for. Be patient, diligent, and network and the right opportunity will present itself.Want to see how your resume stacks up? Try out our free critique today

How to Conduct an International Phone Interview

How to Conduct an International Phone InterviewHow to Conduct an International Phone InterviewIf youre job searching while in a foreign country, looking for a job abroad,or pursuing an international position, communication can quickly become complicated. Although email, the Internet, and smartphones make the process a little easier, its leise tricky to coordinate an bewerbungsgesprch time that works for both parties. There will be logistics to coordinate including how youre going to communicate with the employer, scheduling an interview around different time zones, and, as with any interview, getting prepared to ace it. However, theres a silver lining putting the extra effort in to arrange an international interview makes a great first impression on your potential employer. Here are some tips on how to arrange an international phone interview. Take the Initiative to Figure out a Time That Works Dont say, I cant figure out these time zones just let me know when you find a good tim e. Instead, take it upon yourself to come up with a selection of reasonable dates and times. Your potential employer will be impressed if you offer your own availability while also specifying the equivalent time in their location. Use a Time Zone Converter You dont have to do themath to figure out time differences And, you dont have to risk accuracy - just use a time zone converter. The Time Zone Converter is free, easy to use, and works well. Be Mindful of Days, Too If youre working with a major time difference - Australia to the United States, for example - you have to factor in what day it is. Because the time difference is so vast, Americas Friday- a business day- is Australias Saturday. Its important to remember these discrepancies when arranging an interview. Be as Flexible as Possible Theres a very good chance youll have to get up an hour or two early, put off your lunch break, or stay up a little late, but the more flexible you can be, the better, as it shows you r interviewer just how interested you are in the job. Put a Smile On Even if its the middle of the night and youre exhausted, professionalism is still key. Stifle your yawns (or have a cup of coffee) and be pleasant and friendly, as if it were a perfectly normal hour. Avoid complaining about the time difference or difficulty of arranging the interview, and instead, thank your interviewer for putting in the effort to coordinate an opportunity to talk. If Youre Using a Phone, Test It out Before the Interview International calling is tricky. Some phone plans dont even allow international calls, and others require the use of a country code. To avoid any last minute errors, test your phone out a few days before the interview, so you have time to sort out any issues before the interview. If youre using a pay-as-you-go phone, make aya you have enough credit to make an international call and to keep the connection Make Use of Apps If you have a smartphone and can get WiFi, consi der using an app or VoIP service to make the call. Many are less expensive than traditional calls or even free. Be Smart About Video Interviews If you have a video interview, make sure you are dressed professionally, just as you would be in an in-person interview. Its also important to check your surroundings- you dont want to be sitting in a messy bedroom or dirty kitchen. Download and set up Skype, or whichever video application youre using, well before the interview, and also be mindful when youre making a username. It should be professional, just like an email address. Dont Forget to Follow Up Its important to follow up just as you would with any other interviewer. Send a personal email thanking your interviewer their time, and for making the effort to conduct an international interview.