Why another qualification won’t guarantee success in your job search

Many potential clients approach me with the question – do I study some more, or do I try for another role? In most cases my answer runs contrary to the norm: first find the next role, then do a course if you need to address any gaps you may be facing.

Yet, society seems to place more value on first getting the piece of paper, and then using the piece of paper to support your application for the next role. I realise of course that there are always exceptions to the rule, and it therefore remains a good idea to partner with a coach or bounce your ideas off a mentor.

Our workplace economy is driven by outcomes, and a piece of paper very rarely provides you with quantifiable outcomes. All a piece of paper gives you is evidence that you have mastered the theory of a subject. Conversely, the workplace gives you scope to demonstrate your knowledge, to apply the theory and create results.

Results are the things that are going to get you hired – not qualifications. Why else do you think there are so many unemployed graduates?

Yet, time and again, when someone can’t find success in the job market, they return to education, thinking that it must be due to a deficit in their qualifications. This vicious cycle perpetuates itself, particularly in the graduate market, but I have also seen it in more experienced job seekers.

Success in your job search will always come down to four pillars:

1.??????Clarity

2.??????Communication

3.??????Strategy

4.??????Networking

I’d like to challenge you today to change your perspective. Whether you’re a graduate or a seasoned professional, job search success means doing things differently. Here’s a quick quiz that you can take to evaluate where you’re at:

·????????Can you communicate your value-add in less than 30 seconds?

·????????Is your objective specific? (eg, if you say you’re looking for a “job”, the answer is no)

·????????Do you know your strengths, and can you quantify them?

·????????Does your CV/Resume communicate your value-add?

·????????Is your collateral focussed on outcomes?

·????????Are you active on LinkedIn?

·????????When applying for vacancies, are you introducing yourself to line managers?

·????????Are you accessing the hidden job market?

·????????Do you spend at least 30 minutes a day networking?

·????????Are you expanding your contact base?

·????????Do you include telephone calls and mixed media in your job search strategy?

If you have answered “no” to more than half of these questions, you’re a prime candidate for changing your approach. The good news is that a career coach will cost less than that qualification you were considering and will likely set you on a trajectory that will forever change the way you move careers. One of my biggest promises to my clients is that once they learn to implement the techniques, they will benefit from them for years after.

Yes, change is hard. But if you want success, change is non-negotiable.?