Land your dream job, part two: what are you good at?

In the second part of his series on career hunting, York’s job finder general Simon Wallace helps you answer a tricky question

Part 2: What are you good at?

In the previous article I asked you to write down the following: ‘I have a great job’. In this article we are going to start finding out what that is. The first question you need to consider is: what are you good at?

This is by far the hardest question to answer when looking for a great job, and it is the most important. Fortunately it is not a question you have to answer on your own. The people around you already know what you are good at, all you have to do is go and ask them.

Feedback will form an integral part of finding your dream job so start giving it a go.

Start by asking your friends and family what they think you are good at. Listen to what they have to say and then see if you agree or disagree.

Think back to any performance reviews you might have had whilst in a job and see if you can identify what you did well at. Also think about previous tasks you have had to do, which were the ones you enjoyed most and why?

What you are trying to do here is build a picture of what you are good at, not just in terms of skill sets but also in terms of you as a person; what are your soft skills? For example, how good are you at influencing others?

That’s why this question is the most important. Because if you know what you are good at, you can show how you can add value to an organisation.

When we go shopping, we try to get value for money – the warmest coat at the cheapest price. It is the same with organisations, they look for value when hiring people. If all the candidates had the same skill set, then they might go for the cheapest (which is why they ask you what your current salary is).

But what if one of those candidates showed how they could add value above and beyond? Might they pay a little extra for them?

Write down a list of what you are good at, tasks you have enjoyed and how you have added value to an organisation or project, or anything else. Then see if you can combine these qualities into a statement, so that when someone asks you what you are good at or what do you do, you can reply with…

Of course, it is not just how you can add value that will determine your dream job. There are a number of other factors that you need to consider. These are the practicalities and we shall explore them further in the next article.

Next part – Career Anchors

• See the rest of the Job Finder General series here
• Follow Simon on Twitter
• Click here for the B&A Careers website