We all have something. Something we’d like to change about ourselves or our background.
Nobody’s perfect. And most of us don’t even come close. After all, our imperfections define us to some extent.
Why are these imperfections so apparent?
During big moments in your career, the goal is to stand out. So we spend an awful lot of time looking inward and outward. For unique aspects of ourselves to highlight:
- Working with a career expert you may uncover a list of key strengths.
- Writing your resume is about uncovering the gems (key accomplishments) of your career.
- If you take the time to write your career story, you can find the long, deep lines of your experience.
It’s inevitable that this process will uncover a sore spot here or there. And your ability to ignore or safely manage around your “sore spots” can be a difference maker.
So what are some of those pesky imperfections?
1. Inconvenient breaks in our career. Includes extended gaps due to a lay-off or family emergency. Usually all easy to explain if you get the chance and have a willing audience. Unfortunately for many, the chance to show that your benefits outweigh any negatives is often limited. Solution? Well, networking of course. Because then your resume is not solely responsible for your success. Someone else who learned something great about you can share that knowledge with others.
2. Missing the movie star gene. You may have something about your appearance that you don’t like. Perhaps you are a bit age conscious (maybe for good reason in that you’ve experienced age discrimination during job search). Do your ears hang low? Are they too big (in your humble opinion)? Solution? It has to do with your attitude. Positive and confident so that anything else about you becomes a non-issue. Believing in yourself and displaying a can-do posture. Something I’ve called confidence marketing.
3. Experiencing a career crisis. Job search and crisis at the same time can make you feel a bit broken. And everyday someone asks: “what are you looking for?”. And, when asked, you either tell people what they want to hear or you fumble around. Solution? Get some help. And do it earlier rather than later. Hire a career expert who can walk you down a trail to discover what you really love to do. It is not always obvious. The alternative? Find another job in the career you’re not sure about . . . and potentially be back looking for a job within 3-6 months.
This is just a short list. Designed to get you thinking about something that might be holding you back.
What’s your something?
And how is it affecting you along the way?
