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Work Skills vs Work History Key to a Second Career
Work Skills vsWork History:
Key to a Second Career
Recognizing your work experience as transferable skills, rather than work history, gives you a deeper appreciation for your breadth of experience. It helped me believe I could start my own business and be successful.
Graduating with a business degree from Shippensburg State College in 1981 was not an ideal time for job hunting. The job market was depressed and so was I from getting very few interviews. Consequently, I was employed by Manpower Temporary Services for one year and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I worked for numerous large and small businesses, and it was a huge learning experience for several reasons. The biggest lesson I learned was that I could make a bigger impact on a daily basis at a smaller business. Enter Alvernia University (Alvernia College when I started) where I was hired as the Financial Aid Assistant and then the Director of Financial Aid, a position I held for 19 years. During the time I was in financial aid, I was studying for my M.Ed. at Kutztown University and my leadership course required us to write a resume. I only had one “real” job since graduating from college, so my resume was a tad succinct (insert winking emoji here). I dug deep into my current position and listed all my workplace skills, i.e. I used employment skills as the lead-in instead of work history. For example: organization, management, communication, problem-solving, computer literacy, teaching/training, money management and leadership to name a few.
Before that resume exercise, I felt trapped, quite limited and pessimistic about my next career. After writing my resume from an entirely different perspective, I was pleasantly surprised at the breadth of my experience and skills within that one job, including all the volunteer and elected positions I held in my field. Suddenly, I saw myself as a capable, experienced and marketable woman. After a brief illness, I realized that my health wouldn’t allow me to continue in the stressful environment of financial aid, so I was rehired as the Director of Policy, Planning, and Accreditation and reported directly to the President of the college. I was fortunate to have a boss who recognized all the transferable skills I possessed rather than that one position I had previously held at the college. He was aware of those skills and experiences because I would “cc” the President each time a parent, student or individual outside the college would acknowledge my work. The college was growing quickly, so he told me there were other positions at Alvernia for which I was well suited. He was an extraordinary boss and I credit him with saving my career. The position lasted for five years at which time a new President was hired and I suspected my position was no longer secure. A big career change was in order.
Fast forward to today.
I’m starting my 17th year in business as the Owner of The Clutter Crew. After reading an article in a Redbook magazine about a professional organizer, I came to the realization that I was starting to formulate my next career. I did some research about what a professional organizer was (who knew it was a thing?) and it was incredibly exciting, scary and not just a little intimidating. But I did my homework and began to think of all the transferable skills I possessed to begin, to grow and to succeed in my new business. I never (I mean never) considered owning a business or leaving an institution with a steady paycheck, but I also never considered that if I was so loyal to an employer and always gave over 100% each day, why not work for myself? I don’t take my success for granted, because so many people were supporting me. Similarly, a lot of stars aligned, not the least of which were the transferable skills I carried with me to discover a whole new calling of getting up each day to help clients dig through their CRAP (Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure) and encourage them to envision a better life with less stuff. Lastly, my idealistic view of a cleaner environment feeds my desire to continue to be relevant in an unpredictable world. So, if you feel stuck, bored, unappreciated and ready to scare yourself just a wee bit, see how many transferable skills are in your wheelhouse. You’ll find Transferable Skills Surveys online to begin the exploration process. Consider all the jobs you’ve held (good and bad ones—they all count) and include volunteer and elected positions. Find out what you have to offer your next employer or start that business you’ve been dreaming about. 2 By Vali Heist Owner, The Clutter Crew