Practical job search advice

It can be difficult to identify your own strengths. However, in today’s changing job market, casting aside any false modesty and getting to the core of what you do best is essential in landing that ideal job.  Start by asking yourself honestly what experience and expertise you have. Think about the aptitude you have for specific types of work and the knowledge you’ve developed in previous employment.  Don’t forget about your life outside work. Activities that seem commonplace to you demonstrate useful skills to prospective employers. For instance, being the linchpin of the local hockey team shows you have good teamwork and communication skills.

Job search secrets

Friends and relatives may also be able to help you in your job search by giving you an outside perspective on the strengths that you can bring to various working environments.  Transferable skills are the skills that you’ve built up during your life that can be applied to other work. These come from just about any activity – jobs, projects, volunteer work, hobbies, raising a family, sports. Such skills might include the following:

• Leadership – motivating and encouraging others.

• Initiative – setting and achieving goals.

• Solving problems – thinking things through logically.

• Flexibility – adapting to new situations.

• Commitment and motivation.

• Interpersonal skills – relating well to others.

• Numeracy – aptitude for numbers, statistics and graphs.

• Creativity – thinking outside the box.

Lastly, it’s important to become self-aware (the very skill you’re developing by reading this) – know your strengths and have the confidence to put them across.