Possessing an innate talent for connectedness makes you an incredible asset to any team or employer. Explaining connectedness to a future employer can sometimes be a challenge. Here are some great tips to make it easier.
Understanding and leveraging our unique talent DNA can make finding work worth doing so much easier! In this series, we examine each of the Clifton StrengthsFinder talent themes and identify ways each can be used to build a great career. From resumes to interviewing, negotiation, and search strategy using your innate talents will transform your process.
Want to discover your innate talents and find work worth doing? Contact us today!
Connectedness
People exceptionally talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links among all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning.
Demonstrate Connectedness in your resume
If you’ve ever been part of a team department where everyone is in their own silos then you know the importance of connectedness. People who are high in connectedness know how to bring people together and get everyone headed in the right direction. They see things others may not and can pair people up in ways no one else thought would work. Demonstrate your connectedness in your resume by using these keywords/phrases when describing your accomplishments:
- Builds Relationships
- Unification
- Breaking down silos
- Intuition/Intuitive
- People-focused
- Masterful
- Understanding
- Identify areas of opportunity
- Connector
- Change management
Infusing Connectedness into your interviews
Sharing how your connectedness can benefit your potential employer is key in the interview process. Be sure to share how you’ve ‘connected the dots’ to identify the root cause of an issue or to build a solution. Share examples of how you’ve kept the team going despite obstacles you may have faced and how valuable building a strong network to accomplish your goals really is.
Be sure to avoid sharing stories that make you appear a little too “woo-woo,” mystical, or naive when describing how you accomplish your goals. Instead, share how you identify opportunities to work together and how you pair up team members to make a winning combo.
Win negotiations with Connectedness
People with connectedness bring value to negotiations by understanding how the puzzle pieces fit together. By innately understanding how/why someone created the offer they did, you can understand what’s important to the person on the other side of the table. This, combined with knowing your absolute ‘yes’ and absolute ‘no’ numbers, will allow you to approach in a way that helps you get what you want. Even if the answer is ‘no’, you will likely understand where the person is coming from and negotiate a middle ground you can live with.
Making Connectedness the cornerstone of your career strategy
Building and maintaining a strategy throughout your career is key to success. This is especially true during times of job searching or pursuing promotions. These can be trying times that make even the most talented and confident person doubt their abilities. Use your connectedness to understand your network and identify who may be able to help you take that next step toward the career of your dreams.
This is part of the Merrfeld Strengthsplanation series outline each of the Clifton StrengthsFinder talents and how you can use them to build the career of your dreams. Want to discover your innate talents and find work worth doing? Contact us today!
