Hoarding your skills and abilities does not equate to job stability it results in isolation. Every organization is dependent upon cooperation and collaboration therefore isolation is in direct conflict with growth. Simply put – it is a good way to work yourself out of a job.
Whether you are happily employed or looking for the right opportunity there is one thing you can do to improve your existing skill set: help someone else.
I love giving seminars and facilitating workshops. It keeps me fresh, lets me continually see other’s perspectives and make sure I am on focus with what I am doing. I love mentoring because even if we are discussing something that has become routine to me, explaining and discussing it helps me re-evaluate my approach and thought process. It also allows for someone else to question my methods or processes, which is truly a benefit and a powerful way to improve my level of service to others.
In job searching it can assist you by allowing you to remain fresh in your field and also build your confidence in selling yourself to others. It also allows you the opportunity expand on your network. You never know where that next great lead will come from.
Most importantly, it allows you in any situation to give back and help someone else.
Sometimes we get so ingrained in what we are doing we get tunnel vision. We can only see our goals, our troubles or our vision. We loose site of those around us. When we turn our attention away from ourselves and start giving to others we often find when we look back at our goals or vision they become more clear and our troubles much less.
And by golly, it just feels good to help someone else.
If you are job searching join a professional network or business group, offer yourself as a mentor to others in that field. At work let junior colleagues know you are willing to offer assistance if they need it or tell your boss you would like to serve as a mentor or trainer if an opportunity arises.
Open yourself up and put your self out there for people to call upon you to help and you will be amazed at how much they end up helping you on so many levels.
Lisa K. McDonald, CPRW