Adapting Skills to Fit Current Job Openings
Matching Abilities to Meet Employer’s Needs
Feb 13, 2009
Just because someone has been a customer service representative for the last five years doesn’t mean he has to stay with this career the rest of his life. Of course, it is his choice, and the desire to do so is in no way wrong.
However in today’s fluid economy it is important to keep an open mind about career opportunities. Sticking to the tried and true or what feels comfortable is fine when there are plenty of job opportunities available. But in today’s tight job market, switching up and going for something new just might be a better option.
Transitioning Current Skills to a New Job
What job seekers don’t always consider when looking for new employment opportunities is how the skills and experiences they have already learned can be adapted to different types of positions. This means that just because someone has been in, say, customer service throughout her entire career that doesn’t mean this is where she will always work. Fact is the skills people learn in one field can often transition into other areas.
So if, as a customer service representative for a call center, a job seeker has utilized her Spanish-speaking and problem solving skills, it is very possible to adapt these same skills and experiences to a position as a translator, court interpreter, human resources assistant, or other employment opportunities that require similar skills.
What job seekers need to keep in mind as they look at job postings that are available is that while they may not have the exact work experience requested, they may have many of the right skills. Identifying the marketable skills that they have and that employers are currently seeking is an important first step in transitioning their current skills to a new job. Then it’s just a matter of creating a resume that sells these skills. In this case a functional resume may work better than a standard chronological resume.
Importance of Flexibility when Finding a New Job
Another important consideration that job seekers need to keep in mind is that while their ideal position may not currently be available, there are jobs out there that they can do. They probably have developed the needed skills and abilities to perform many different functions. So instead of holding out until the perfect job comes along, it might be wiser to take an available position, continue honing current skills while adding new ones, as they keep their eyes and ears open about other opportunities.
For the customer service representative this may mean taking a part-time bilingual bank teller position to help meet her financial needs while keeping her skills fresh. In the meantime, she gets her foot in the door so she can continue to look for other opportunities with her current employer as well as at other organizations.
What it basically comes down to is that job seekers need to understand how to truly market themselves and their skills to potential new employers. Once they have determined their best skills and how to adapt them to different jobs, they will be in a better position to find the best current career opportunities for them.
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