Build Your Credibility: Four Strategies to Strengthen Your Career Story
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| Green Career Tip of the Week |
"Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid.
But the first essential is that you begin."
Robert Collier
In last week's newsletter I mentioned the importance of "creating a tight, compelling story that demonstrates your value to the employer." As I wrote that I realized you might not have a good sense of what that means. In today's article I spell out strategies you can use build your credibility as you transition into a new green career.
I've also included a f.ree guest pass to a presentation I gave last year...all about the way your journey changes when you gain clarity about your green career focus. Click the link below to claim your guest pass.
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Are You Ready to Contribute Toward a Greener More Sustainable Future?
"Finding Your Green Niche:
The Best Way to Shorten Your Path
to Your Green Career"
In this valuable content-rich teleclass, you'll learn:
- Why having a clear, concise focus boosts your results
- Why making a commitment to your passion doesn't limit you in any way
- How having a green niche saves you time, money, energy an resources
- How YOU change when you get clear
- How your impact multiplies and expands as you build momentum with your focus
You'll gain immediate access to a recording of this teleclass
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Tip of the Week: Build Your Credibility: Four Strategies to Strengthen Your Career Story
In last week's newsletter I mentioned the importance of "creating a tight, compelling story that demonstrates your value to the employer." As I wrote that I realized you might not have a good sense of what that means.
Imagine you are talking to a hiring manager in an interview. After a bit of small talk, the interviewer asks, "Tell me about yourself. Why are you interested in this position?"
What do you say?
- Do you have a clear, concise, enthusiastic response to these questions?
- Do you have the training and experience to back up your goal of moving into a new career?
- Do you know how to talk about your background in a way that shows your value?
It's up to you to tell your story so clearly that your interview sees YOU in the position you are interviewing for.
Furthermore, all of your job search collateral - your resume, your LinkedIn profile, your introduction, your interview answers - must tell the same story. (Keep in mind that you'll tweak your story a bit for each job you apply for, so you have more latitude to include custom details in conversation. Your LinkedIn Profile will tell the general story you want to
communicate.)
How to Strengthen Your Career Story
As you look at your work history and your target green career, what gaps do you see? What actions can you take to build a strong case that you are ready and able to work in this new field?
What do you need to know? Take the time to research your new industry to understand how it works and how it is structured. Then take a good look at your education and work history to determine the topics and knowledge you must study to excel. You can use a variety of training opportunities to fill in the gaps from taking online course or reading books, to enrolling for a certificate.
What skills are essential? Talk with people who work in your target field to understand how your existing skills may or may not transfer into your new target career. When you identify the skills you are lacking, you'll have a better chance of reversing this trend.
What kind of experience do you need gain? Employers are always more likely to hire people with experience. Your best strategy is to begin gathering experience as soon as possible through volunteering, project work, short term consulting gigs, or interning. If you are targeting a position that's quite different from your previous job, you may need to take an interim position or two that will help you develop key skills you'll need in your target green career.
Start Now to Strengthen Your Green Career Story
The sooner you identify the green career you are targeting; the better off you'll be in choreographing your transition to your new position.
When you know where you are heading, you make better, more strategic decisions about actions you can take to move from where you are now to where you want to be.
Many of these strategies take time to implement. Taking courses takes time. Volunteer opportunities evolve over time.
Starting early gives you the opportunity to use the new knowledge, skills, and experience to step into more and more impressive opportunities.
You can begin building your story immediate...whether you have a distinct niche defined or not. Start by taking small actions that help you engage in your target industry. Every action you take is a step in the right direction as long as you are making strategic choices. Within a short period of time you'll discover how your first experience prepares you for the next, and so on!
Begin!!
Copyright 2011, Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc
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Get Started with Your Green Career Journey
Are you passionate about finding a way to contribute to the emerging green economy?
- Not sure where to start?
- Unclear about what steps to take?
- Trying to figure out where your skills fit within the green economy?
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About Us
Green Career Central(TM) is an online coaching and resource center designed to help mid-career professionals, students, new grads, and career counselors make sense of the green economy and the green job market.
Carol McClelland, PhD, author of the award-winning, Green Careers For Dummies, is one of the nation's leading green career experts and founder of Green Career Central. Throughout her career, Carol has helped thousands of people find careers that match their values and interests.
Copyright (c) Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc. 2007-2011.
All Rights Reserved.
Green Career CentralTM is a trademark of
Transition Dynamics Enterprises, Inc
PO Box 354, Menlo Park, CA 94026
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