StartingOverNow.com
Articles
Transferable Skills - Three Easy Steps to
Changing Fields
Recruiters and Human Resources professionals understand that
employees make successful leaps from one profession to another
everyday. Your job is to make it easy for them to see how your
outstanding past accomplishments (not skills) translate to a
smooth transition into a new field.
Step #1. Create a Unique Resume and Cover Letter for Every
Position. If you are seeking a new position, the first things you need
to know is that you must tailor write your resume for every position
you are seeking. For instance, if you were in software development
for one company and are transitioning into business development
for another, be sure to list how you prospected clients’ needs in
order to develop a valuable solution. You will also need to tailor
write your cover letter to demonstrate that you understand the
mission of the organization, what specific attributes you bring to that
mission in terms of your greatest measurable accomplishments
(which you will define below) and the reason for a personal
dedication to the business. Show don’t tell. You don’t tell them you
will be one of their strongest candidates. You demonstrate the fact
that you increased sales by 23% in your last position and generated
a 10% increase in new clients. Allow them to draw their own
editorial conclusion. Show don’t tell.
Step 2. Define Your Transferable Skills and Key
Accomplishments. If you are attempting to change your area of
expertise, you want to identify your transferable skills that can be
applied to any profession. These skills fall into three categories:
Your ability to communicate, organize information, and operate/fix
equipment. You may be good at instructing others and writing. You
may be good at organizing data and keeping records. You may be
good at fixing things and making things work. Demonstrate in your
resume your accomplishments in these three areas. Employers
know these to be the transferable skill categories.
How to Determine Your Transferable Skills and Key
Accomplishments:
Create four columns on a piece of paper.
Column #1) “Skills from Last Job or Volunteer Work.”
Column #2) “Transferable Skill - Yes? or No?” (Based on the above
criteria)
Column #3) “How Can This Skill Be Used in the Desired Position?”
Column #4) “Related Key Accomplishment.”
Execute this exercise for each of the positions you have held and
adapt it for each position you seek. At the end of this process you
will have a deeper understanding and confidence in how your past
experience most certainly prepares you to be a lead candidate for
your new pursuit.
Step 3. Apply Your “Key Accomplishments” to Each Work Section
of Your Resume. Include a “Key Accomplishments” segment for
each position you have held, showing your transferable skills as
they relate to the desired position. Doing so will help employers
quantify the pace of your professional growth.
“Key Accomplishments” are measurable ways in which you met
obstacles and solved problems. What were some of the challenges
you faced? What actions did you take to overcome the problems?
What were the measurable results of your work? You didn’t do two
jobs when someone was laid off in your department. You produced
twice the number of reports after the company downsized.
Think of your Key Accomplishments in the framework of transferable
skills that can be applied to any career. You may be good at
instructing others or writing. You may be good at organizing data
and keeping records. You may be good at fixing things and making
things work.
Remember that responsibilities are not achievements. You may
have been responsible for book keeping, entering data or running
an event. But your achievements are that you created new
strategies that enabled the organization to save $10,000 in
expenses, created a database that allowed the company to process
customer information twice as fast, or created an event that raised
$47,500.
Again, the most important thing to remember is that employers are
looking for people to help them solve problems not complete tasks.
Continue to communicate in the interview, on your resume and in
the thank you letter how you can and have helped to solve problems
for others. Your goal is to solve a company’s “pain” and eliminate
any risk in hiring you.
Get Mary Lee’s new FREE e-book “Make Your Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by clicking here.
Follow Mary Lee's career tips on Twitter.com at StartingOverNow.
For the FREE Worksheets: “It’s Not Who You Know It’s Who knows
You” and “Goals - What They Did for Me” go to: http://www.
startingovernow.com/Articles-and-Tip-Sheets.html
Mary Lee Gannon is a career advice expert who went from being a
stay-at-home mother with four children to divorce, poverty and then
on to become a newspaper reporter, trade association executive
director, public relations consultant, and foundation president and
CEO. View Mary Lee’s free career tips, worksheets and Blog on her
website at www.startingovernow.com. Contact Mary Lee at
info@startingovernow.com.
Changing Fields
Recruiters and Human Resources professionals understand that
employees make successful leaps from one profession to another
everyday. Your job is to make it easy for them to see how your
outstanding past accomplishments (not skills) translate to a
smooth transition into a new field.
Step #1. Create a Unique Resume and Cover Letter for Every
Position. If you are seeking a new position, the first things you need
to know is that you must tailor write your resume for every position
you are seeking. For instance, if you were in software development
for one company and are transitioning into business development
for another, be sure to list how you prospected clients’ needs in
order to develop a valuable solution. You will also need to tailor
write your cover letter to demonstrate that you understand the
mission of the organization, what specific attributes you bring to that
mission in terms of your greatest measurable accomplishments
(which you will define below) and the reason for a personal
dedication to the business. Show don’t tell. You don’t tell them you
will be one of their strongest candidates. You demonstrate the fact
that you increased sales by 23% in your last position and generated
a 10% increase in new clients. Allow them to draw their own
editorial conclusion. Show don’t tell.
Step 2. Define Your Transferable Skills and Key
Accomplishments. If you are attempting to change your area of
expertise, you want to identify your transferable skills that can be
applied to any profession. These skills fall into three categories:
Your ability to communicate, organize information, and operate/fix
equipment. You may be good at instructing others and writing. You
may be good at organizing data and keeping records. You may be
good at fixing things and making things work. Demonstrate in your
resume your accomplishments in these three areas. Employers
know these to be the transferable skill categories.
How to Determine Your Transferable Skills and Key
Accomplishments:
Create four columns on a piece of paper.
Column #1) “Skills from Last Job or Volunteer Work.”
Column #2) “Transferable Skill - Yes? or No?” (Based on the above
criteria)
Column #3) “How Can This Skill Be Used in the Desired Position?”
Column #4) “Related Key Accomplishment.”
Execute this exercise for each of the positions you have held and
adapt it for each position you seek. At the end of this process you
will have a deeper understanding and confidence in how your past
experience most certainly prepares you to be a lead candidate for
your new pursuit.
Step 3. Apply Your “Key Accomplishments” to Each Work Section
of Your Resume. Include a “Key Accomplishments” segment for
each position you have held, showing your transferable skills as
they relate to the desired position. Doing so will help employers
quantify the pace of your professional growth.
“Key Accomplishments” are measurable ways in which you met
obstacles and solved problems. What were some of the challenges
you faced? What actions did you take to overcome the problems?
What were the measurable results of your work? You didn’t do two
jobs when someone was laid off in your department. You produced
twice the number of reports after the company downsized.
Think of your Key Accomplishments in the framework of transferable
skills that can be applied to any career. You may be good at
instructing others or writing. You may be good at organizing data
and keeping records. You may be good at fixing things and making
things work.
Remember that responsibilities are not achievements. You may
have been responsible for book keeping, entering data or running
an event. But your achievements are that you created new
strategies that enabled the organization to save $10,000 in
expenses, created a database that allowed the company to process
customer information twice as fast, or created an event that raised
$47,500.
Again, the most important thing to remember is that employers are
looking for people to help them solve problems not complete tasks.
Continue to communicate in the interview, on your resume and in
the thank you letter how you can and have helped to solve problems
for others. Your goal is to solve a company’s “pain” and eliminate
any risk in hiring you.
Get Mary Lee’s new FREE e-book “Make Your Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by clicking here.
Follow Mary Lee's career tips on Twitter.com at StartingOverNow.
For the FREE Worksheets: “It’s Not Who You Know It’s Who knows
You” and “Goals - What They Did for Me” go to: http://www.
startingovernow.com/Articles-and-Tip-Sheets.html
Mary Lee Gannon is a career advice expert who went from being a
stay-at-home mother with four children to divorce, poverty and then
on to become a newspaper reporter, trade association executive
director, public relations consultant, and foundation president and
CEO. View Mary Lee’s free career tips, worksheets and Blog on her
website at www.startingovernow.com. Contact Mary Lee at
info@startingovernow.com.
StartingOverNow.com
Articles
FREE e-book.
Get Mary Lee's FREE
e-book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by
clicking here. Mary Lee
Gannon's work as a
newspaper reporter,
trade association
executive director,
public relations
consultant,
entrepreneur, and
hospital foundation
president and CEO are
the basis for her free
e-newsletter with tips on
"Starting Over."
Get Mary Lee's FREE
e-book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune
Spin on Balance" by
clicking here. Mary Lee
Gannon's work as a
newspaper reporter,
trade association
executive director,
public relations
consultant,
entrepreneur, and
hospital foundation
president and CEO are
the basis for her free
e-newsletter with tips on
"Starting Over."
People who use the
FREE resources on
this site are:
* Starting over in
their career or
personal life
* Empty nesters
* Entrepreneurs
* Networking
* Job Seekers
* Starting all over
again
* Going through a
divorce
* Looking for career
opportunities
* Seeking FREE
career advice and
education
* Finding mentors
* Setting new life
goals
To chart your road
map to success
click here for FREE
"Worksheets and
Articles."
FREE resources on
this site are:
* Starting over in
their career or
personal life
* Empty nesters
* Entrepreneurs
* Networking
* Job Seekers
* Starting all over
again
* Going through a
divorce
* Looking for career
opportunities
* Seeking FREE
career advice and
education
* Finding mentors
* Setting new life
goals
To chart your road
map to success
click here for FREE
"Worksheets and
Articles."
Mary Lee Gannon's
Book "Starting Over"
will be released in
November of 2009.
Look for it in stores or
order it from
Amazon.com.
Book "Starting Over"
will be released in
November of 2009.
Look for it in stores or
order it from
Amazon.com.
Follow Mary Lee's tips
and information on these
Social Networking sites:
and information on these
Social Networking sites:
Turnaround Solutions for People & Organizations
Whether you are an executive who is "stuck," your company needs
better productivity, or you are in a life transition you represent the
people and organizations Executive Leadership Coach Mary Lee has
helped. Learn how to clarify direction, create strategy, upgrade skills,
optimize your environment and wipe out fear and doubt. Make it fun =
get more done!
Mary Lee’s strategies from her book “Starting Over” helped her in her
own transformation from stay-at-home mother with four children living
a country club life to the reality of a difficult marriage, divorce, poverty,
welfare and then on to president and CEO. Eliminate self doubt, under-
performance, money fears, relationships woes, and negative influence
so that you may soar. Then lead others to improve their lives and your
business. Start now! For a FREE introductory coaching session via
phone contact info@startingovernow.com.
Whether you are an executive who is "stuck," your company needs
better productivity, or you are in a life transition you represent the
people and organizations Executive Leadership Coach Mary Lee has
helped. Learn how to clarify direction, create strategy, upgrade skills,
optimize your environment and wipe out fear and doubt. Make it fun =
get more done!
Mary Lee’s strategies from her book “Starting Over” helped her in her
own transformation from stay-at-home mother with four children living
a country club life to the reality of a difficult marriage, divorce, poverty,
welfare and then on to president and CEO. Eliminate self doubt, under-
performance, money fears, relationships woes, and negative influence
so that you may soar. Then lead others to improve their lives and your
business. Start now! For a FREE introductory coaching session via
phone contact info@startingovernow.com.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
FREE Resources
to help you:
1. United States of America's
primary source on career
information:
www.onetcenter.org
2. Wage Estimates
www.salary.com and Bureau of
Labor and Statistics
3. Organize Your Job Search -
Post a Question etc.:
www.cvtips.com
4. Starting Over After Divorce:
www.womansdivorce.com
5. Starting Over for Women:
www.makingbreadmagazine.co
m
6. Self Improvement:
www.selfgrowth.com.
7. Job Postings, Resume
Advice and Resources:
www.careerbuiler.com
8. Templates for: business
plans, competitive analysis,
start up costs and more:
www.score.org/business_toolbox
.html
9. Federal/Sate/Local
Government jobs:
www.USAJOBS.com
10. U.S. Government's Free
online courses, webinars and
podcasts for workforce
development:
www.onetacademy.com.
11. Occupational Outlook
Handbok 2008-09 by Bureau of
Labor and Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.ht
m
to help you:
1. United States of America's
primary source on career
information:
www.onetcenter.org
2. Wage Estimates
www.salary.com and Bureau of
Labor and Statistics
3. Organize Your Job Search -
Post a Question etc.:
www.cvtips.com
4. Starting Over After Divorce:
www.womansdivorce.com
5. Starting Over for Women:
www.makingbreadmagazine.co
m
6. Self Improvement:
www.selfgrowth.com.
7. Job Postings, Resume
Advice and Resources:
www.careerbuiler.com
8. Templates for: business
plans, competitive analysis,
start up costs and more:
www.score.org/business_toolbox
.html
9. Federal/Sate/Local
Government jobs:
www.USAJOBS.com
10. U.S. Government's Free
online courses, webinars and
podcasts for workforce
development:
www.onetacademy.com.
11. Occupational Outlook
Handbok 2008-09 by Bureau of
Labor and Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.ht
m
| Mary Lee Gannon is interviewed on Mind Your BIZness |
Listen to Mary
Lee's interview
"From Welfare
to CEO" on the
Renee Bobb
Show on
BlogTalk
Radio.com.
Lee's interview
"From Welfare
to CEO" on the
Renee Bobb
Show on
BlogTalk
Radio.com.
Get the FREE e-Book "Make Your
Wheel of Fortune Spin on Balance"
and the Starting Over Now FREE
e-Newsletter. Start now!
Wheel of Fortune Spin on Balance"
and the Starting Over Now FREE
e-Newsletter. Start now!
StartingOverNow.com
Executive Leadership Coaching - Turnaround Solutions for People and Organizations
Executive Leadership Coaching - Turnaround Solutions for People and Organizations