Are you looking to change jobs, but aren’t sure what you’d like to do in your next position? The skills you have that can be applied to a variety of occupations are called transferable skills. Those skills can help you switch jobs or even careers without investing in continuing education or a degree.
How To Use Your Skills to Get Hired for a Different Job
Deciding what you want to do can be hard though, especially when you may not even be familiar with the types of jobs you’re qualified to do. It can be a challenge to discover how you can use the skills you have in a different occupation, but there are tools that can help you match your skills to jobs. These skill-matching tools are designed to help you decide what your next new position could look like.
Once you’ve generated a list of jobs, you’ll be able to narrow down the list based on your preferences. You can include jobs that sound like they’d be interesting, that pay what you need to earn to make ends meet, or that get you on a career track that’s a better fit than your current one. You’ll be able to exclude jobs that don’t appeal, or don’t tie in with your professional or personal goals.
Free Tools To Match Skills to Jobs
Here are some free tools that show you how to match your skills to possible job options, how to upgrade your skills if you need to, and how to write your cover letter and resume to show prospective employers that you’re a strong candidate for the job.
CareerOneStop Skills Matcher
Use CareerOneStop’s Skills Matcher to rate your expertise on 40 key workplace skills, then review a list of career options that are a match for your highest-rated skills.
LinkedIn Career Explorer
LinkedIn’s Career Explorer tool works a bit differently. With this tool, you enter your current occupation and LinkedIn will then show you similar jobs, how your skills overlap with the skills required for the new job, and openings in your area. If you’re in a hurry to make a change, you can use LinkedIn’s “Easy Apply” process, which allows you to apply using your LinkedIn profile.
My Next Move
If you’re new to the workforce or have been out of it for a while, use My Next Move to search careers by keyword, browse careers listed by industry, or answer some questions to generate some ideas for what you’d like to do.
mySkillsmyFuture
Use CareerOneStop’s mySkillsmyFuture tool by entering your current or previous occupation. You’ll get a list of jobs that match, how much they pay, educational requirements, and job listings.
O*NET OnLine Skills Search
Use this Skills Search to select from six major groups of skills to create a customized list of your skills. Then you’ll be able to view a list of occupations that use those skills, and see how close a match you are to the job.
Tip: If you’re not sure what you want to do, these free online career quizzes will suggest occupations that are match for your skills and interests.
How To Promote Your Skills
What if you have the right skills for the type of job you’re seeking, but aren’t sure how to show employers you have them?
One easy way to promote your skills is to take some online skills tests and add your certificates and badges to your resume, LinkedIn profile, and the job sites where you have posted a profile.
How To Upgrade Your Skills
What should you do if you have some, but not all, of the skills you need for a job switch?
If you need more skills, Lifehack has a list of free online education sites you can use. These aren’t all free, but Lifewire has a list of the top 10 educational websites for online courses. If you’re interested in gaining certification, check out CareerOneStop’s certification finder.
Tip: Especially when it comes to computer skills, you may already have some of the skills employers are looking for.
Tweak Your Resume
If you take the time to tweak your resume each time you apply for a job, it’ll be more of a match for the job you’re applying for. One way to do this is to add a professional summary that highlights the skills the employer is seeking.
Highlight Your Skills in Your Cover Letter
When you’re searching for a job in a different line of work, you’ll need to show the employer that you have the skills they are looking for. To up your chances of getting selected for an interview, take the time to write a cover letter that conveys to the employer how you match the job.
Take a look at the requirements listed in the job posting, and write a few sentences about how you meet them. That way, you’ll be making it clear to the hiring manager how you’re a good fit.
Use Your Interview To Showcase Your Skills
Your job interview will give you the opportunity to explain to the interviewer that you have the skills they need. Share examples of how you’ve gained the skills you need (even if you haven’t used them in previous roles), and how you’ve used them within your job roles.
As with your resume and cover letter, your goal is to show your prospective employer that you have the skills they need to be their next new hire.
from Career Tool Belt https://ift.tt/2pxEvUW
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