6 skills you gained in the job search that apply to your new role

Congratulations! If you’ve just accepted a job offer, you’ve earned the right to enjoy your success. Like most job seekers, you’re probably hoping to forget that long and arduous job-search journey.

But think again. That search has likely brought you a new set of skills. If you want to succeed, you’ll take stock of these skills and use them in your new role—and in every job you’ll have in the future.

Here are six things your successful job search has taught you.

1. Fearlessness

The No. 1 quality searching for a job teaches you is bravery—how to put yourself out there, commit to a goal, and rally others to support you.

Nothing requires more daring than asking for help from your network and putting yourself forward in job interviews. The “ask” is always hard to do, and developing the courage to be a confident “asker” is a huge step forward.

If you hang onto that daring, you will be amazing at work: You’ll have the courage to ask your boss for new assignments, ask your executives for high-profile projects, ask your team or colleagues to meet deadlines on projects, and yes, ask for a raise or promotion when you feel you are ready. Hang on to this daring.

2. Self-awareness

You know better now what you really want from your career than you did before you started your search. So, don’t be afraid to continue this investigative process. Ask yourself:

• Is my new job fulfilling?
• Does it make me feel great about the work I’m doing?
• Is this job a good fit?

This self-analysis will likely deepen your relationship to the work you’re now doing and strengthen your ties with those around you. It will also intensify your commitment to the company if you have the right fit.

Or, it might lead you to realize this wasn’t exactly the role or company you wanted, and you’ll decide to pivot to still another role, or that next big opportunity. In either case, this self-knowledge will create a strong career trajectory.

3. Networking savvy

Most job candidates land their jobs with the help of their network. It’s likely that, if you’ve received a job offer, successful networking was involved along the way.

Once you’re in your new role, keep networking. Stay in touch with those who helped you—former bosses and others whose opinion you value. They represent a source of insight and influence in your present role. They can mentor you, support you by getting you speaking engagements, or step in and endorse you if you are up for a promotion. They’ll even vouch for you when you begin your next job search.

Stay in touch, take them to lunch, invite them to your company events—anyone who supported you in your job search can also be an influencer to you in your career.

4. Power of preparation

Another skill you’ll have aced is the power of preparation. People who are unprepared rarely land a job. As job-search books and articles will tell you, success comes with preparation—prepping your elevator pitch, your networking scripts, your answers to questions, and even salary negotiation scripts. This directly applies to your new role, as well. You’ll discover that preparing your meeting “scripts” is a must, as is prepping to update your boss, or crushing a big presentation.

Sure, you won’t deliver your script verbatim, but writing notes in advance ensures you’ll have the shape of what you want to say in your mind. And you won’t be one of those people who meanders and wastes everyone’s time. Being prepared helps you project a level of confidence that will show everyone the strength of your thinking and why they should believe in you.

5. Standout qualities

If you succeeded in landing a job, you know how to stand out from the crowd. Think back to your job search: Ask yourself, “What in my character got me this job?” What were the qualities that you feel impressed the recruiter, the hiring manager, the VP, or CEO who gave the final interview?

Was it your authenticity? Your passion? Your positivity? Your ability to sound humble while showing your strengths? Your desire to listen more than you speak? Any successful job seeker knows the power of conveying qualities like these. So if you were successful, you must have impressed with these qualities, or others.

In your new role, identify the qualities that made you successful in landing the job, and express these in your new assignment. If you’ve gotten a sales job, it may be your ability to connect with others. If you’re a software engineer, it may be your confidence in your expertise. Don’t leave those qualities behind now that you have the job. They’re what will make you successful in your role.

6. Strong salesmanship

One of the greatest skills gained from a job search is the art of selling yourself. It’s actually a capability you’ll need at work if you want to be a dynamic leader.

To make this happen, imagine that every meeting you attend is a job interview. Think of how that will transform your performance. You’ll be better prepared; you’ll have your pitch ready (whether on slides or in your mind); you’ll be ready to answer any questions that come your way. You’ll speak with charisma, adopting a tone that is upbeat and confident. And you’ll fill the room with enthusiasm for your ideas.

Successful salesmanship is not just for sales people. It’s for anyone who wants to build a strong career path by selling their ideas and turning others into believers.