Assess Your Transferable Skills

One of the most important parts of a job search is assessing your Transferable skills. These are skills which you can use in other jobs such as: Communication, Information Management, Human Services, Managerial, Manual/Physical Labour, Personal Attributes, Organization.

Often when people have been working in the same job for a long time, they become so accustomed to performing their duties that they fail to recognize the skills they have.

It is beneficial to sit down and write out a list of all the things you do in a work day and all the things you do at home as well. It is easy to forget that skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and organization which you use at home and in volunteering are skills that you can transfer and use on a new job.

A benefit to this recognition of your skills is that you can come up with a variety of Ideas for jobs or places that these skills may be used. If you are currently unemployed and are having a difficult time with this, talk to some friends or a career/employment counsellor.

Once you have determined where your transferable skills may be best used, you can work on some Productive Strategies to market yourself. This may be using your networking skills to gain access to some new employers, or it may be revising your resume to highlight your skills instead of your work history. It may also involve doing some volunteer work to expand your network by putting you in touch with people who might have other contacts you can use in your job search.

Fran Watson is a Career Counsellor, Workshop Developer/Faciltator and member of Toastmasters. You can find out more information at www.franwatson.ca and sign up for her free e-zine.

---

Is a Career Change on Your Horizon?

Making a career change is nothing new in today's job... Read More

The Career Athlete: What It Takes to Manage Your Career

Managing your career, just like managing your life, requires preparation... Read More

Shades of Grey

A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in... Read More

Career Job Satisfaction - Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!

Get Off the Treadmill - Exit Your Rat Race!We can... Read More

Career Moves: Take Charge of Your Life

Every day millions of people let their inner fears stop... Read More

Minding Your Own Business

Think you have gone as far as you can in... Read More

Your Attitude Is Screaming

There is more attitude around than the 'traditional 'positive /... Read More

Revitalize Your Recruiting for 2005

Happy New Year! The forecasts are in agreement: Hiring is... Read More

Power Resumes ? Writing Your Objectives

A powerful resume starts with a good statement of objective.... Read More

Telecommuting Resumes

Your resume needs to outline your skills and experience, as... Read More

How You Can Find Freelance Writing Employment

How can you find writing jobs? Do you have proven... Read More

Writing A Great Resume, Part 2

TIP: Update your resume often. Be sure to add details... Read More

College Labor is Available in Ohio

Ohio has always been big on education and that means... Read More

The Changing Values Landscape of the U.S. and How It Impacts Midlife Job Searchers

Imagine a huge river that has been flowing for centuries:... Read More

Showing Appreciation to Workplace Un-Sung Heroes

Millions of Un-Sung Heroes are born every minute! They are... Read More

5 Key Factors to Consider When Selecting an Outplacement Firm

With today's economy, more and more companies are... Read More

A Killer Secret To Get Your Cover Letter Read

You're still reading?so I know my title grabbed your attention.Why?... Read More

Moving From A Weekend Hobby To Career In The Arts

Building a career as an artist takes hard work. Because... Read More

Job Offer Negotiations: Getting What You Want

You have worked hard at finding your next job. You... Read More

Career Transitions : Fearless Flyers

You may have read one of my previous articles on... Read More

5 Ways to Profit From No Child Left Behind (NCLB)

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (No Child... Read More

Six of the Best for a Winning Resume

1. Be CompleteMake sure that your resume includes EVERYTHING your... Read More

Employment Law: Unfair Dismissal - Employer Succeeded in Changing Terms of Employment

Good News for Employers wishing to change the terms of... Read More

How To Find A Telecommute Job

The answer may be easier than you think, but there's... Read More

Career Success: Don?t Be Caught With Your Pants Down

Do you want to know how to jump-start your professional... Read More

7 Tips to Deal With a Bad Performance Review

Q. "I wasn't happy with my last performance review. Should... Read More

Useless Resume Objectives

What's wrong with an objective on a resume? The problem... Read More

How to Write a Resume That Stands Out From The Crowd

Today's job market is competitive. Many companies receive hundreds of... Read More

Beat the Crowd with Winning Resume Cover Letters

Far too many people underestimate the importance of resume cover... Read More

Pre-Interview Web Research

You have obtained an interview -- congratulations! You feel prepared... Read More

Job Interviews and The Secret of Selling Yourself

A very effective and persuasive tactic when selling something is... Read More

Searching for a Federal Job

Many years ago searching for a federal job was a... Read More

20 Ways to Advance Your Career

To survive and thrive in today's competitive environment, it is... Read More