Robin Throckmorton, President at StrategicHR Inc, Rex Lee, VP of HR at Reading Rock, and I were panelists at a local Career Transitioning Ministry meeting last night. The attendees were impressive mid-career level professionals, including two Phd Chemists and a VP of Finance from a large bank. Their questions were about cover letters, resumes and interviews - pretty standard questions from professionals who have not interviewed for a job in a few years. But, one question, from a chemist, struck me. Her department was eliminated and has been out of work for 10 months. She was asked in a job interview "What have you been doing for the past 10 months?". That's a really fair question for a recruiter to ask. The candidate was wondering if being out of work (in a very specialized field) looked bad. The panel agreed that the perception of being out of work has changed and it is no longer a huge surprise to see a candidate out of work for a year, espcially in her very specialized field.
The more that I thought about this question, the more of an opportunity it became to stand out from the crowd. What if the chemist's answer was that she was volunteering at a VA lab. Or at a local high school tutoring students in chemistry. I don't know about you, but I would have been impressed. So, I ask the job seekers, what are you doing during your transition to stand out? Here are five ways to make your transition marketable:
1. Get involved in a local professional chapter. When I was looking for my next HR/Recruiting position, I joined our local SHRM chapter. But, I took it a step further and joined the Recruiting and Staffing Committee because I wanted to learn more about my passion and connect with people with similar interests. (That's where I met @Cincyrecruiter and several other amazing HR professionals.) So I was reaching out to make connections, not as Bonita the job seeker, but as Bonita the Recruiting and Staffing Committee representative. This works for local and national organizations as long as you join a committee where you can get exposure to other members or potential members.
2. Join a cause that you are passionate about. My dad loved Muscle Cars and was a member of the Mopar Club of Cincinnati. If he was out of work, I would recommend that he organize events for the club, be a judge for an event, or work the registration table so that he could meet other members and share his story. Other ideas include your local church committees, sports leagues, girl scouts or community organizations. Choose a cause and get involved.
3. Read. There are so many great books out there, but who really has time to read them these days? If you are transitioning, it's a great time to read business books or books related to your profession and market it on your linkedin profile. Recruiters who check you out will see that you have been keeping up with trends and learning and is a great talking point during your interview.
4. Learn about social media. It's difficult to keep up with new trends while working full time and having a personal life. If you are in transition, there is no better time to check it out! Find out who the leaders are in your profession and follow them on twitter and read their blogs. You will be able to have a discussion about the latest trends and will probably teach the hiring manager a thing or two about utilizing social media in your profession.
5. Obtain certifications. You see required certifications in job postings. Apply for government money and get one that will benefit your career. I have a friend who has been a stay at home mother for a few years and actually obtained a few certifications related to project management while on leave. Wow. That tells me that she is as dedicated to her professional career as she is to her personal life. I want someone like that to work for me.
A transition is an opportunity. Use it to stand out from the crowd!
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