I’ve always searched for a way to show people how having a clear picture of their green career direction helps them find their green job.
Recently while facilitating a workshop for green job seekers, I had the opportunity to talk with two participants, one after the other. The difference between the two scenarios definitely made an impression on me. Take a look at a brief description of these two interactions.
Participant #1:
Within a few words I could see this participant was struggling. Although she had a general sense of the green sector she wanted to work in, she didn’t have clear sense of her options. She wasn’t sure which of her varied skills she should highlight when talking about her target green career, so she talked about as many skills as she could. It was clear from our 3 minute conversation that she didn’t have a crisp, compelling way to talk about herself or her green career goal. Furthermore, I was struggling to grasp what she was talking about, so I have no doubt that her network was having a difficult time providing her with viable referrals. This participant made all the others in the workshop a bit uncomfortable due to her wide-ranging, unfocused nature of her description of what she wanted. No one quite knew how to offer constructive or useful ideas, referrals or resources.
Participant #2:
In the space of one sentence I could tell this participant was on top of things! In a concise initial introductory sentence she was able to share who she was, what she was hoping to do, and how her skills were relevant. As she voiced her question, as she would in her networking conversations, I was able to follow her line of thinking and understand how her question tied in with her target career direction. This is the scenario that networking contacts can respond to with clear, concise referrals. In fact, before we moved to the next participant, this person had received a solid lead from the group. This participant attracted the attention of everyone in the room!
Who Would You Hire?
Given what you know about these two individuals, which one would you hire?
- Would you hire Participant #1 who is confused, unfocused, and vague about your future goal?
- OR
- Would you hire Participant #2 who is clear, focused, and precise about her desired direction?
And the Answer Is….Participant #2!
Hands down.
If you’ve ever been on the hiring side of an interview you know how much is communicated through an interviewee’s voice, body language, confidence, stories, and clarity. This is even more true now than ever given the state of the economy. If you aren’t standing out during your interview, you can be sure there will be someone else who does!
When you are fired up about your vision and you can articulate your vision clearly, concisely, and compellingly, you magnetize attention from every corner of your life – from your friends, networking contacts, industry experts, mentors, and hiring managers.
Although it might feel like you don’t have time to clarify your vision, the time you devote to the process of clarifying your vision will transform you. You’ll feel your transformation take hold as you move from being Participant #1 to Participant #2. As you make this shift, you’ll begin to see changes in the results you are getting in your networking and interviewing.
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