Tapping into the network

[resonant]

Or: Who wants to help the Res decide what she wants to be when/if she grows up? (Not cutting because I want maximum input, but I'll try to keep it brief.)

I've been doing the exercises in What Color Is Your Parachute, and have ended up with a list of transferable skills and a list of interests.

Skills:

Analyze
Solve problems/see patterns
Evaluate
Imagine/invent
Classify/organize
Plan

Interests:

Social sciences
Design of spaces
Communication studies
Folklore
Speculative fiction
Libraries

The next step is to ask everyone I know: Do these suggest any job titles to you? Do they suggest any job fields to you?

The best job I ever had was one that I didn't know such a thing existed until I found myself interviewing for it, so I'm very open to unexpected suggestions from you brainy and extremely diverse people. (Please feel free to share this post; I'm very interested in advice from everyone, whether I know them or not.)

Comments

[resonant8.livejournal.com]

I absolutely love the exercises; they turned up all sorts of surprises. (Apparently all my life I've been working waaaay down on my list of pleasurable skills.)

You know how when you apply for a job you're supposed to highlight certain accomplishments, have stories to tell that show how you demonstrated this or that skill? It has only recently occurred to me that people can find those projects on purpose to showcase their desired skills. You don't just look at your past and hope something will turn up; you can actually go looking for things to do that you can tell a future employer about.

So instead of showing up at Habitat for Humanity and saying, "I dunno, I'll do whatever volunteer work you've got" (and ending up editing another goddamned newsletter), I can show up and say, "OK, here's what I like to do. What have you got?"

(Also, of course, it occurs to me that when I'm in an interview and the person says, "Tell me about a time when you demonstrated excellent customer service," this is a sign that I'm interviewing for the wrong job.)