What do you specialize in?

Even Programmers know software languages that they can develop in with their eyes closed and others that they are good at but need to refer to the manual. We all have a "vegetable soup" of skills and talents that define us. But...of these skills and talents, where does your passion lie? I'm talking about the handful of talents that, when you're doing something that requires one of them, comes so natural that you lose track of time and your peers look at your work in awe on how easy it was for you.

Take a moment to list the top 3 to 5 tactical skills/experience you have. For example, mine are:

• Event Marketing - 6 years experience
• Community Relations - 4 years experience
• Volunteer Management - 4 years experience

Good. Now take a moment to list the top 3 to 5 soft skills that you have. For example, mine are:

• Excellent in building and maintaining strong relationships both internally (other managers) and externally (clients or vendors)
• Extremely dependable and trustworthy; if I say I'm going to do something, I always follow through and I'm one that my peers can count on to get the job done.
• Patient. I am often the employee that maintains the peace and seeks to diffuse a professional disagreement with compassion and logic.

50% of getting your dream job is in your experience; the other 50% has to do with what isn't on a resume and that's your personality and your ability to adapt and work with diverse teams. I have seen time and time again - the experience-light professional get the job over highly qualified professional based on their presentation and positive upbeat demeanor. Everything counts in a job search down to the words you choose on your resume to the post-interview thank you notes.

What does the market call you?

Ok, so you know now what skills/talents make you the most marketable. Before you can embark on a journey to land your dream job, you still have to determine what the market calls this skill or talent. If you're passion is Internal Communications, for example, what other titles might be used to describe an Internal Communications Specialist? Knowing what the how the market defines you will increase the number of opportunities you uncover in your network and online.

For example, one of my areas of expertise listed above is Community Relations. The new "in" phrase for this now is "Corporate Responsibility". Older more government minded companies might even morph this in a "Public Affairs" title. Every company is different. Get up to speed on what market calls you or you'll be missing out on a ton of positions that match your skill set.

What industries do you have experience in?

Do you know that many corporations want you to have industry experience? It can even be a deal breaker requirement. On the flip side, if you match this requirement, this can and often be the deciding factor between you and the candidate who is qualified but doesn't have industry experience. List this on your resume near the top. For example, I have industry experience in the Software/High Tech, Oil and Gas, Sports (NFL) and Non-Profit industries (also large corporations and startup companies, another good factor to mention). Every one of these industries has a cultural heartbeat that is unique to them and a professional with experience already in the industry they are applying to is believed to adapt a lot faster than someone who doesn't.

But Raegan, anyone can read my resume and figure that out.

You have only seconds to grab the attention of the person reading your resume. They are usually behind schedule in hiring someone and if one of their requirements is someone with industry experience or someone who has worked in a "startup" environment before, why not list it at the top where it's easy to find?

What skill or skills haven't you already acquired that you need to acquire to be noticed?

So you know what the market calls you, now you need to determine if you are lacking in any skills that might prevent a company from considering you. It's important to be brutally honest with yourself in this area. Figure out what's missing in your career toolbox and then find a way to acquire that skill. How, you ask? Well, deep down you probably already have an idea of what you're lacking because you have worked hard to avoid learning it throughout your career. Another way is to ask others in your industry or with your expertise what the hottest software/skills/tools are. Linkedin.com is a great place to tap into knowledge like this.

If you're currently in a job and looking, you might be able to acquire the missing skills by offering to assist other departments or teams on your own time that do what you need to learn.

Volunteering for industry specific associations is another way.

Many colleges have stand alone courses that you can take too.

And our trusty Internet....we are the generation of the Internet; information is at your fingertips if you just turn off the TV for a change and do a little studying.

Find a Mentor. People naturally want to help. Get involved in an industry specific association and find someone who knows what you need to know and develop a rapport with them!Once you acquire this new skill, put it on your resume, not as a skill you have known throughout your career (that's called fluff and it's very annoying) but rather as a skill that you recognize as a missing link in your talents and abilities and have taken the initiative to better understand. This hits homeruns on so many levels. Companies want people who are going to grow with the organization and be open to learning new skills as needed by the changing demands of the job. It also shows your ability to recognize and address the areas you're weak in and focus time and effort to improve in those areas. No one is perfect and we all have weaknesses, but what separates a "so-so" employee from a "Super-Star" employee is their ability to (proactively) see and improve in these areas.

Don't let being out of work be your excuse to get lazy! If you're not currently working, pick one of these missing skills and start learning it.

What are the deal breaker requirements you seek in a position?

Have you ever gone on an interview for a job, get to an offer and even take the job only to find out that they don't offer any flex time, they have an employee life span of 1.5 years and their benefits package is a watered down version of Cobra? It's important to identify your top "deal breakers" before you invest weeks chasing a job and a company that may wind up painting your career into a corner. Some professionals want to know that there is a management career track, others are adamant about having an education reimbursement program. These are personal "walk away" characteristics of a corporation that are personal to you. Just remember that the more deal breakers you have, the harder it will be to find the job that fits you, so make sure that you think about this list carefully and keep your criteria broad. For example, instead of asking a company if they have an HMO benefits package and what is the deductible and who is the provider, generalize by asking if they have a benefits package that is comparable to their competitors or other corporations of their size - the deal breaker here is having a benefits package that is competitive to other organizations, not that it's a PPO or HMO or Blue Cross, etc. Much of this information can and should be uncovered BEFORE you target the company. If it's a job posting you're applying to, do your homework the moment you hit that submit button and start googling.

Stay tuned for my next blog where we will apply this new self awareness into finding the companies and managers who are looking for someone just like you.

Article by Raegan Hill for "The Job Search Strategist" providing strategies, tips and tutorials on how to find work and advance your career.