3 Easy Tips to Recognize Your Value After You Get Canned

The steps I took to begin recognizing my value again was a turning point for me. I started my journey with a different course in mind; I realized my strengths in many new ways, both personally and professionally.  

During a recent phone interview, I was asked to provide my top five skills. I sat up straight, as to focus my attention entirely on the response. I delivered my usual list of professional capabilities designed to impress. I produced a few stories where I exceeded the expectations of previous employers, projects I led, and successful change I championed. I added an anecdote or two to show my personality.  

This is usually the part where I feel on top of the world, but I finished up this interview feeling less than confident.  It didn't feel authentic. It felt like I was repeating lines from a "How to Conduct an Interview" video, and if I didn't believe in what I was saying, why would the employer? I sent the hiring manager a thank you email for the meeting and jotted down a quick note for a follow-up. 

The note read: "Get Better Material."

Looking back, I was absolutely delivering cringe-worthy material. If I look even further, I had also begun to lose faith in my value. Regardless of the conditions of leaving employment; amicable or not you question your worth to an organization. Some will examine at a micro-level, others a macro level but its there.  

Okay, if I am being totally transparent, there was this small honeymoon period. Where I would go to the beach while everyone was hard at work and I would post photos on Instagram with my toes in the sand so my ex-coworkers would see. #livingthelife  

Some of you did the same thing; you know you did. I am not the only one.  

Well, the honeymoon period gets you nowhere, and fades quickly. Then, you are left to focus on reemployment. You are now the (queue the trumpet sound effects here, buh buhh buhhh buhhhh!) sole marketer in chief of your future and career.  

Shit.

I had precisely the same thought at this point. Nonetheless, you must wear a badge of confidence and sell your self. Let's face it; we are not all born salespeople, especially when it comes to being braggadocios about our accomplishments.

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I knew I needed to create some expert-level, no — Neil deGrasse Tyson level material on what I had to offer to employers. Sure, I should already be an authority on the skills I offer, and I am, but I needed to refresh my thinking about how those skills are most marketable. So, I decided to give myself a personal masterclass on my own skills and value. I know, it sounds corny. Stay with me here.

I can list the strengths and value of previous employers and compare them to their top two competitors in my sleep. I make it a point to become an expert in my field of study. We should be doing the same with regards to our expertise.  

I can provide my strengths and weaknesses in pop-quiz format. Projects I have worked on, results I have driven and an understanding of my mistakes and what I learned from them. I am now presenting my best traits as genuinely as possible, as confidently as possible serving it all up with a side of personality and a little jazz hands.  

Here are a few tips on how I got started.

#1 Start With Your Resume

The great thing about that dinosaur, task list, and chronological timeline resume is just that; it will walk you through your employment history. Re-familiarize yourself with those jobs and the accomplishments you had within. It has been 5, 10, 20 years since you held those jobs. There may be some value there, after all. If not, why is it even on your resume?

I created a resume long-form in excel format; it lists each company I worked, the positions I held, skills, projects, key highlights, etc. I will use this for my purposes only, but it allows me to review everything before big interviews and have all of those essential items fresh in my mind.

Consider creating a high-level outline to bring to your meeting that follows your resume. The framework could be a one-page list with just a few bullet points from each employer. Include skills, projects, highlights, and even a few questions you would like to ask the interviewer.

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#2 Assess Your Skills

Try an online assessment. We have all likely taken an evaluation during the hiring process. We are aware of the mild amount of pressure associated with the glimpse into the depths of our soul. Why not use one now for your development and aide in personal branding? The assessment may be the most critical step, not only to understand your skills but also to make better career decisions in general.  

Assessments are how you determine skills as well as your interests, strengths, communications style, and ultimately, how you, as your personal marketer in chief defines your brand. There are so many assessment resources out there. I encourage you to find one that you love; a little Google research will land you millions of results. 16Personalities is also a free assessment that offers very in-depth feedback, both personally and professionally.  

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#3 Use Your LinkedIn Resources

Ask your network! Your LinkedIn connections are already telling you what skills you are best at accomplishing. When you created your LinkedIn profiles, you selected skills to highlight on your LinkedIn profile. This may be one of the most essential sections of your LinkedIn profile.  

Your colleagues can endorse you for skills, providing support for each ability. Endorsements add up to signify those areas you are most skilled at performing. Ultimately, some skills end up with no endorsements. One could deduce those are not your most robust skill sets. As a bonus, employers can see the endorsements. If you aren't utilizing them, you are missing out, in my opinion.

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Everyone's unemployment journey is different; the steps I took to begin recognizing my value again was a turning point for me. I started my journey with a different course in mind; I realized my strengths in many new ways, both personally and professionally.  

My assessments also provided insights into areas I would not have considered before. Because of these results, I started writing articles, blogging, and posting silly videos on TikTok. I opened an Etsy store and a eBay store. I've taken several certification courses that are outside of my field, and I have started consulting for small businesses. I would never have explored these areas had it not been for my attempt at a self masterclass.

I am currently pulling the trigger on just about whatever I put my mind to these days. Not all have worked out; plenty have been epic failures. I am not looking to become a professional blogger. But, I am having a hell of a time trying it all out.  

It has been a transformational experience so far. I do intend to return to the workforce next year, but I will rock this unemployment thing like its never been until then. #Sabbatical