Over the course of the last year, I have been given the gift of learning to identifying my top skill sets. These lessons were not without skepticism and questioning. But, I can say that these lessons have transformed the way I work and the types of work I take on. Because I was lucky enough to have someone share with me the #1 secret to identifying your top skill sets. And it is this:
The tasks and projects are you best at.
AND
When you finish the task, you have more energy than when you started the task.
It is that simple.
Related:5 Things You Should Be Doing If You’re Unemployed
When I tell people about this secret that was shared with me, they immediately know what I am talking about and know the work that they are awesome at and gives them energy.
And I tell people that you should focus everything you have into making sure that as much of your day as possible doing those things that you are awesome at AND give you energy.
This is what is called your “Zone of Genius."
The creator of this concept is Gay Henricks from the book “The Big Leap." There is of course nuance to this. When you do things that you completely rock AND get energy by doing them, this puts you squarely in your “Zone of Genius”. When you do things that you completely rock at and it drains your energy, that is your “Zone of Excellence”. You want to spend the bulk of your time, if not all of it in your Zone of Genius.
The first time I heard about this concept about a year ago from the brilliant Giovanni Cavalieri, I was incredibly skeptical as I am sure you are right now. This is impossible. Just getting to do what you do best and get energy from. Pfft…. crazy talk! You can’t possibly spend all your time working in your Zone of Genius. Can you? Maybe not all your time, but 90+% of your time can be spent in your Zone of Genius if you’re on the right team at the right company.
The thing about Zone of Genius is that you are more efficient when you are working in that zone. You get more done than anyone else at that skill. You probably spend the rest of your time in the Zone of Excellence. These are the tasks that you should be actively looking for people who have these tasks in THEIR Zone of Genius. When you are doing tasks and projects that are outside of your Zone of Genius, you are drained. The problem is that many of us are spending our entire day in the Zone of Excellence or even the Zone of Competence (which is exactly what is sounds like).
Getting rid of the tasks in the non-Zone of Genius can be a challenge. But, oddly enough, there are people who’s Zone of Genius is your Zone of Excellence or Zone of Competence and should be taking on those tasks to fulfill their time in their Zone of Genius. It generally works out, not all the time, which is why I can’t get to 100% Zone of Genius.
But suffice it to say, when you know where your Zone of Genius is, you can spend time honing in on tasks, projects and roles that highlights your best skills that you can bring to the table so that you can spend even more time working in your Zone of Genius.
My Zone of Genius is all about helping people connect with their dream job. What’s yours?
This post was originally published on an earlier date.
With passion and an innate curiosity, Tracey strives to push the envelope to create great experiences for talent. Tracey has been developing digital, mobile and social solutions for nearly 20 years in the talent acquisition space. Currently CredHive’s CEO, she is dedicated to changing the way hiring is done to create a more level playing field for talent. Visit CredHive to learn more.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert. You can learn more about expert posts here.Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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