Wow, I'm Flattered!

So... yesterday's post was all about answering the hard questions, since they're really at the core of keeping me on track when I'm networking, reading ads, etc. As the saying goes, it's really hard to find what you're looking for, if you don't know what it is. So, while I'm keeping my career options open, I do have to keep in mind what my strengths are, what I enjoy doing, and how I can land a position that will make both my employer, and me, happy campers. At this point, perfection is out of the question...I truly would be happy with 'good enough,' but that's as far as I'm willing to settle. Any more than that, and I'd run the risk of burnout (the combination of high competence and expectations with low satisfaction and sense of accomplishment).

It's all well and good that I've got a targeted resumé now, but the one drawback to that conclusionary piece of paper is that no matter how hard you try, it can't give potential employers a sense of your soft skills. That's the piece that's often missing in the electronic age, when it comes to applying for jobs in this day of submissions via email. So many jobs say, "No calls, PLEASE!" that it's next to impossible to even have people hear your voice (literally)!

This is one time that I feel my degree in English is really coming in handy. Many times, I've written cover letters for jobs that I felt were really good matches, and asked for input to make sure what I said was really impactful. This happened recently, with the retail medical device job I mentioned in an earlier post. I have a very dear (and modest) friend who has worked her way up the 'food chain' and is a Vice President of Human Resources for a VERY large professional company. She's my go-to person when I need a voice of reason (she has a degree in psychology and is one of the most even-keeled people I know). We've known each other since we were fourteen. Anyway, because I felt so strongly about the position being perfect for me, I asked if she'd give the cover letter the once over. When she did, she looked at me and said, "You know what? I hope this never happens, but if I ever get laid off from MY job, I'm going to have you write ALL my cover letters. That letter is amazing! And perfect. " Wow. I mean, she's complimented me on things before, but mainly, I'm the one thanking her for her sage advice (for things like offer negotiation, proper HR etiquette, etc). So for her to make a statement that strong about my writing skills really hit home. She's given me the OK on letters before, many times, but to actually entrust her future cover letters to me truly felt like a feather in my cap!

The purpose of this post is not to brag about my writing skills, but to point out that often we have skills that we take for granted. No, not take for granted, that's not what I mean. Let me put it this way. I guess I don't realize sometimes how good my writing actually is, until someone compliments me on it! At that point, I take a step back and read what I've written as objectively as I can and try to see what other people see. It's nice to inventory the things you're good at, so you remember why you wrote "writing skills" on your resumé. While people say, if you can write it should be evident to the reader, resumés are such snapshots of reality that when the cover letter gets separated, there goes the proof!

So how many of you out there didn't even realize you were good at something until someone complimented you on it? Chances are, if you do something that gives you a very strong sense of satisfaction, you're good at it. So if it's job related, take a mental note~ it's OK to pat yourself on the back!! And write it down, you might benefit from putting it on your resumé!

A few other things have been pointed out to me that helped me see my strengths in a different light during this stretch that I'm going through, but I'll get to those tomorrow.