Job Title Blindness Got You Down? 😕 Embrace Your Transferable Skills🌟

🔥This Week’s Sizzling Job Search Strategy: Break Free from Your Four Walls

20-Minute Challenge: Explore New Job Titles

Many people I talk to suffer from "job title blindness". What I mean by this is, that they don’t know what is possible. By staying within the same company or organizational structure for many years, they have limited understanding of what other roles they could pursue that utilize their skills and experiences in different contexts. Breaking out of this job title conformity is crucial, especially when a search stalls. How to do it:

1. Pick an AI tool claude.ai, chat gpt, perplexity are a few I like

2. Enter the following prompt into the chat:

   I am currently a [current title] at a [type of company you work for, industry, location] I want to make a career change.  Identify five similar job titles in various organizations or sectors. Then, list five job titles that are a step up from my current position. These should challenge my capabilities and offer opportunities for growth in areas such as [areas you want to grow in, for example, leadership].Finally, list five roles where my specific skills are valuable, regardless of the industry. These roles might be completely outside my current field but can provide refreshing new career paths.

3. Be inspired by what is possible!

🤩This week’s “Girl, thanks for telling me!” Topic: Stop Pretending Job Searches Should be Comfortable!

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I don’t like networking”. And when I ask why, I usually hear some version of “it’s uncomfortable”. Well guess what? To find a great new job, it might be worth it to get a little uncomfortable! Let’s run through a safety checklist though, just to be sure that we will be okay getting awkward for a few minutes: 

1. Will you die if no one replies to your network request?

2. Will all your teeth fall out because you don’t know what to say to a new contact?

3. Are you going to have to live under a bridge in a cardboard box because they are too busy to meet this week?

I am going to take a wild guess and say, no, none of those things will happen to you. But what could happen, if you get outside your comfort zone? You might get a new introduction. You might be inspired by new ideas you hadn’t considered. You might meet a new work-bestie.  You might get a powerful introduction. You might land an interview for a job that was never posted ….

AND - it’s okay if you are not yet ready for this. You will know that you are ready when the pain of staying in the same condition is greater than the fear of your discomfort in networking. All in good time!

🔢This Week’s Data-Diva Tip: Turn Daily Tasks to Hard-Cold Data

Sometimes the regular tasks we perform daily can seem mundane, but when we break them down, they're full of potential data points for our resume. Take a moment to list your daily activities and think critically about their impact. For example:

• If your role involves client interactions, quantify these engagements. "Managed daily interactions with an average of 20 clients, improving client satisfaction ratings by 30% through personalized service strategies."

• If you conduct daily stand-ups or team meetings, quantify their impact on project timelines or team cohesion. Example: "Hosted daily stand-up meetings that improved team communication, reducing project delays by 20%.”

• Showcase your problem-solving skills by quantifying how you handle daily challenges. "Resolved an average of 15 daily operational issues, enhancing overall workflow efficiency by 25%."

These statistics can transform a basic task description into a compelling, data-driven achievement.

🍳This Week’s Killer Skill: Strategic Thinking

Strategic thinking is essential for effective leadership and professional advancement as it enhances decision-making, problem-solving, and innovation. By enabling us to analyze long-term implications and align decisions with overarching goals, strategic thinking improves both immediate outcomes and future positioning. It is critical in leadership for setting clear visions and inspiring teams, and it fosters innovation by challenging the status quo and identifying new opportunities. Developing this skill is crucial for anyone aiming to excel in higher management roles and drive organizational success.

Not sure if you are a strategic thinker? Ask yourself: 

1. Do I regularly consider the long-term impact of my decisions?

2. How often do I connect daily tasks to larger goals?

3. Do I proactively identify and prepare for potential challenges and opportunities?

Need to build this skill? We’ve got a few ideas for you:

Strategic Thinking for Everyone (4 courses) FREE Strategic Thinking with Dorie Clark ❤️ (36 Minutes) FREE Being Strategic: Thinking and Acting with Impact (1.5 hours) $129.99 USD Master Strategic Thinking and Problem Solving Skills (2.5 hours) $15.99USD

And for those of you ready for a bigger challenge - try Harvard Business School’s certification course on Disruptive Strategy (6 weeks online) $1750 USD

Pro Tip: Update your LinkedIn and Resume with this new skill!

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 This Week’s Featured Partners

Coach of the Week: Heather Tibbles-Vassilev Certified coach for executives and leaders in transition

Recruiter of the Week: Charlie Saffro Passionate about helping teams find, hire and retain Logistics, Transportation & Supply Chain talent

Thought Leader to Follow: Melody Wilding Bestselling author of Trust Yourself. Stop overthinking and channel your emotions for success at work.

This Week’s Organization we Love: First Women’s Bank Open an account today with Araceli Patlan and help advance their mission to grow the small business economy and elevate the role of women within it.

This Week’s Client Spotlight: Karen Tuttle Karen is the queen of Credit Analysis and Business Banking. She’s OPEN TO WORK! Help a sister out!