Using Indeed.com, identify three current positions in your field that interest you. Then, use Careeronestop.org and/or BLS.gov to conduct research on the three positions you are interested in and answer the following questions.
- What are the job titles you found in your research of job descriptions?
- Briefly summarize what employers are asking for in terms of experience, education and other qualifications.
- How do you match up with what employers say they need? What qualifications do you have that align?
- What are the gaps between what you currently have to offer and what the employer expects?
- What will you do to overcome those gaps? (Please note: Few people will have everything an employer advertises, so aim to have about 60-70% of the stated qualifications. If you find that you have less than that and you are not qualified for the jobs you identified, then go back again and search for new jobs for which you are qualified. You might need to look for more entry-level jobs. If you don’t have experience in your field, where do you need to start to get experience?)
- Look for themes among the job ads. List at least three core competencies that someone needs to do that job effectively. In other words, what are the skills, characteristics and abilities a successful candidate must have (e.g., analysis, forecasting, budgeting, complex decision making, ethics/compliance, persistence, number orientation, communication, specific software knowledge, etc.)?
- For each of the three core competencies do the following:
- Think about how you can demonstrate that you have proven that you possess that competency. In other words, think about times when you have demonstrated those skills and characteristics. What did you do? How well did you do it? What was the result? What specific, detailed, concrete examples can you provide to your future employer that demonstrates your value? As you think about how you demonstrate these skills, consider this a personal success “story” you can tell to prove your ability. Your stories can come from your work experience, education, volunteer work, even personal life (if those stories are professional and relevant). See examples of stories in Resources.
- For each competency, condense the story into one powerful accomplishment action bullet that you can use on your resume. See examples of action bullets in Resources.
- If you had to describe the value you gained from this course to your future employer in an interview, how would you do that? What story would you tell about this educational experience? What have you learned from running your own simulated business that will help you add value to your future employer? Write an answer for how you might tell that story on your next interview?
Next Steps: Recommendations to help your career objectives
You have begun to create the book of stories to use in your career search and advancement, but this is just the start. Where you take your stories from here is up to you. It is not enough to just have experience or education in your field. You also need to know how to communicate your value. As you move your career forward, consider further how you might use these stories to demonstrate your value. Find ways to add to your book of stories. Use them to write your resume, network, see your own value, prepare for your next interview, and more.
As you graduate and build your career, CTU is here to support you. You have your own dedicated career coach assigned to you to help you make sure that you are telling your personal success stories in a way that will set you apart in the job marketplace. You can contact your career coach to schedule an appointment by e-mailing careerservices@ctuonline.edu.
Resources