Looking For A New Job - Sell Your Strengths

Trying to get a new job is like trying to sell a product, In this case the product is you and you need to sell yourself to your potential employers. Many CVs (Resumes) are like a calendar of what people have done, the same goes for cover letters and even interviews. If you want to grab an employers attention then you need to sell your strengths.

The first step is to find out what your strengths are. You should look at the jobs you have had and what you have had to do in all aspects of each role. Consider the strengths that support the various activities, for example dealing with customer complaints will require good customer relationship skills but may also require the ability to negotiate.

The second step is to look at how these skills could be of benefit to a potential employer. Look at the details of the jobs you are applying for and see which of your strengths directly relate to the job role in question. Don't stop there though. What other strengths have you identified that could be considered an asset, even if they are not directly related to the role as it's described?

When you are applying for a job it is important to know what skills you DO NOT have. Don't try to gloss over them, and certainly don't claim skills that you don't have. Remember that many employers are interested in the potential future value of candidates they bring on board so you can focus on the strengths that you would bring to the role and, if these are good enough, the employer may be willing to train you in some of the skills you don't have. Of course you may also want to consider doing some training to fill any major skill gaps that are more critical to the role you want to apply for.