What is job search luck all about? Could it be that being lucky in your job search is dependent on establishing the precursors for luck to happen? In Part 1 of this L-U-C-K series, I discussed Learning as an essential element to creating your luck. From learned optimism and learning from your mistakes to learning about job trends and lifelong learning in occupations and industries, learning is non-negotiable if you are to improve your luck factor. But there is another essential component:
U- Understanding
Understanding your own individual assets and capitalizing on them means you are not only aware of the full extent of what you have to offer an employer, but also know how to use them to determine and attract relevant job opportunities.
What do I mean by your personal assets? Here’s just the tip of the iceberg: skills and strengths, natural talents, interests and passions, personality type, values, personal branding, specific job and career knowledge and experience, accomplishments, contacts, and resources at your disposal. Whew! Quite a list – and I am sure more could be added.
Take inventory of your assets first; what DO you have to work with? Yes, it is time-consuming, but how can you talk confidently to an employer about why he/she should hire you unless you have done this step? Besides fleshing out the above lists of assets yourself, ask others to help. Get feedback from them on your observable skills and talents, interests, and personal brand. For more in-depth help, try using the career assessments below:
Once you have a comprehensive and clear idea of all your assets, determine how to best use them to shorten your job search time. For example, if you are an extrovert (according to your personality type career assessment results), you may find it easy to strike up conversations (natural talent) with people in person and by phone. Interest them in your job search by offering to be of help to them first, and then obtain relevant job leads, job search advice and information, and even employee referrals for yourself.
Furthermore, you may already have a well-developed list of people (resources) you can begin to make contact with to get your job search into high gear. The holiday season is a perfect time to connect, even if it has been years since you last spoke to someone. The beauty of networking is that you never know who that other person may know, who could prove to be critical to your search.
Without understanding your assets and capitalizing on them, you are wasting precious time and effort. Can you really afford that? Make luck more likely in your job search by truly understanding the unique package that is YOU, and connecting that awareness to more purposeful and effective action.
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