By Grace Totoro

Editors’ Note:  Having a career strategy is more important today than ever, especially if you are a woman over 50 who is job hunting.  Read this recent article from the New York Times, ” For Older Women, a Dismal Job Outlook”.

According to the Department of Labor Statistics, the average number of years an employee stays with a company is 4.6 years. Whether you have been in your current position for 1 year or over 30, today’s strategy for running your career is an entrepreneurial venture or adventure depending on your mindset. Here is a list of questions you may want to consider to help you to determine where you are in your life and career:

• Am I clear as to what I want to do next and do I possess at least 75% of the skills required to perform in that position?
• Are my skills current, transferrable and needed? Can I clearly communicate how these skills will fit the position I desire even though I have not worked in that position before?
• Is my resume selling me in today or yesterday’s market? (Did you know the historical resume is literally and figuratively becoming a thing of the past?)
• Am I visible to my target audience?
• Am I comfortable with at least one social media medium and is my profile up to date?
• Would I rate my technology skills in my profession on a scale of 1-10 at least an 8 or more?
• Have I updated my cell phone and computer in the last 5 years?
• Is the image I am portraying attractive to my target audience?
• Do I know how to differentiate myself from my competition?
• Have I updated my skills, taken a class or learned the new skills needed to generate impact in my profession in the last 5 years?
• Do I know the shelf life of my current career and position?
• Do I know what my skills are worth today?

If you can answer yes to 80% of these questions, you are clearly on the road to finding your next position and staying in the employability category.  If not, then it may be the right time for you to pause and take inventory; being honest with yourself as to whether you are willing to do whatever it takes to staying employed in a fast changing world.

As a Visionary Career & Life Strategy Coach, and Thought Leader, Grace Totoro has been having fun for over two decades, helping others to see their uniqueness in refining their Career Objectives, and Job Search Strategies, while maintaining the right job, staying marketable and living a purpose filled life. She is currently President and Lead Coach for TransitionsByGrace. LLC and can be reached at 561-351-9894, , by email: GraceTotoro@TransitionsByGrace.com or on her website: https://www.transitionsbygrace.com