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How to know
yourself

The personal journey from being unemployed to getting hired needs to have two main foci:

1) Awareness of one’s skills, characteristics and targets and

2) knowledge of and coping strategies for one’s emotional and practical obstacles.

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The goal of Life Management Skills is to sharpen the participants’ self-awareness so that they

1) become attentive of what they wish their work life to consist of,

2) are aware of what they have to offer to employers and colleagues and

3) are able to cope with the challenges, that life in general and life in unemployment specifically expose them to.

To most people a job title is equal to being something and being someone. When the title is gone, it feels like the identity has disappeared too.

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The goal of this element is to map the personal and professional skills based on former experience and the values that the individuals navigate by in their life in general.

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After this process the participants will be able to answer the following three questions:

1) What are the most important things in my life?

2) Which relevant professional skills and job experience do I have?

3) How does my personal knowledge supplement my professional profile?

 

Step 1: What are your top 3 skills?

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This is the most challenging part for all clients. It seems straightforward, but it’s actually very tough. We all have a different audience to target and a different perspective on what we think is sought after by market, so clarify your pitch by thinking about the three most valuable skills you have to offer – just three! – and then writing them down. Once you’re happy with them, dig into the detail! What do you really mean by project manage? What do you really mean by communicate effectively?

 

Step 2: Which skills does the market want?

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I work with FTSE250/Fortune 500 companies and leading consultancies globally. When I’m talking to them about skills, the three thematic skills that keep cropping up again and again are: 

  • Engagement – the ability to work internally for change and get people on board, to collaborate and share, both with our competitors and cross-functionally.  

  • Innovation – I think this is really the most important word and skill going forward for next 20 years as technology advancements will be the key to saving the planet (think electric vehicles). So ponder: how are you going to play a crucial role in creative, innovative, technological impact?  

  • Passion – I don’t consider passion to be a skill per se, but it’s absolutely crucial that all these skills have a foundation in determined commitment for this agenda. A recent study between Boston College and Net Impact also identified the following skills in the industry: team-leading, strategic thinking, driving change, lateral thinking/peripheral vision, influential communicator and collaborative networker, all of which are underlined by passion. Your passion and courage will get you through the tough times convincing others to “get on board”.

 

Step 3: What does the hiring manager actually want to know?

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Put on the HR hat. They will be asking:

  • “What are your skills? What am I paying you to do? Can you do the job? Can you meet your Key Performance Indicators?”

  • “What are your values? Will you fit our culture and our team? What do you stand for?”

  • “What are your traits and characteristics? Do I want to work with you? Manage you? Go for a beer with you?”

  • “Which issues are you an expert in within the wider sustainability space?”

  • Focus on the skills point for today and cross-reference the questions above with the job description. What would you look for if you were hiring?

 

If you can answer that, you’re on your way to an innovative CV, with a dream job at the end of it!

Once you’ve read the text on the topic, it’s time to test your knowledge.

Solve the following practice exercises!

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