If you’ve just joined us you can find the introduction here and rules 1-3 here.

Rule 4: Don’t assume employers know. When pulling skills from your personal life, don’t assume employers know all that is entailed in doing a task, as they would if you mentioned a skill from their workplace. Your Prove It should describe the skills used to successfully do the task.

Stating that you were the Chairperson for your Class Reunion Planning Committee does not prove you have organizational skills. You must describe specifically what you did… “I personally coordinated the hotel bookings, flights, and ground transportation for over 300 out-of-town guests, and planned and organized all the arrangements for three unique Day-After Activities that were attended by over 200 people. This included selecting sites, negotiating contracts, collecting payments, arranging transportation, and doing all the crisis management that comes with coordinating a multi-site function. As Chair, I oversaw the activities of three committees, comprised of 12 people who were responsible for marketing, decorations & nostalgia, and food & entertainment. The reunion received rave reviews from alumni and their families.”

Rule 5: Make it Verifiable. Since there is no official person to vouch that you did what you say you did, create a way for the employer to verify your Prove It. If they can’t verify it, many employers will give it less value. And, just because they can verify it doesn’t mean they won’t ask for additional evidence, like a work trial.

An article in the local paper that hails the reunion a success and gives you credit can vouch for your skills in organizing the event… Your grandma’s Doctor or visiting Nurse could vouch for your skills with the elderly… Samples of your work could vouch for your skill as a Cook or Cabinet Maker… A detailed but brief (90 seconds or less) description of the rainy-day activities you designed can vouch for your creativity… Notes of thanks and praise from friends whose cars you fixed can vouch for your mechanical skills.

Rule 6: Use the Employer’s Language. Paint a picture the employer can relate to before they discover where you gained the skill.

Jason, the softball coach, did a great job of this. Instead of saying, “The team won only 1 out of 5 games the first half of the season, but won 4 out of 5 in the second half when I was coach,” he said, “As the leader of a team of 14 people, I increased success by more than 80% within 8 weeks.”

Final part is published here

This is an excerpt from a new book by MacDougall/Harney copyright 2008. It is printed by permission of the authors and can not be duplicated.

Photo by runJMrun

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