Have you ever sought to transition to a meaningful role you feel qualified for but have never performed in? Are you bored, unfulfilled, underutilized, or underpaid, and you want more out of your career? We all reach these times of dissatisfaction or stagnation in our careers. Whatever promotion I was ever awarded, at least 25% of the requirements of the role I had not done before, and yet I was still qualified. Striving to gain new skills caused me to engage more and lean into the role with adrenaline and focus. Once I mastered the role, I was recognized for my performance and enthusiasm. This can be the case for you as well. Suppose you want more out of your work experience and not just different. In that case, there are seven things you can do to make yourself optimally credible and qualified for new roles in the eyes of talent evaluators.
- Formally assess and align your skills, interests, personal drivers, and purpose to your ideal career.
- Identify past activities and accomplishments that relate to your desired future job. Then, connect the dots from the old role to the new one during your interviews.
- Inventory and communicate your competencies that are essential in the new role. Competencies are often described as soft skills and acumen traits versus hard technical skills, which are critical to your success. Webster defines competency as “the quality or state of having sufficient knowledge, judgment, skill, or strength (as for a particular duty or in a particular respect).”
- Be able to understand and describe the new role in as much detail as possible and how you would function within it, should you be selected. Use language that indicates you are familiar with the workings of the role and what it takes to succeed in it. Talk to other professionals who performed in a similar role to assist you in your preparation. Conduct internet research about the duties and skills required for the role. Read job listings and look at resumes from other professionals performing in a position like you are seeking.
- Know your skills gap and competencies gap. Compare your skills and competencies to those required of the job to perform optimally. You should then be able to describe how you intend to close the skills or competencies gap and what resources you need to do so.
- Demonstrate your interest in the role with enthusiasm and confidence to perform well. Relate past experiences to your present ability to navigate achieving success in the new role. Your enthusiasm and example comparison will make your audience believe this role is your professional calling and purpose and within your ability to excel.
- Get yourself optimally “Market-Ready” to pursue new stretch opportunities. This includes optimizing your branding through enhanced verbal messaging, materials (resume, etc.), LinkedIn, social media, and publications. Practice and employ solution-based interviewing strategies to help you demonstrate your capability to do the job. To help you better prepare for solution-based interviewing, read my article on “Interviewing? Offer Solutions and Win the Job.”
Experts suggest that between 25% to 40% of jobs will be replaced by automation within the next 15 years. Automation and the impact of emerging social norms will affect the job turnover rate and how we work remotely, so equip yourself for change and adaptation. People will have to stretch themselves and find new careers. You may increasingly have to lean in and seek jobs you have never performed in.
Job turnover factors include:
- Technological progress
- IT platforms
- Emergence of AI
- The sharing and knowledge economy
- Demographics
- Social and environmental changes
- Globalization
- Glocalization
- Labor flexibility
- Culture changes
Jobs you stretch for ultimately offer you the most significant opportunity for growth, satisfaction, and advancement. What’s your new stretch role, and are you prepared for it? Are you prepared to pursue and secure it? If not, we can help you get from here to there to identify and achieve your goals.
Rex Rolf is a premier career, leadership, and performance coach with over 100 LinkedIn recommendations. Visit his website at www.Go4Cornerstone.com and view this Career Key Questions video.
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