Connect with the actual needs of a specific market

The market is growing and changing ever faster. For nearly every one of us it is becoming increasingly important to think about (some of) the following questions:

• What is my unique way of contributing, and to whom?
• Why would someone choose my expertise?
• Why would a company want to acquire me with my unique set of skills and experience?
• Why would the ‘internal clients’ within our company need my service?

The times that we all could work somewhere and that ‘they’ would take care of you and your development are in the past. That’s ok! We are all independent people, and no victims. It is exactly this attitude that we need to change our surroundings, to modify, and to work in a structural environment. In an environment that serves us as an energy resource.

Until 200 years ago the most people (by far) were independent. You were carpenter, butcher, farmer, goldsmith, doctor, scientist, lawyer, or merchant. You were responsible for you own earnings, for the profit, for your further development, for the education of your children, for your pension, etc. Surely it is great that we have the welfare state, and that we are able to support the weak and the sick. Just why do the other 90% often feel as weak and sick? The times for self-pity are over. We need to take our own responsibility more and more. We will need to create our own jobs more and more again. We will need to actively shape our surrounding and our situation. Not only because it enables us to make our surroundings structural, and to gain more energy from our work, but also because there will be no alternative.

It also means being able to present and sell yourself and your unique professionalism as good as you can. So, back to the 4 questions of the beginning of this blog. Use the following schedule to gain some more insight in to what makes you unique and valuable to your clients, customers etc.

Ask yourself: what are my regular customers/clients (they can be internal and external)? And think about what their needs are. Then ask yourself: what are my unique skills, what makes my service unique (service-package). Typically this is a combination of 3 core skills that you have to offer. For instance: organizing events, and doing the social media marketing that comes with it.

What needs, of what group of clients/ customers, with what service?		My top 3 internal and external clients/customers
		Client/customer 1	Client/customer 2	Client/customer 3
		Specific needs	Specific needs	Specific needs
My top 3 Service-packages	Service1
	Service2
	Service3

After you have mapped out your ‘market-situation’ you can make a concrete action- and development-plan for this year. Ask yourself:

• How can I develop my professionalism in regard to my unique skills and service further?
• How can I continuously optimize my service towards my clients/customers?
• Who can support me with these questions? (To ensure that I’m not only aware of the situation, but also take action!)

Action- and development-plan
My service-package	How to develop further	Support
1
2
My customer-service	How to continuously optimize	Support
1
2

This concludes our jobcrafting journey for now! In short: jobcrafting means taking initiative in regard of all of the 4 elements to improve your work, your environment, and your stands in the market. It means taking initiative, taking action to integrate all 4 elements into your work!

Paul Donders