Playing Career Jeopardy

I absolutely love reading articles on themuse.com. There is so much practical, immediately actionable advice over there that anyone in the job search (or on the job!) can learn something fast and put it into practice even faster. There are a few articles I read lately that stood out because of the current state of the labor market. They’re all centered around tracking and making others aware of your accomplishments.

The pandemic has forced everyone to communicate their value remotely, and I mentioned in another post that many employers turned to Zoom but the results are not all positive. The gist is simple: No one truly knows about your accomplishments but you. To advance your career, you’ll need to change that!

• First, Make a plan to track, document, and share your accomplishments.
• Next, get social proof of those accomplishments.
• Finally, getting that information in front of decision-makers on a regular basis and keeping them in know is key. Note: Just tracking and documenting your accomplishments is a tall order by itself, but themuse comes through with some awesome suggestions and even some clutch worksheets [HERE].

I’ll add that after a project wraps up, it’s time to play Career Jeopardy. Here’s a step-by-step overview:

1. Using a simple app (like Voice Memos on iOS) Create a recording describing your experience on that project.
2. After reviewing, create a concise question, and then refine your description using the S.T.A.R. or similar method. The final version shouldn’t be more than 1-2mins. Be sure to focus on the results and not just the activity!
3. Create some sort of visual presentation and save it as a video file to serve as your go-to resource about your involvement (I’ll talk more about this at the end of this post).
4. Getting social proof of your accomplishments is definitely the norm now so don’t hesitate to ask others to speak on your behalf about the project.
5. Next up, get a free Vimeo account and upload your file there. Vimeo does an excellent job of ensuring your video is visible on the maximum number of devices – and there’s virtually no learning curve.
6. Share the link with your manager in one of your regular communications. Over time, the text or email thread becomes an excellent reference for your accomplishments – and the links are shareable for the win! 
7. You should also be adding your video files to your Pointe Profile® account so they’re at the ready for active and passive job searching at a distance. (Sure you can post these items on Linkedin, but I prefer not posting my creativity in public for others to copy while competing with me for positions).

Communicating remotely is actually an advantage in my opinion. No one likes a braggart, and you’ll get a lot more regular engagement on a 1-2 minute video than from scheduling a 30-minute meeting. As a bonus, your recipient always has the link for their future reference and sharing.

Landing your dream job is serious business that requires planning, practice, and skill! We have a free ebook available to show you how to get started! Just fill out the form below and we’ll send it to you. There’s also an inexpensive masterclass with in-depth step-by-step guides to get you going with everything I’ve mentioned here!

In 2023 Control Your Career. Don't Let Your Career Control You!

If you'd like a bird's-eye-view of an excellent, modern job search plan that includes leveraging video, we have a free ebook available to get you up to speed! Just fill out the form below, and we'll send it to you.