Blog Post: How to develop credibility when you're hunting for a job or customers!

If you're entering the job or customer search for the first time, especially if you're a first time entrepreneur, people transitioning to new careers, or a newly graduated student entering the job market, you're realizing the somewhat uncomfortable position of having to prove yourself but needing the experience to do so.
The employer, venture capitalist, or investor want someone with drive and ambition, smarts and a will-do attitude, but most require experience or some 'proof' of past performance as the ticket to entry.

How do you get past this inevitable "speed bump" in your search?

Rather than try and lead a stealthy, quiet search (unless of course you're currently employed) there is no shame in being visible with your intent. After all, once you've taken the steps below, you'll be proud to shout your value from the hilltops.

There are two ways you can build credibility from the onset... and they are inextricably tied.

1. Dig deep. By that I mean, go outside the traditional realm of your technical skill (programming, accounting, budgeting, classes you took), and venture into the less conventional. List out the ways you accomplished your work, brough teams together, managed through challenging deadlines, worked with a difficult team/boss and then categorize those skills. Chances are you have talents in a variety of less technical skills that may help you capture the attention of a potential customer/investor/employer.

An example to help you:

I left the field of marine zoology to enter the world of leadership development. Yep. Exactly. I was asking myself the same thing you just thought - WHAT? How? I did exactly what I just mentioned (above) and was snatched up for a Fellowship in leadership development. Turns out the skills I acquired in science WERE valuable (data assimilation, data analysis, presentation skill, team work) and so were the ones I never even thought about (self-management, being a helpful team member, leading teams).

2.<b>Reach out for help.</b> Nobody does anything all alone. Nobody. It may seem like it sometimes, but there's always at least one person behind the curtain providing advice, opinions, contacts, free support and even bartering for services in order to get that one person off the ground. Reaching out for help may happen before step #1. No matter when it happens, you have to learn who might be in the best position to help you succeed and then you have to go find them. This could be many people, or a few, but start reaching out to those you've developed relationships with to find out who or what groups could provide you the most benefit in your quest. Once you meet with one person, you're leaving them asking for two more people you should talk to and asking if they'd facilitate an introduction to those people for you. (By the way, are you seeing how we're creating credibility for you in just two steps?)

My example to help you:

I reached out to a career advising group. They helped me realize where my strengths were, my hidden talents, and get those framed in a nice value proposition to future employers. Then I just reached out to CEO's, senior executives and influential decision-makers in the community to simply help GUIDE ME in where I might best fit in in the community. (This was before email was prolific. I was using snail mail for almost everything!) And here is where relationship-building is paramount. I asked for what I sought - not anything more. My actions were authentic and I followed up with thank you cards and offered my help to them in the future.

A short time later? I was interviewing with the President and CEO of my next employer.

Self-awareness and relationship building are two key components to your search. In fact, one is the foundation for the other. Can you imagine anything more different than someone transitioning from studying marine fish/mammals to studying organization behavior and leadership? I couldn't - at first - but with some work on understanding my talents, and leaning on the willing support of others, I quickly began believing it wasn't such a far fetched idea.