This may surprise you but the most powerful tool you have in your job search toolbox is knowledge about yourself.   Unfortunately, too often job seekers don’t take the time for self-exploration and the job hunt becomes an effort to convince an employer to hire them for any job instead of a search for a mutually beneficial relationship and the right job.  Do you have a clear picture of who you are?  Are you able to communicate your vision and unique value to others?  When you take the time to really know yourself, your values, your motivators, your strengths, and your passion, you can target your job search efforts and your clarity and enthusiasm will bring you and your dream job together.  Following are five questions to help you delve into your self-knowledge.

1. What are your top five strengths? Your strengths are those things that you love to do.  You probably have a natural talent in these areas.  To discover your strengths, (a) ask your friends and coworkers what you naturally do well, (b) list those activities that you choose to do in your spare time, and (c) identify your favorite job duties from your current or previous jobs.
2. What accomplishments demonstrate your top five strengths? This is where you draw on past experiences to provide proof that you actually possess the strengths you claim.  Too often job applicants make assertions of strengths and abilities but fail to provide any supporting evidence to back up their claims.  Your accomplishments can be from current or previous jobs, school, volunteer work, or your personal life.  What is important is that you are able to use examples to illustrate that you truly have the strengths you claim and show the contributions you have made by drawing on those strengths.
3. How will your strengths benefit the employer? This is where your research on the company and the hiring manager’s needs comes into play.  You want to match their needs to your strengths and formulate a proposal to show the employer the value you can provide.
4. What are your short-term and long-term goals? The more clarity you have about your short-term and long-term goals, the better able you will be to sell yourself to an employer.  Hiring a new employee is a big risk for an employer, so the ability to clearly state how your goals fit with theirs is crucial to getting the job offer.
5. What conditions are necessary for a job to be the perfect fit for your career? Interviews are a two-way street.  An interview is your opportunity to determine whether the job, the hiring manager, and the company are right for you.  Do not underestimate the importance of a good fit.  The wrong company culture or a bad manager can place a serious roadblock in your career path.  You want to know what type of environment you need to be able to thrive so you will know what to look for and what questions to ask.

Once you compile your answers to these five questions, you will be able to create your brand and your value proposition; you can prepare your personally branded resume and other marketing materials that allow you to stand out from the crowd; and you can target your job search efforts to those companies and jobs that are a good fit for you.  When you take the time to clearly understand who you are and are prepared with examples of your accomplishments, you will confidently breeze through the interview and land your ideal job.