Capitalize on Your Job Market Niche

Capitalizing on Your Job Market Niche

Before you begin to send resumes and search for a new position, its important to take stock of where you've been and where you'd like to go. Sometimes making a career change gives you the opportunity to get yourself on the right track especially if you've felt a little sidetracked by your last job selection.

One important area to consider is your niche. What are the parts of your current or past positions that you've been the most successful with, or enjoyed the most. Is there a specific job component that you could focus on for future job searches?

Once you feel confident about the direction you're headed, its time to take advantage of the special niche job you might be able to fill.

Think about it...Your education and previous job titles might scream Accountant. But there's more to your expertise than just crunching numbers. Perhaps you've got particular experience dealing with...SEC filings. Or, maybe you've got big budget...project management experience. These are skills you want to capitalize on and emphasize in your Resume.

Perhaps you've carried a Director title for the past ten years. You've contributed to a large organization that utilizes generic titles to keep life less complicated. The problem is...it doesn't make you stand out. When you apply for a job, your resume will be one in a PILE of Director resumes on the employers desk.

Almost everyone can call himself or herself a Project Manager. But, what can you offer a new employer to help generate income...capture cost savings...and improve the bottom line? That's the niche you want to capture.

Start by conducting a self-analysis. Make a very accurate list of all of the skills you have acquired. Add to your list the achievements you've accomplished. For every skill or experience, identify (in as quantifiable terms as possible) your accomplishments.

You didn't just manage people. You Mentored and developed a staff of 10 to achieve all department strategic objectives and goals. Nor were you responsible for a budget.You efficiently managed a department budget to achieve department goals with a 10% cost savings. See the difference? It makes a big impact on an employer when they're comparing dozens of resumes just to see who gets an interview!