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Personal Inventory
Before taking on any project, first you take stock of your assets. Cooks shop for ingredients before preparing a meal. Carpenters collect their tools and materials, etc. Without first ascertaining what you have and what you need, it would be foolish to plunge into the job hunting process. Preparation is key.
This section is about making an inventory of your career assets. However, in order to honestly and accurately perform this inventory, it is important to clear your mind and remove any programming you've picked up over the years from your current employer.
Clear your Mind - the rest will follow
If you have frequently heard your supervisor or co-workers tell you that you can't find a better job elsewhere, or that you'll be treated the same everywhere, then you have been programmed or brainwashed by your employer. They will tell you whatever you need to hear to convince you that it's not in your best interest to leave them. They have invested time and resources on you and they don't want to go through the process of finding, hiring and training your replacement.
The reality is that you're a company asset (ie: a table, computer or building) and at any point in time your company can cut that asset if they feel that it helps their bottom line (ie: profits). You may get along great with your CEO or supervisor and you may think that you'll never be cut, but no company will guarantee to be loyal to you. It's not personal, its business.
You may also have your own self-depreciating thoughts that lead you believe that you are not able to do better. Or maybe you have family and friends that think that way. IT'S NOT TRUE!
THERE IS a better job out there for you. THERE IS a company that will fit your needs better. Your life CAN BE BETTER if you're honest with yourself and strive for that which you deserve.
Your job does not define you, it serves YOU. Your job isn't only about earning enough money to pay the rent and the bills. Your job should fill your needs at that point in your life. If it doesn't make you happy, feel fulfilled or meet your financial needs at the time, then it's not the right job for you.
Do not settle for a dead-end job or subscribe to the "better the devil you know, than the devil you don't know" fear. Take the time to realize if you have these thoughts and feelings inside you, acknowledge them and then move beyond them. If you can't deprogram yourself on your own, enlist the help of supportive friends and family members. Keep an open mind throughout this process and be honest with yourself, and you will find the best job for you.
Skills & Knowledge
This information will help to create a powerful resume, negotiate well, give you confidence in the interview and finally land the right job.
Make a long list of your known skills. Don't stop until you have listed 100 or more. If you find this difficult to do there are ways to make it easier.
- Use the skills & knowledge assessment tests found on the Internet.
- There are books available that provide both brief and detailed skills & knowledge assessment tests.
- Ask the people that know you best to honestly evaluate you and help you identify your skills.
- Pull out old performance evaluations and see what former bosses had to say about you (good or bad).
- List several accomplishments, both on the job and in your personal life, and then determine what skills & knowledge you used. (More on this later)
Next prioritize your Top 100, listing the skills that motivate & appeal to you most at the top and the ones that least interest you at the bottom. It is important to know if you like a particular skill. Just because you are good at something does not necessarily mean you will want to spend 40 hrs a week doing it.
Accomplishments
This is not the time to be modest or shy about your achievements. Go back in your memory several years and make a list of each significant accomplishment. These can be from your work experience or personal life. A dozen or more will do, but more will be better. Some examples:
- Problem resolved
- Project completed
- Situation improved
- Goals achieved
Next write out (must be written down) a description of the accomplishment being sure to describe the problem or situation, what actions or steps you took, and the results achieved. Thoroughly evaluate the accomplishment to learn exactly what skills or knowledge you used to achieve the end result. Add those to your skills list.
Next review each accomplishment and summarize it into 1-2 sentences. These will later be used on your resume as accomplishment statements so write them down and save them.
Ideal Job
This part seems pretty obvious but many folks skip over it only to regret it later. Its like going out to buy a car without knowing what you need - an automatic, 2 or 4 door, minivan or sedan etc. By defining early on in the game what you consider to be an ideal work environment, you will be able to accept job offers that match and reject those that dont.
First go back in your memory to the last few jobs you had and ask yourself these questions:
- What did you like & dislike about the company?
- What did you like & dislike about your position in that company?
- What did you like & dislike about your boss?
- What other things did you like & dislike?
Be sure to address areas such as:
- income, bonus, commission, profit sharing, 401k
- benefits - medical, disability, life insurance, vacation & sick time
- location home office, telecommuting, travel, commuting
- company industry, size, growth
- work style management style, work climate, diversity
- hours shifts, flex-time, telecommuting
Keep the "like" and "dislike" lists separate. Make sure to review several jobs, the more the better.
Next look at your "like" and "dislike" lists and notice if there are any repeats that might signal an important job criteria. Take the negative statements from the "dislike" list, convert it into a positive and move it to the "like" list. For example:
This - "I hate having a boss that hovers and smoothers me."
Becomes this "I like a boss that allows me to work independently with little supervision."
Next prioritize your list with the most important criteria at the top. Keep this for future reference. When it is time to evaluate a company to see if it is the right match for you, compare it to this
Financial Inventory
Review your financial situation to determine how long you go without a job (if you are unemployed or considering leaving your job). This will be a determining factor in how long you have to conduct your job search. Also look at your financials objectively and ask yourself what is the minimum salary you can accept in order to make ends meet.
If you do not already have a budget set up, create a simple spreadsheet to compare your expenses and your present income. On the spreadsheet list all your expenses including minor items (ie: magazine subscriptions, pet food etc). If these expenses vary by month then list the projected amount for the next 6-12 months. Total your expenses for each month. Then list all your sources of income for those same months and your savings. Compare the expenses total to the income and savings total.
Do not skip this step or perform it mentally. Write it down and keep it handy. By reviewing this information now you will be able to negotiate more confidently when the time comes.
Links to websites with more info on Assessment
A Guide to Going Online For Self-Assessment Tools - by CareerJournal.com
Self-Directed Search developed by Dr John L Holland
Career-Intelligence.com - The smart woman's online career resource
QueenDom.Com - An extensive collection of tests to help you learn more about yourself
Links to websites with more info on Personal Financial Planning
A survival guide for the unemployed - from MSN Money
iVillage Money - website dedicated to a woman's financial goals
Expense Manager - a free service from Yahoo! Finance that analyzes your income vs expenses
Creating a Household Budget - by Right On the Money
