Job seekers advised: Seminar speakers say key to job search is transferable skills
By Aaron Dome | Special to the Kalamazoo
February 04, 2010, 7:59AM
“I thought I was going to walk out on the street and land another job,” she said.
Wilder did eventually find another job, but it was quite different than working for GM. She is now program manager for Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan.
On Wednesday, she led an “Adults in Transition” seminar for the unemployed, attended by more than 70 people, at
Most people will change careers six times during their working life, with the average position lasting 3 1/2 years, according to Wilder, who suggested that job-hunters focus on their transferable skills.
“Transferable skills are the foundation of everything when it comes showing what you have to offer when you’re trying to find a job,” she said. “It’s tough and it takes a lot of soul-searching.”
Rather than technical skills that may have used in a previous job, transferable skills are personal qualities and achievements — like showing up to work on time everyday or designing a system that saved the company money, she said.
“(A job applicant) needs a 30-second summary of their transferable skills, and transferable skills need to go on a resume. You need to look for jobs based on what you can do, not what you have done,” said Wilder.
Employers in today’s crowded job market are looking for personal stories and character attributes that can help their company, she said.
“The meat is in your examples,” said Wilder. “(When preparing a resume) write out a list of what you did and how you saved the company money. Don’t write duties, write what you accomplished.”
Beyond skills and accomplishments on a resume, Goodwill Industries career coach Brian Parsons said at Wednesday’s seminar that confidence, appearance, and demeanor can put one applicant above the rest. “The applicant’s presentation makes all of the difference,” he said.
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Job Hunting Tips · Go on “informational interviews.” Find people employed in the position you are looking for and ask them over coffee how they were hired and what skills they have. · Don’t have unrealistic expectations. Times have changed and employers have many more applicants from which to choose. · Be flexible. With more applicants available, employers can pay less. Taking a pay cut is better than being unemployed — and you may never find a job that pays what your old one did. · Proofread your resume. Resumes with typographical errors are often thrown in the garbage without a second look. Have a friend or relative look over your resume to check for errors. · Prepare for your interview. Plan to arrive an hour early. If you’re stuck in traffic or something else sets you behind, you’ll still be on time. Be courteous to everyone, including the doorman and secretaries. The interview starts the moment you walk in the door. · Follow up. After the interview, stop to critique how you performed — what you did right and wrong. Put a typed thank-you note in the mail that day. |
Source: “Adults in Transition” seminar
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FOCUS-2 is a self-guided, online career and education planning tool for use by college students. It will enable you to assess your interests, values, skills, personality, and aspirations as they relate to careers and college majors. FOCUS-2 is designed to help you choose the best major for you and explore occupations that match your profile. Students who use FOCUS-2 make better decisions about their goals and plans and learn how to manage their careers.
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Etiquette Tip of the Week:
“Ever get one of those voice mail messages where you couldn't quite make out what the caller was saying? The person could have been mumbling or talking like his house was on fire. Perhaps the person was calling in from out where the elephants go to die and cell service was a little spotty.
When leaving a voice mail message, speak clearly with a smile in your voice. State your name, company and phone number at the beginning of the message and repeat your name and phone number at the end of the message. Say the phone number slowly each time, as if you are standing in front of the person who is writing it down. That way, the person listening to the voice mail message does not have to keep replaying the message to take down your information. Or if the number was hard to understand at the beginning of the message, the repeat number will confirm it.”
When leaving a voice mail message, speak clearly with a smile in your voice. State your name, company and phone number at the beginning of the message and repeat your name and phone number at the end of the message. Say the phone number slowly each time, as if you are standing in front of the person who is writing it down. That way, the person listening to the voice mail message does not have to keep replaying the message to take down your information. Or if the number was hard to understand at the beginning of the message, the repeat number will confirm it.”
As you know, it’s polite to give credit where credit is due. Thus these tips are from www.cultureandmanners.com
Events for the Week:
2/9 | Career |
5:45-7 304 WSC | |
2/11 | Public Service and Nonprofit Career Day |
2:30-4:45 221 YCGU | |
2/23 | COSMC-KC Interview Day |
8-3:30 | |
Health Professions Career Day | |
1-3:30 |
Quote from the Office:
“I GOT IT! I GOT THE ORANGE
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