Job Search Strategies

Okay, let's get busy. Before you begin writing your cover letter and your resume, we must go back to our discussion concerning self-assessment skills. Remember, we said you must identify, label, analyze, and evaluate your marketable talents. Especially when changing occupational fields, you must be aware of the skills you have honed and see how they are transferable from one field to another.You will see you have cultivated numerous job skills of value to many employers, of which you may not even be aware.

For example, an effective insurance sales person must possess persuasiveness, competency with numbers, and a long-range planning ability. To be able to list these qualifications on your resume would be desirable no matter for which position you are applying. In other words, these skills would be attractive in any field of employment.

You will need to make a list of your talents / skills / qualifications, whatever you want to call them. Search first in your past experience. Past experience is a rich source for these skills. Look to personal achievements for some of these skills. Then look to your future desires - what you hope to do in the future and what you consider to be rewarding.

Now make a list:

• design / development
• creative marketing
• management
• training / recruiting
• customer service / liaison
• monitoring
• interpersonal skills (written and verbal)
• public speaking
• proficient problem solver
• detail person
• self-motivated
• excellent organizational skills
• computer expertise (mention only new / recent programs and systems)
• motivated / result oriented
• quality assurance

Now use this list to write your cover letter (using only a few of the most important in the cover letter) and fit the others into the appropriate place in your resume.

Every job you've every had has transferable skills. You've earned them and learned them. Round them up and use them to enhance your resume and build your career.