As our last few blogs have outlined, the United States is currently experiencing historically low unemployment – the lowest rates in 50+ years. Couple this with bullish health technology industry growth projections, and it points to accelerating talent scarcity for companies. This reality is bad news for companies looking for talent but good news for job seekers. There has never been a better time to start a new job search than now!
This blog is the first blog in our “Talencio’s Complete Guide to the Job Search” blog series. Whether you are an executive or new professional, you will find valuable nuggets to aid in your job search, evaluate your current job or help to prepare for a search in upcoming years. In this series, we will guide you through eight job search steps, starting with taking an inventory of your skills and innate strengths. Skills are typically learned in school, from others or on the job. You are born with innate strengths or natural talents, such as highly responsible, organized and achiever.
Socrates said, “To know thyself is the beginning of wisdom.” Of course, in your job, you would do best to put your skills to good use. You also want to focus on your natural talents. Gallup studies indicate that people who “have the opportunity to focus on their strengths every day, are six times as likely to be engaged in their jobs and more than three times as likely to report having an excellent quality of life in general.” These are wise outcomes to seek.
How do you determine your skills and natural talent? Who knows your skills better than you? Do some self-reflection. Look at the themes and skills currently on your resume. Review past job descriptions and work that you believe you would enjoy. Ask your coworkers what marketable skills you possess that they find invaluable? Make a list. Skills represent specific knowledge that only a subset of the population has obtained as a result of specific training and experiences.
Next, understand your natural talents. Ask your co-workers, friends, and family what qualities they love about you. Are you extremely kind? Are you a high achiever? These people know you well and will be able to provide an accurate list of natural talents you possess.
The Clifton StrengthsFinder tool, currently known as CliftonStrengths, is another resource for determining your natural strengths. These strengths will help you understand how you analyze information and situations, make things happen, influence others and nurture relationships. My top five strengths are Achiever, Maximizer, Responsibility, Relator, and Belief. Based on these top five, it is no wonder that I launched a successful staffing and recruiting firm! You can access the CliftonStrengths tool online for a small fee and get the results of your natural strength immediately.
Another tool is Myers–Briggs, indicating differing psychological preferences in how people perceive the world around them and make decisions. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Intuitive or sensitive? Are you a feeler or a thinker? More perceptive or judgmental? One response is no better than the other; however, knowing the answers to these questions will help you understand your natural preferences. For instance, how often do you find an introverted salesperson?
We start with creating an inventory of your skills and natural talents because you must know yourself first so you can align them with work that you would find fulfilling. While I enjoyed my career in accounting, I prefer running my own business. I now leverage my accounting knowledge to run my business while achieving results for our clients who place a great deal of responsibility on us. How do you leverage your skills and natural talents to deliver exceptional results for your current or future employer?
If you are a health-technology company looking to hire new talent and you want to partner with an organization that specializes exclusively in the health-technology industry, Talencio can help. Talencio is comprised of a diverse team of health technology professionals with extensive industry experience. Our unique partnership approach enables us to be your safety net whenever anticipated or unanticipated staffing needs arise. Talencio has been the preferred provider of vetted, accomplished professionals to the Health Technology Community for over 13 years. To learn how other companies have partnered with Talencio, tap into our skilled professional talent pool, or learn about career opportunities, contact us at 612.703.4236 or by email.
Written by: Paula Norbom, President, Talencio, LLC