Career Literacy - #1 of 5 Mind Shifts

RU or a loved one preparing to rise or pivot in 2023? (that fed investment is going to spark movement). If so, over your *12 days of Xmas, consider these 5 mind-shifts I will share (the next few days) to get your expectations & marketing right. #1 may be the most obvious, but then again...

Perhaps you have already discovered that a J-O-B is a competition to win a contract - for employment. So, a job description is like an RFP (request for proposal) – and each candidate is like a competing *vendor.

Except at entry level (0 to 3 yrs), your Talents, Skills and Tech alone aren’t usually enough. If you don't have a personal "in", if you are a stranger to the firm, they will want to know your “use cases” – to what specific problems have you applied these skills? What outcomes have you gotten? In what business functions or capabilities - supply chain, IT, clinical, operations, or product?

In what industry or *domain – hospitals, software, or consumer electronics? To which customer or stakeholder groups? B2B or B2C, startups, enterprises, oncology patients?

So, if you haven't already, fit your talents into the economy's specifics. Hint - this is not the "How" of what you've done, but the when/where/what/who & why of it. And apply to jobs where you’ve had a bit of experience first - especially in competitive markets/firms.

Think about who your competition for that job will likely be. They will have a candidate pool of dozens or even hundreds. How can you rise to the top?

Once you do land that coveted interview, then expect that each interview will be like a sales call – you will have to earn their trust / credibility by proving your competencies by telling quick, engaging stories of previous customers (& from their POV), which happen to be anyone who paid you, aka your bosses.

In this mode, your elevator pitch should be a positioning statement about who you help do what. e.g., I help seasoned or emerging leaders find the career & communication fulfillment they may have been looking for for a lifetime - in 14 to 60 days. What do you do?

In prep for your next mind-shift…Make a list answering these 5 questions...

1. To what specific problems have you applied your skills?

2. What outcomes have you gotten?

3. In what business functions - supply chain, IT, clinical, ops, product?

4. In what industry – hospitals, software, or consumer electronics?

5. To which customer or stakeholder groups? B2B or B2C, startups, enterprises, oncology patients?

Stay tuned for your next tip - and reach out if you need help. https://calendly.com/stacirealedge/dream-job-consult

#career?#search?#interviewtips?Haas Alumni Network (HAN)?Harvard University