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Assembling a new career; Consider natural talents and learned skills to apply to new job

By Lisa Schryver, Source: Tribune Media Services

In light of the layoffs in the auto and other manufacturing industries, many workers are faced with trying to reshape their past work experience to fit new job opportunities.

To do so successfully, Louis Lamorte, director of career services at La Salle University in Philadelphia, suggests taking a step back and assessing your skills objectively.

“When making or considering a job change to a different position or industry, the first task would be to identify easily transferable skills such as leadership or management, communication, work ethic, [or] dependability for example,” he explains. “Even if you don’t have the title of manager, you should think about or be prepared to talk about situations where you did take charge or lead a group of people to accomplish a task. If you have rarely missed a day of work or are never late, this is evidence of your work ethic and dependability, which will win you big points with a potential employer.”

Next, think about specific skills you possess, such as assembling motors, repairing machinery, and so on, says Lamorte. This should represent your ability to use those skills in another setting with proper training, or how you can apply that knowledge in a different function.

Stick with what you know

Yet, translating your current skills onto paper may be easier said than done — especially if you’ve been working the same job for 20-plus years as some laid off veteran auto workers have. In this case, Lamorte suggests looking into related industries.

“You also want to look into possible opportunities with organizations who may provide support for the industry in which you previously worked,” he says. “For example, you’ve been a lab tech for the last seven years with strong communications skills, consider pursuing a sales position for one of the equipment manufacturer’s.”

Focus on innate abilities

Jay Forte, speaker founder of Humanetrics LLC in Greenville, R.I., says there are two approaches to adapting your skills to a new career. The first focuses on talents; the second on skills.

“Talents represent our natural strengths,” he explains. “They are hardwired into the way we think and are the source of our greatest aptitude, performance and interest. Many times the skills we have or use in our jobs have little connection to our talents and strengths.”

When a career change is forced on you, start to respond first by assessing what you are naturally good at, he suggests. Knowing this creates new work opportunities as it encourages you to play to their strengths and consider new areas, rather than look for roles that do what you have always done.

“It may be an auto assembly employee who is social and comfortable with people who now looks for a role in outside or inside sales,” Forte says. “Without the talent review, he or she may only consider assembly work instead of a greater focus on sales. It may be a government employee [who] is exceptional at explaining, coaching and teaching others who now looks for a role as a business educator or starts his or her own executive coaching business.”

Talents can expand your work opportunities, so consider using a layoff to reconnect with what you’re naturally good at.

Learn what you’ve learned

Once you’ve evaluated your talents, take a look at your skills and consider how you can make them more marketable. Sure, you may have spent the last year assembling drive shafts, but that doesn’t mean non-assembly jobs are out of your league. Take a course or two to sharpen your skills if need be.

“Know what the most important workplace skills are [and] assess the strength and effectiveness of yours,” Forte suggests. “Remember, skills can be taught so if you need to update, upgrade or learn new skills, find a program that will help make you better prepared and more competitive.”

Locate an organization that meets your personal criteria for work, such as its location, hours, product, or workplace culture, and research what the company wants and needs from its employees. Then, compare you current skills with the needs of that organization.

Assess which of your skills have the greatest marketability. In other words, define what skills are in high demand from employers.

“All employers want to know how your skills will successfully impact the performance of the organization. Be able to articulate how what you do can make a difference for the organization. Learn about the organization from its Web site, from calls to various departments and from understanding its products or services.”

© 2009, Tribune Media Services