Using Your Job Skills to Forge a New Career

Using Your Job Skills to Forge a New Career “Follow Your Bliss” â€" Joseph Campbell Changing careers can be a daunting task, but only if you are unsure how to capitalize on the skill set that you already have. Using LinkedIn’s Skills Expertise Search function can help you identify new career path to pursue that enable you to leverage your current skill set, while allowing you to maximize your earning potential while doing something you love to do. This combination can help you be happier in your next job. UTILIZE LINKEDIN’S SKILLS EXPERTISE SEARCH FUNCTION EFFECTIVELYFor example, if you have exceptional Contract Negotiation skills and want to apply these skills to a different industry, here is how you can unearth targeted industries to utilize your skills in a new manner. Go to the LinkedIn Skills Expertise Search page located here: http://ow.ly/bfCWg Type in “Contract Negotiations” into the search field, which will bring you to a landing page with a wealth of information to start your research on locating new areas to apply your Contract Negotiation skill set.The information on this landing page will list Connections within your three degrees that have Contract Negotiation expertise, Related Companies that hire and have hired individuals with Contract Negotiation experience, Jobs that require Contract Negotiation skills, Groups that value Contract Negotiations abilities, and Related Skills that can help foster other career path ideas. Here is how you can use these five areas to identify your new career path. IDENTIFY NEW VIABLE CAREER OPTIONSWith the features found on the LinkedIn Skills Expertise Search, you can explore a variety of viable career paths where you can utilize your skill set. Here is how you can find and determine which venues to explore further: Connections: This section enables you to see what your contacts are doing who also have Contract Negotiations listed as a skill set. Review which career ventures your connections have taken using the similar skill set you each possess. This exercise can spark ideas for your own career aspirations. Also, reach out to these connections within your three degrees in the spirit of networking to learn more about how they found their current role. Related Companies: Here you can learn about companies who hire individuals with the skill set you possess. Click on the “review more companies” link to access a larger, more comprehensive list of organizations that value the Contract Negotiations skill, or the skill set term on which you search. This is an exciting section, since you will discover companies with roles that you may not have even thought of as a viable option for you to consider pursuing. Jobs: The jobs listed in this area can open your mind up to possibilities that you did not realize existed for you in this pursuit for a new role. By learning about the requirements for a role in RFP management or Client Solutions, you can determine what additional skills you need to acquire and / or leverage your skill set to apply for these roles within a different field. Groups: Build your network and engage experts in the fields where you want to be. Use the suggested Groups that embrace and embody the skill set you possess to expand your knowledge as to how else you can apply that skill set. Learn how to use your Contract Negotiation skills in the legal industry, healthcare industry, public service entities and consumer products firms. See where you can leverage your skill set and previous experience optimally to ensure you can make as close to a lateral transition as possible. Related Skills: This is a treasure trove of informationâ€"where there is smoke, there is fire. The Related Skills area is the ‘smoke’. As there is opportunity in the direct skills area, by looking at the Connections, Related Companies, Jobs and Groups areas within a Related Skills page, such as Supplier Negotiation, Spend Analysis or Government Procurement, you can unearth additional possibilities. You may realize you have a more marketable skill set than the one you initially focusedâ€"or you may have a stronger interest in another area with a skill that can be easily cultivated. Focusing on developing your career around the formidable skills you possess already is a way to make a career change that enables you to keep your financial compensation as steady as possible. By exploring how your connections are using that same skill set, you can identify the path forward and obtain your desired role. Be Well! Lisa Lisa Rangel - Executive Resume Writing Services Chameleon Resumes