Notice the connected dots you encounter every day, from the people you meet, to the connecting bridge of things you work on. There are no coincidences, only stepping stones to where you want to be. Along your career path, you’ll start to uncover the patterns and continue to connect additional dots to guide you to where you are meant to be. It may be one mentor that refers you to different roles or convinces you to join them in their career journey. It could be a work colleague that makes a referral, or even someone that you don’t know very well that connects you to your next hiring manager. The link could also be opportunities that are uncovered because of the magic that you create with your social media accounts, being a domain expert in your field. Connected dots can come in any form.
Connect the Dots in Your Career with 3 Questions
Connecting the Dots to Your Purpose & North Star
Connect the Dots in Your Career with 3 Questions
As a hiring manager, we can make assumptions about your transferable skills, what you’ve learned along your career journey, but it’s so much more impactful when we hear how you craft your own value story. We listen to how you stitch together your story, the tapestry of your work experience, and we make assumptions on how you’ll make an impact on our Team.
To prepare you for an interview as you’re sitting in front of a hiring manager or recruiter, below are 3 questions to connect the dots in your career and to tell the story effectively to others:
Lastly, we'll help you tie all your answers together for your impact statement.
QUESTION #1 What are the top 3 skills I demonstrated in my last job?
Take a look at the job description and tease out the Top 3 requirements that align with your top 3 technical or soft skills.
TIP: Think about the key tasks or projects you worked on where you felt you really showcased your superpowers. Focusing on the Top 3 allows you to maintain focus on your top skills. Arm yourself with examples for each skill.
QUESTION #2 What improvements did I drive at my current job?
Once you’ve isolated those 3 top power skills, surface the key improvements that you drove for your Team or the organization.
TIP: Focus on measurable value. Think about metrics or results where your skills contributed to your success.
QUESTION #3 What are the new skills or areas I want to improve in?
This is your opportunity to show you have a growth mindset. Hiring managers want to hear that you are self aware and open to overcoming new challenges.
TIP: Understanding areas you want to further develop can lead you to your future self and the right step to stretch beyond your comfort zone.
Craft Your Impact Statement
Now, tying together your past, present and future allows you to build a power statement for your next interview. With the 3 questions you answered, you're able to actively connect the dots for hiring managers with a strong impact statement.
"WHY this is important for you is because..."
Complete this sentence with your skills, impact (measurable results), and what skills you want to acquire in your next role. Going through this discovery process helps to define the reasons why you are the right fit for the job.
Connecting the Dots to Your Purpose & North Star
And here’s your power move. When you tie all those together, think about your primary purpose. The main mission that serves as your guiding light or North Star. Formulate an understanding of how your connected dots drive you towards the path of your key purpose. Don't have a North Star or uncertain on your purpose? No worries. Check out our blog post here to craft your mission and define your North Star.
Enjoy exploring the path of your connected dots and show the value you’ve acquired along the way.
Need some help standing apart from other candidates in your job search? Check out our Brag Book or Resume bundle. We’d love to hear from you if you have any questions or need some extra support free to email etsy@rocketrygroup.com.
