Take a Journey to Self-Belief: They Hire WHO You Are!

Your résumé may get you in the door, and, you may pass all of the critical scrutiny of background checks, personality assessments and career testing, but when the offer happens, your success hinges on WHO you are.    

The truth is, today’s organizations have options.  In many fields, the numbers of qualified candidates are at glut levels. The competition is hungry and aggressive. During tough economic times, organizations use the most lean strategies available to sustain operations and increase revenues. Translation: Organizations use a few, highly skilled managers to achieve their goals. So how can you find your place among those fortunate managerial hires? 

Like any successful project, your successful placement in the job that fits your potential hinges on your preparation tactics. Your process must include investigation, planning, and preparation to showcase your most advantageous “Who I Am” attributes. Yes, many people wake up every day with self-respect, humility, creativity, assertiveness and integrity. However, those same people may not necessarily communicate these images during an interview. Why? Self-belief goes all the way to the bone! Self-belief can be challenging, especially after a layoff experience, long-term unemployment, or underemployment below one’s skill grade.      

As you prepare for the application process, prepare your interview presence with strategies that validate your fit for the position. If the position is the one that fits, and you effectively authentic your qualities, the interviewer’s favorable impression will suggest that you are already working in the organization. Yes, you belong. 

How to Begin Your Journey to Self-Belief

1. Write a summary of achievements and contributions. Compile information to support these items for your career portfolio. For example: performance appraisal forms, commendations and awards for service. When you develop this summary, identify and write down important personal characteristics or attributes that supported your success. In other words, ask yourself, “What is it about me that helped me to succeed at this job or role?” For example, consider qualities such as; integrity, detail-oriented, results-driven, tenacity, or customer relations skills. If you are looking for work as a supervisor or manager, you should hire a qualified coach who can provide tools to assess your natural talents, such as your decision-making attributes, and interpersonal communication style and preferences.
2. Identify and list personal and professional referrals. Names, titles, contact information including address, phone, email, a description of your relationship with them and time frame when you are/were acquainted. This is a key piece of your collection! Career professionals should be forward-looking when interacting with all contacts. Consider the seasoning of relationships and parlay goodwill between people into meaningful tools. In other words, when someone has done a good job for you, in any work group, take a moment to write your observations and appreciation for them. Conversely, ask them to do the same for you to add to your portfolio. And remember, work groups are anywhere you have contributed with others to achieve goals. Consider the work you have done not only in the traditional workplace, but also at volunteer organizations, clubs, or charity work. Remember to embrace and respect what others have said about you. Your self-esteem is reinforced when you accept favorable comments and own the qualities that prompted them. The recommendation process used at the LinkedIn.com networking site is an excellent model for appreciation.
3. Compile a “reading” list. What are you are reading and/or planning to read?  Career journals, books, hobby or career related magazines. Remember!! Aside from the personal benefits of learning through the writings and research of others, readers are respected, admired, and are viewed as a resource in the workplace.
4. Assemble artifacts and descriptions of memorable events in your life and work. Very often, memorable events are the most significant portion of a portfolio that provides some flexibility when selecting items to emphasize your values. Include items that reflect times and circumstances that most dramatically affected you and formed your view of the world. This section can include life-changing situations and challenges, achievements and public recognition for a deed or accomplishment, or a small (in scope only) event such as a meaningful conversation with a mentor that affected your development and perspective. Memorable events can, and likely should, include times when you believed that you failed or confronted very difficult circumstances.  There is opportunity to reveal your true personality, resilience, and creativity as you describe the manner with which you dealt with the challenges. And if you failed, there is deep value in the description of lessons learned and how you applied the tools later in your life or career to succeed.
5. Explore jobs that fit your qualifications and goals. Using your collections from the first four items listed here, identify a position for which you believe you are most qualified. Develop your new résumé and write an application letter that describes your fit and your value in the job role. Read the documents aloud (yes, let your ears hear the words) to help you develop a writing style that works and eliminate errors.

There are thousands of resources for resume writing and application processes. Self-belief requires an adventure and validation journey that only you can take.

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