Career coaching is a relatively new field. There have been other types of coaches for years and you can probably think of some of the more famous ones, but in the last few years, there has been a niche created for career coaches. If you are considering conducting a job search or need some input regarding managing your career, you may benefit from the services provided by a career coach.
This is the first in a four-part series of entries regarding the benefits of career coaching. As with other kinds of services, the extent of assistance provided to you by a career coach may vary, but in general, they can assist you with identifying who you are, clarifying your goals, and determining the fit between them. Some of the activities a coach may assist you with include gaining a better understanding of your skills, values and interests; identifying and researching occupations and industries of interest to you; and helping you determine the kinds of work activities that do and do not appeal to you or fit with your qualifications.
Additionally, the following questions may help you decide if you could benefit from some help:
1. Do you know "who" you are - professionally?
2. Are you clear about your career objectives?
3. Do your skills and qualifications match your objectives?
4. Do you know the industries in which you are interested and will be focusing your search?
Your career coach can also help you to develop a job search plan and the tools you will need to carry it out. Marketing is a very large part of a successful job search today and a coach can help you select the best marketing strategies to use. A coach can also be very valuable in helping you prepare for networking; which is also vital in today's job search.
Additionally, the following questions may help you decide if you could benefit from some help:
1. Do you understand that the job search process is similar to the sales process?
2. Do yo understand that YOU are the product you are selling and that you must effectively merchandise and promote that product?
3. Do you know how best to optimize your networking contacts and results?
4. Do you know which job advertisements to respond to and which to ignore?
Your career coach can help you determine your best job search strategy and the possible benefits of the various marketing strategies.
Check back for the continuing entries on this topic.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor. Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Identifying Your Transferable Skills
In the last post I talked about writing stories that demonstrate your transferable skills. Those stories, or information within them, may help you in responding to questions from a potential employer during an employment interview. Several people have suggested that, although they have stories they have written, or could write, they are not sure about how to identify which of their skills would be considered transferable. In general, transferable skills are those that, although they were learned and/or developed in one particular setting/work situation, they are also applicable to other work situations or settings or for other purposes.
With the growth of the Internet, there is a great deal of information available fairly readily, that used to require more digging to uncover. One option is to do a search and just type in your computer application search box, "transferable skills'. It should return a list of sites that have information related to various skills. Some have lists of the "preferred" skills or the ones most frequently sought after by employers. A few sites that I believe are worthwhile to visit include Ohio Learns, the University of Southern California Office of Student Affairs, and the University of Toledo.
Ohio Learns includes a Self Assessment: Transferable Skills Survey in their Student Services tab. Although my guess is it is intended for people who are looking into educational opportunities, it likely could also be used in your employment assessment. You could go to their home page at www.Ohiolearns.org and find the assessment or you could enter through www.ohiolearns.org/get_a_plan. Scroll down the page to the list of "Tools" and select the 'Self-Assessment Surveys'. The skills survey allows you to determine your level of ability - none, enough to get by, some, or strong ability - in five broad skill areas. After you respond to the survey, your feedback includes the two or three top skill areas you identified. Their site also includes an Interest Survey and Values Survey.
The University of Southern California Career Planning & Placement Center has a page with brief descriptions of 9 broad transferable skill areas. It can be found at http://careers.usc.edu/docs/handouts/Transferable_Skills.pdf.
The University of Toledo Career Services office has a checklist of more specific transferable skills with brief descriptions of each. That can be found at www.utoledo.edu/utlc/career/pdfs/transferable_skills_checklist.pdf.
Whether you check out one of these pages, find another site, or use/create your own list, I believe it is important and helpful to identify your transferable skills. It does not matter so much where you learned or developed a particular skill. So your list may include some work-related skills and some skills used in volunteer activities, or skills you have developed in your home or community activities. The key here is to identify the skills you possess that could be used in other situations.
Knowing your transferable skills can be a clue to your next career if you are considering a change. And if you are in the midst of, or plan to make a career change, I believe it is vital to be able to identify and share those skills that would be needed in your next work situation. Not only should you be prepared to discuss some of your transferable skills in a job interview, it could also be a boost to your self-esteem to review your skills - especially during those times when you are not feeling particularly needed or valued.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor (L/WC) by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
With the growth of the Internet, there is a great deal of information available fairly readily, that used to require more digging to uncover. One option is to do a search and just type in your computer application search box, "transferable skills'. It should return a list of sites that have information related to various skills. Some have lists of the "preferred" skills or the ones most frequently sought after by employers. A few sites that I believe are worthwhile to visit include Ohio Learns, the University of Southern California Office of Student Affairs, and the University of Toledo.
Ohio Learns includes a Self Assessment: Transferable Skills Survey in their Student Services tab. Although my guess is it is intended for people who are looking into educational opportunities, it likely could also be used in your employment assessment. You could go to their home page at www.Ohiolearns.org and find the assessment or you could enter through www.ohiolearns.org/get_a_plan. Scroll down the page to the list of "Tools" and select the 'Self-Assessment Surveys'. The skills survey allows you to determine your level of ability - none, enough to get by, some, or strong ability - in five broad skill areas. After you respond to the survey, your feedback includes the two or three top skill areas you identified. Their site also includes an Interest Survey and Values Survey.
The University of Southern California Career Planning & Placement Center has a page with brief descriptions of 9 broad transferable skill areas. It can be found at http://careers.usc.edu/docs/handouts/Transferable_Skills.pdf.
The University of Toledo Career Services office has a checklist of more specific transferable skills with brief descriptions of each. That can be found at www.utoledo.edu/utlc/career/pdfs/transferable_skills_checklist.pdf.
Whether you check out one of these pages, find another site, or use/create your own list, I believe it is important and helpful to identify your transferable skills. It does not matter so much where you learned or developed a particular skill. So your list may include some work-related skills and some skills used in volunteer activities, or skills you have developed in your home or community activities. The key here is to identify the skills you possess that could be used in other situations.
Knowing your transferable skills can be a clue to your next career if you are considering a change. And if you are in the midst of, or plan to make a career change, I believe it is vital to be able to identify and share those skills that would be needed in your next work situation. Not only should you be prepared to discuss some of your transferable skills in a job interview, it could also be a boost to your self-esteem to review your skills - especially during those times when you are not feeling particularly needed or valued.
Mary Ann Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in private practice providing coaching and counseling for life's transitions; including career change or job search, as well as loss of job, retirement planning, coping with an empty nest, and other life planning issues. She is certified as a Master Career Counselor (MCC) by the National Career Development Association; a Life/Work Counselor (L/WC) by the National Employment Counseling Association; and is a Distance Credentialed Counselor (DCC). Please visit her web site at www.YourCareerPlan.com for more information.
To contact Mary Ann, please call (513) 665-4444 x3 and leave a personal and confidential message or send an email to YourCareerPlan@cinci.rr.com.
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