Career Mapping – A “Monster” Strike Out
It is no secret that I am not a fan of the job boards. That being said, I was actually a little excited when I saw that Monster had rolled out a new “career mapping” tool on its website. I thought, “Finally they are practicing a little more “give” than “get.”” But, when I took a test drive of the tool I was massively disappointed. While its aim is to provide you a resource to map your career, it bases this solely on hard skills associated with your current position (provided you can find it). So, it might be useful for someone looking to make a logical, linear career move (although, I am not sure why you would need a tool to figure that out). What it doesn’t do is take into account your soft skills or any of the elements key to navigating a successful career change. Let’s take a look at how you can create your own personal “career mapping” tool:
Do What You Like, Like What You Do – This is as good a place as any to start. Typically, people do well at what they like. When looking to make a change (particularly when you don’t know what that change might be) focus on what elements of your previous job you enjoyed. These are usually the areas in which you excelled. Write them down, put them together. This is your starting point.
The Push and the Pull – When making a job transition, you are almost always keen on what you are moving away from (the “push”) but often not what you are moving towards (the “pull”). Defining where you are heading and why is more important than how you got here. Take those areas where you excel…the areas where you like to be…and start shaping what that “pull” looks like.
You are a Solution – You know what you like doing and you do it well. This is Your Solution. There are companies out there in need of your skills – even if you don’t have their specific industry experience. Frankly, there are advantages to being an outsider in this marketplace. It is all about finding that pain which you and Your Solution address.
A Computer Cannot Do This – Put the mouse down and step away from the computer. To effectively make this career change happen, you have to take your brand…Your Solution…out to the marketplace. This means networking, meeting new people and getting your message out there. While there are many things the internet can do for you, ultimately it is you who will get you hired. The email or the resume isn’t going to get the job offer – you are.
Your job search is as individual as you are – particularly now. The name of the game is standing out and differentiating. Homogenized tools that “map” a path for you based solely on hard skills simply are not going to deliver when looking to switch careers. You need to create your own “career map” by defining what you do exceptionally well and then finding those companies that need your expertise.
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Looking for the tools to put all this together? My Career Mastermind Group puts solutions like we just discussed into action. This month’s Subject Matter Expert interview is with Ilona Vanderwoude (1 of 28 Master Resume Writers in the world). You can read more about this unique, information packed program by clicking here.
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