What tools are you missing?

Shelly was a participant in my Unearth Your Worth™ 10 week program of career transformation.  At week 7, she had identified what she wanted to do, she had a clear picture of the job and career she wanted for herself.  She unearthed her strengths and skills, she knew what she was passionate about and had imagined in vivid detail the environment in which she would truly thrive.  She didn’t know what to do next.  She wondered if she could really get the job she wanted. At this point, she began to panic. 

It’s very common to feel this fear once you get clarity. One of the most effective ways to address this fear is to create a concrete plan of action, and start taking steps.  First, we clarified the goal. Our goal for Shelly was to create a powerful job search campaign.  She planned to launch a full time search effort to find the job she wanted. 

Then, we did a quick assessment of her job search tools.  To create the most powerful campaign for Shelly, she needed the following tools ready to go:

• Powerful introduction (10-20 seconds).  This would be used for networking (online and in person), resumes, and interviewing.  This is also known as the “elevator speech” or “personal branding statement.”
• Professional, up-to-date resume. 
• Cover letter template.
• References List – professional and personal.
• Professional card, a business card that represents you professionally.
• LinkedIn account and profile.
• List of job titles that are a match for the kind of work you want to do.  Often companies use different titles to describe the kind of work.  

Shelly didn’t have a powerful introduction or a professional card.  She had a resume and cover letter, but felt they needed to be reviewed and improved.  She did have a LinkedIn account, and had been active on LinkedIn.  She had a short list of job titles based on what she had learned during her work in the program.  Our plan of action for Shelly started with these things.  As she began to get her tools ready, her fear dissipated, and her confidence increased.  She grew more excited and energized about her search.

Our next steps for Shelly included developing the following strategies for her search:

• In person networking strategy and schedule
• Online networking strategy and schedule
• Target list of companies
• Interview strategy
• Follow up strategy

We tackled these components one at a time, so Shelly didn’t feel overwhelmed, but felt like she was doing the things she needed to do to get the job she wanted. 

In Shelly’s case, it wasn’t long before she was fielding offers and choosing which job was a good choice for her to start down her new career path.  Shelly now has the tools she needs for her next search, whenever that might be.  She is also confidently working in her new career.

Once you know what you want to do next in your career, it is time to create a tactical plan of action.  I welcome you to share your thoughts about your own plan on my blog below. 

I’d love to support you in your search.  Contact me now for your complimentary 30 minute Career Breakthrough Session and together we will assess what you have, and develop your plan based on what’s missing.