Appreciating Your Value

Recognizing that your skillset suitcase is already well stocked

Author

Sara Kobilka
October 03, 2024

You’ve got the skills employers are looking for, here’s how to make sure they recognize that.

- Sara Kobilka, Renaissance Woman

Word cloud with the largest words being communication, technical proficiency, self-motivation, time management, collaboration and adaptability

Do the above words look familiar, reader?

Longtime readers (aka those who have been reading this newsletter for more than 5 months), will have seen it before, but I think it’s worth bringing back for everyone.

When I first created this newsletter, my niche was TV news professionals who wanted to get out of the business and find a remote job. I’ve since expanded it to anyone looking to change industries.

I created the word cloud with the help of my old pal Google. I pulled text from more than a dozen articles on skills employers are looking for in their remote employees (and this also applies to hybrid roles which are more widely available today).

Back them, my thought was, “This maps PERFECTLY onto the skills my readers honed during their time in TV News!” This included:

  • The time management required to turnaround a story in time for a 5pm live shot.

  • The emotional intelligence required to interview someone on the worst day of their life.

  • The organization skills required to produce an entire newscast.

  • The technical proficiency required to create a weather forecast or to edit a video for a newscast and then share it on social media. 

  • The self-motivation required to research and pitch story ideas day after day.

And the list goes on.

But these skills aren’t limited to TV news, and neither is this newsletter! These are skills ALL journalists have. And they’re found in EVERY profession. For example:

  • The time management required to coordinate a large group project or get a group of 3-year-olds ready to go outside in the middle of winter.

  • The emotional intelligence required to support youth volunteers, graduate students in a lab group, or the onbording process for a new employee.

  • The organization skills required to mange logistics for a national conference.

  • The technical proficiency required to host Zoom meetings.

  • The self-motivation required for the work of non-profits and NGOs addressing wicked challenges in their community.

Telling Your Story

Be confident in your skills, but also recognize that a potential employer may not realize these skills are already in your metaphorical suitcase. It’s up to you to use storytelling skills to tell your own story and connect the dots for a potential employer.

Here’s how:

  1. Ask yourself, “What day from my career (or event or project) is the perfect example of one of the skills from the word cloud in action?

  2. Start writing (or record yourself speaking if that’s more comfortable). Tell the story of that day/event/project. Fill it with as many details as you can.  

    What’s the beginning, middle and end?

    Who are the characters and what is the setting?

    What conflict did you encounter and how was it resolved?

  3. Once you have the long version, write a shorter version. Use this in your cover letter and as another one of those answers in your metaphorical “back pocket” for interviews (check out Acing the Interview Part 1 and Part 2 for more suggestions related to interview preparation).

While the word cloud shows terms employers use to describe what they’re looking for in remote employee, they’re also applicable to almost ANY position today given our virtually connected world.

Quick reminder, in early November I’m going to be offering my last free LinkedIn sprint (after this, there will be a small cost to participate). I’m nearing the end of my sprint for freelance creatives right now and they’ve been raving about how much it is helping them! And you don’t have to take my word for it, check out the comments on some of my recent posts (Why I LinkedIn, What do I post?).

Next month’s sprint it’s open to ALL job seekers. I do want to acknowledge that some of you do not want people to know that you’re looking for a new job and I will make sure that your privacy is respected in this process.

If you’d like to up your LinkedIn networking game with accountability and a supportive community, sign up for more details.

Outline of a running figure in a window decal with a parking lot and road below blue skies visible behind it. The Renaissance Woman Consulting LLC logo is in the lower right corner and content is in the post.

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PS: To keep myself and other fans of the arts entertained (remember, I am a Renaissance Woman after all), look for a reference to at least one song lyric or quote from a movie, TV show, play or musical. Message me on LinkedIn if you find it and you win…a virtual shout out in the next newsletter!

Hi! I’m Sara Kobilka, owner of Renaissance Woman Consulting.

I am a Renaissance Woman and part of my wide-ranging background includes time as a TV meteorologist/reporter, non-profit leader, higher education program coordinator, and now, business owner. During each leg of this journey, I gained new skills that I was able take with me in my next step. Now, I work remotely with clients to help them confidently tell their story and navigate the transition to their next step on their career journey.

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