Step1 to Get You a New Job

So let's get started with the 11-step plan to get you a great job. Not just any job, but a really good job. As I've mentioned, I facilitate at Bracknell Careers Springboard, where we help people get back into work, people who've been laid off very often. And we're very successful at this, and we've learned a lot of lessons. But we see some common mistakes that job seekers make. I'd like to just list some of these so you know where we're starting from and to help you not make these mistakes. The first is people have no idea how to sell themselves. They think if they just put a reasonable CV or resume out there, it will sell them, and it won't. You need to present yourself in the best possible manner. You're selling a product, and that product is you. You have to promote it, market it. display it in the most appropriate manner for the target market that you're aiming for. And that's a skill that we can develop and help you with. They have no idea what to do next, people that come to us very often. Where do I start? What should I do? They've been in work for many years. Now they've been made redundant, and they're not quite sure how to go. They have no plan. And we can give you a plan. The 11-step plan gives you a structure for your job search. They've done no networking. They've not told people that they're looking for a new position. They don't know how to go about networking, and networking is a crucial part of this, and we're going to have a step that's devoted to this particular skill. But networking is something you have to do. They haven't made any applications yet because they're not quite sure what they want to do. They're not quite sure if their CV is ready or correct. They haven't got started, and if you don't apply, typically you're not going to make much progress. So the idea is to get you into good shape and then get you applying for jobs. And they're not using the internet to do research, to look at the proper places where they can find contacts, people, research job opportunities, and research before interview. And we'll talk a little bit about how you do that as well. So, don't make these common mistakes. Go through this plan and it will help you. So, let's start with the very first step on the 11-step plan. And the first step is the most important step, and for some candidates, the most difficult step, because if you don't get this right, nothing else— everything else becomes difficult. It's very hard to do the other steps. You are selling a product, and the product you're selling is you. And what people are buying is not the fact that you've got a nice firm handshake and a warm smile. They're buying your skills. They're buying you as a candidate because you can solve a problem that they have. And it's your skills, first of all, which they will assess to see whether your skills are appropriate for their problem. Then they're looking to see whether you fit in and all sorts of other things. But initially, your skills are what they're searching for. And consequently, your list of transferable skills form the foundation of your Team A, which we'll talk about shortly, your CV or your resume, your LinkedIn profile, your networking, everything else is based on your transferable skills. So you need to identify those, and they are skills which you can take from one employer to another. That's what transferable means. They're not restricted to a previous employer. They're skills which you can express, articulate in a way which make them attractive to a new employer. When we ask people to list their transferable skills initially, these are some of the answers we might get. I was a bank manager for 10 years. I worked as a telecoms engineer. I worked for IBM in senior positions. I've held various senior positions in different industries. I'm very experienced in the retail sector. Most of my career has been in pharmaceuticals. I work very well with people. I'm an enthusiastic team player. I'm hardworking and self-motivated. I enjoy a challenge. These are not skills. None of these is a transferable skill. The first 6 of them are experiences, not skills. Because you've worked in IBM or you've worked as a telecoms engineer or you've worked as a bank manager does not in itself represent a transferable skill into another sector, into another employer. I work well with people. I'm an enthusiastic team player. Anybody would claim this. They are generic. They're what we call motherhood statements, because nobody is against motherhood. Everyone's for motherhood. Everyone's for happiness. Everyone's for welfare and health, and everyone would claim to work well with people. So things like these are of very, very little value. And you might list some of these, but Don't put them down as your transferable skills. They may pop up somewhere or other, but initially at least, I want things which are much more specific than this. Things which are concrete and which would turn up in a search engine when that search engine looks for somebody. A recruiter or an employer uses a search to go through CVs. They need to find some specific skills. So, for example, Instead of saying, I was a bank manager, I can manage customer relationships so as to grow business. That is a specific skill which is transferable between sectors. The person who worked in pharmaceuticals might say, I'm a research chemist with extensive skill in running clinical trials. These are specific terms which a search engine might look for. You might search for research chemist. You might search for clinical trials. I'm an expert programmer in Python and C++. If you've got IT skills, list them as specifically as you can. I'm a PRINCE2 qualified project manager who can manage and deliver complex projects is a specific transferable skill, and there's lots of demand for this kind of person. I'm a sales professional with a strong track record of meeting targets and bringing in new business. Tell me more. Sounds good. It's a specific transferable skill. Sales professionals are in demand across different industries. I'm a copywriter who can write copy that sells. This is really good. Rather than saying I've got good communication skills, be specific. I'm a copywriter. So instead of just saying I was a manager, as a manager I can build and motivate highly effective teams. So these are some transferable skills. There's lots of other ones. There's more specific the better, the more precise you can make it. So what I'd like to do now is I'd like to stop and finish this very short initial lecture by asking you to make a list of your transferable skills. Once this lecture finishes, then I want you to make a list of your transferable skills. Write them down, specific things. Avoid motherhood, avoid experiences. What is it that you've got which a potential employer would value, would see as something useful to them. So can you please now— we're going to finish this lecture. I want you to take a moment, take out a sheet of paper, and write down 3 to 5 transferable skills.