Job Search Tips #6

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲?

This question sparked an interesting chat with the Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) students at Lambton College last March after I delivered a session called “Results Based Resume Creation and Career Storytelling."

My answer is, share enough of your personality to give potential employers and colleagues an idea of what it would be like to work with you. At the same time remember to:

- Be professional

- Be authentic

Share stories that emphasize your values and personality, without giving away too much personal information.

𝗧𝗼 𝗺𝗲, 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀:

1. Resisting the urge to share information that employers don't need to know, such as your marital or family status, who you vote for, and your family medical history.

2. Modulating your voice to share your enthusiasm for the aspects of the job that really interest you, and to add emotion to the stories you share to illustrate your experience, knowledge, and transferable skills.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗰, I mean sharing your values, and goals; what’s really important to you.

𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘇𝗲𝗹!

I’ve met folks who try to twist themselves into what they imagine employers are seeking, I call this twisting yourself into a pretzel.

This may win you an interview. However, you’ll often end up wasting both your time and the employer’s time, as you realize during the interview, or even worse, after you’ve started working with them, that your values don’t align. This leads to unhappy employees and employers!

I'm grateful to Roger Mais for asking this insightful question!

𝗜'𝗺 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗷𝗼𝗯?

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