WHAT YOU HAVE TO OFFER
When we are in the market to buy something, we all expect the salesperson to know about what they are trying to sell and why it will benefit us. In the same vein, you need to sell yourself to prospective employers.
Sell Yourself
It may not be the most obvious way to think about your job search, but we all have to sell ourselves. If you don’t know, or are unsure about what you have to offer a prospective employer, how will anyone else know?
To make your next career move as successful as possible, it is important to identify your personal strengths, what you love doing and, of course, what you don’t. If you can clearly demonstrate what benefits you can bring to the workplace, the chances of getting the job will significantly increase.
At Select, our recruitment consultants can help you identify what you have to offer, not just in terms of relevant skills, but also your work values, style and preferences. It’s your career so let’s focus on what works for you.
Identifying your strengths will also help to:
- Highlight what your options are
- Identify what type of role will suit you
- Match your skills to specific job opportunities
- Discover any areas of further development that are required
Your Skills
If anyone ever asks you ‘Do you have any transferable skills?‘ the answer is always YES!
Even if your skills seem very niche, they are always transferable. Transferable skills are the skills that you have learnt over time in your current or previous roles that can be brought successfully into a new organisation. For example, if you were trying to change career from nursing to engineering; two very different roles with different skill sets. However, that person will have picked up so many transferable skills from nursing that will be relevant, including people skills, thinking on your feet, dealing well with pressure and problem solving to name but a few.
Note: It is worth considering what you do outside of work, as you may have developed skills that will help you stand out from the crowd.
If you are struggling to identify what your skills are, look back at your experiences so far and ask yourself, ‘what have I done that…
…nobody else has done?’
…has made a difference?’
…I am really proud of?’
…I really enjoyed doing and shared with others?’
…was a challenge for me and/or a great success?’
Still struggling? Try thinking about:
- What others say about you
- The things that colleagues, friends or family say you’re good at
- What others often ask you to do (don’t restrict this to work, activities outside are equally important and can add value)
- The things that colleagues have said about you during appraisals or performance reviews
- Your hobbies and interests outside of work
- Your favourite activities or interests and what skills these require
- What you are good at
- Is there a particular skill that you enjoy using?
- Have these skills helped you at work, if so how?
- What would you say you do better than other people?
Your Work Values
When it comes to a new job or career change you need to ensure that it matches the guiding principles and values that are right for you. Think about the:
- Things that you particularly enjoyed about a previous role
- Types of organisation or the industry sector in which you previously worked and those you have a desire to try
- Types of people that you have worked with
- Values that really matter to you (e.g. trust, challenge, security and friendship)?
- Motivations and inspirations you need
Once you have identified your own work values, you will be better placed to make an informed decision about whether the job you have found is right for you in the long-term.
Your Work Style
How do you like to work, how flexible are you and how much energy do you bring to your time at work?
Once you understand what your work style is, you can then focus on targeting specific industry sectors or organisations that will suit you as an individual. Then you will able to sell yourself more successfully.
Here are some questions to ask yourself, and others, that will help identify your work style:
- How do you like to work with others?
- What role do you normally take within a team?
- Are you targeting the same job level or are you looking for something better?
- How do you handle pressure and deadlines in a team environment?
- How do you like to be managed? (This is a very important question. Does your manager need to be hands-on or hands-off?)
- If you manage others, how do you like to do it?
- When working on a task or project, do you prefer to do this on your own or talk it through with others in your team?
- How organised are you at home and at work?
- Do you prefer working in a detailed environment or is a minimal brief enough for you to perform your tasks?
- What kinds of things make you more productive?
- When it comes to problem solving or generating ideas, how do you proceed?
Never be ashamed of the way you like to work, just because it may be different to others’ it is not necessarily wrong. Remember there is a role out there for everyone, if you are willing to work hard and realise your worth, you will succeed.
As specialists in recruitment we always aim to match the best person to every role, taking into account all of the factors discussed above. Contact your local Select office today to discover not only what you have to offer, but also what we have to offer you.
Thoroughly Recommend
“Caroline and her team took the time to listen to and fully understand our requirements. They demonstrated their understanding by presenting us with a short list of candidates all of whom could have filled the post. Thoroughly recommended for their fantastic service, thank you.”
Select Client – Google Review – Select Appointments St Albans
Second to None
“I have worked with and for ‘Select Appointments’ since Aug 1st 2017. I have nothing but absolute praise for the care and attention I have received whilst working under their ‘umbrella’. The interaction and provision of work, remuneration and holiday entitlement is in my opinion second to none, I would certainly recommend the agency to anyone with full and utmost confidence.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Norwich
Best agency in Cambridge
“Select Cambridge is an excellent agency specialised in offering jobs in the Hospitality sector. The quantity and quality offered make it the best agency in Cambridge. Personally, I have had the opportunity to work with […] an excellent consultant, attentive to the details and needs of her employees. I highly recommend it for those who are considering joining this sector.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Hospitality Cambridge
They Invest the Time
“I have worked with the Select team on both assisting me recruit as a customer and more recently as a candidate. Having first worked with Select on a couple of recruitment projects with great success she was my first call when I needed assistance with my own career move.
For me the difference with Select is that they invest the time to understand your requirements both as a business customer and as a candidate and match you to the right people or positions. Unlike a lot of Recruitment companies the communication is strong from the Select team with regular updates and you never feel like just another candidate in a drawer. Dedication, passion, professionalism and commitment are the qualities that set them apart from the rest and I cannot rate the Select team more highly.”
Select Client & Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Lowestoft
Very Supportive Team
“I worked with the very supportive team from Select. He rang just before every appointment I had with my new employers to offer advice and support. He was also on the end of the phone when I asked for advice about my current position. Needless to say, I was offered the job I was recruited for and had a very good experience with Select.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Hospitality Peterborough
Able to Get Results
“Select have been absolutely amazing from the get go. I haven’t had any problems with finding a job, pay or communication. The team found me a new job within 1 week and another job after the contract ended on that one.
I would heavily recommend this company as not only are the staff so friendly, they are able to get the results that you want from employment. After years of working with other agencies and having many problems, Select come out on top and will be using them in the future. I found an amazing job and was so sad to leave it as I have continued my journey at university.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Chelmsford
Lovely Agency to Temp With
“Lovely agency to Temp with. Always there for advice and respond quickly to any queries I have had over the last couple of months. I would like to thank the team for the incredible service they have provided me, very professional and they really care about their work.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Oxford
Cannot Recommend Them Enough
“Select Appointments are an AMAZING agency!
My consultant believed in me and saw my strengths. He gave me back my work confidence then found me my dream job. Nothing is too much trouble. The team are with you every step of the way ensuring that you are well prepared. I cannot recommend Select highly enough.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Northampton
Genuine Care
“Probably the very first agency that provided amazing customer experience to me. Staff are very professional and friendly to the point where they have managed to find something that suits me in the first 30 minutes of walking in for the first time. Paperwork isn’t as burdensome as in other recruitment agencies which is a big plus. I got an impression of genuine care from them due to the fact that they were always in contact with me and whenever I had an enquiry they responded asap.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Lincoln
Dedication is Abundantly Clear
“I am an IT Engineer specialising in Apple systems. Over the course of 1 year I entertained many recruiters claiming their understanding and ability in finding a position that suited my expertise.
Chris Lo is the 1st (& only) recruiter in my experience that not only dedicated & understood my goals, but also had the technical education to fully understand my abilities and provide appropriate prospects. This lead to my current position with a company & group of people I want to stay with indefinitely.
Chris’s dedication is abundantly clear; extremely communicative and driven nature, exemplifies his passion and character.”
Select Candidate – Google Review – Select Appointments Croydon