Category Archives: Self-Assess

4 Lame Excuses To Not Assess Yourself

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4 Lame Excuses To Not Assess Yourself.

There are so many fabulous bits of information in this latest email blast from one of today’s top career specialists, JT O’Donnell, Founder of CareerHMO. Click the link above for the full monty!

JT offers up great questions to ask yourself so you can evaluate what a “good” job means to YOU, keeping in mind that we are all unique and one size does not fit all.

The categories she recommends include:

Life Balance – How satisfied you are right now with the 8 key areas of your life. (They are Mental Self, Physical Self, Career, Finances, Significant Other, Friends & Family, Physical Surroundings, Hobbies & Recreations.)

Core Values – Your personal definitions of success for each key area and the priority they hold in your life. (Hint: No two people have the same definitions or priorities.)

Interaction Style – The way you communicate at work and how it is perceived by others. You can learn your interaction style by taking this FREE test.

Work Style – The manner and preference in which you like to accomplish tasks.

Learning Preferences – The ideal resources and methods for you to learn on-the-job.

Unique Gifts – The things you excel at naturally. Many people struggle to determine this accurately because what makes us ‘unique’ feels so normal, that we don’t see it as special.

Passion & Interests – The opportunity to observe how your unique combination of values, strengths and preferences are used when you do things you love.

JT sends out daily advice for job seekers, so sign up for her free newsletters while you are there!

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Is Your Career On Track? Take Our Quiz! – Forbes

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Is Your Career On Track? Take Our Quiz! – Forbes

My favorite take away from this article is the reminder that:

WE ARE ALL CONSULTANTS!!!!!!

The second reminder is:

ORDER PERSONAL BUSINESS CARDS!!!!

The third reminder is:

GAUGE YOUR PROGRESS…

In order to move forward —->>>  from job —->>> to career —->>> to purpose, you need to complete the SUCCESS cycle by taking time to self-reflect and determine where you are on your path, and what your next steps are.

Take a moment to complete the “Is Your Career On Track?” quiz at Forbes Magazine. It will help you determine if your career is on track, and provides ten steps to move your career forward.

Keep in mind, that the end game is to progress into your purpose. That’s when you’ll really begin to feel in the flow!

You Did Not Get the Job! Now What?

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You Did Not Get the Job! Now What?

One of the most challenging, yet essential skills needed to succeed in today’s workforce is learning how to handle rejection. This “soft skill” is rarely taught, but is quickly learned through trial and error.

If you work in sales or if you are an actor, you are more likely to know how to pitch your product or your talent in that proverbial elevator spiel. People in Sales might also know how to convert a “No/Not now” into a “Yes!”

While your ego may tempt you to ignore the news, the hallmark of a true professional is demonstrating that you are a team player and know how to handle rejection. The following repost is an excellent blog from one of today’s leading career experts.

Posted on June 29, 2014 by Marc Miller—No Comments ↓

No Job photo from ShutterstockYou did not get the job! What do you do now?

You just got the rejection notice that said you did not get the job you really wanted.

What could have happened:

  • There was a more qualified candidate than you for this position.
  • You did not demonstrate one or more attributes that they were looking for in a candidate. You may have those qualities, but you did not convey them in the hiring process.
  • There was an internal candidate that was deemed a safer hire.
  • They just made a mistake and hired the wrong person.

You did not get the job. That is true—but let’s create a process where you can learn and grow from the experience.

What are you going to do now?

Post Interview

Immediately after the interview, consider doing the following:

  • Write a personalized, hand-written thank you note to everyone you interviewed with. If possible, hand carry them to the office where you interviewed.
  • Write a personalized e-mail to everyone you interviewed with.
  • Send a LinkedIn request to everyone you interviewed with. You want to gain as many connections into the organization as possible.

Post-Rejection Notice

After you have been informed that you did not get the job, consider doing the following:

  • E-mail the hiring manager, thanking him or her for the opportunity to interview for the position. Mention that you would like to be considered for other opportunities in the future.
  • E-mail others that you interviewed with, and thank them for their time. Ask them for any feedback that they may be able to provide.
  • If you followed the Targeted Job Search strategy and Targeted the Company , you should have had an employee referral. If so, then ask your referral to do some detective work.

1-2 Months Later

Monitor LinkedIn for changes in the department that you interviewed:

  • Check to see who was hired for the position.
  • If it was an external candidate, check to see how their credentials compare to yours. Were they better qualified?
  • Send a connection request to the individual who was hired.

3-6 Months Later

Reach out to the person hired and ask to meet for coffee or lunch. Ask for AIR-Advice, Insights and Recommendations!

What could happen:

  • The person who was hired might not work out. I have seen this happen!
  • They might open up other positions for which you will be a better fit.
  • You could learn that the person they hired was better qualified and a better fit.

I recently had a client that was hired a year after the person they hired did not work out, and they changed the job description to better fit my client’s qualifications.

When you do not get the job of your dreams, be persistent and do not let inertia set in!

Marc Miller – Career Pivot

Check out my book Repurpose Your Career – A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers

Do not forget to follow me on Twitter or FaceBook

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About

Marc Miller is the founder of Career Pivot which helps Baby Boomers design careers they can grow into for the next 30 years. Marc authored the book Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for Baby Boomers published in January 2013, which has been featured on Forbes.com, US News and World Report, CBS Money-Watch and PBS’ Next Avenue. Career Pivot was selected for the Forbes Top 100 Websites for your Career. Marc has made six career pivots himself, serving in several positions at IBM in addition to working at two successful Austin, Texas startups, teaching math in an inner-city high school and working for a local non-profit. Learn more about Marc and Career Pivot by visiting the Career Pivot Blog or follow Marc on Twitter or Facebook.

How true leaders behave

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Simon Sinek: Why good leaders make you feel safe | Talk Video | TED.com.

I love this Leadership TEDtalk presented by Simon Sinek!

He describes how a true leader behaves.

People immediately recognize and respond to a leader who makes them feel safe. They are willing to give their trust to a person who they instinctively know will respect and honor them. According to Sinek, a true leader looks after the person on their left, and the person on their right.

They do not discriminate. They treat all people equally.

A good organizational leader instinctively knows that valuing and acknowledging their employees efforts and contributions, and investing in them by providing feedback and coaching if and when needed is going to make a huge difference when times get tough.

Sinek also discusses how anyone can lead from any level of an organization. By building trust and looking after the best interests of your colleagues, you forge a bond and create value that goes beyond a paycheck.

Ask yourself:

  • How can I build trust and support?
  • Who might appreciate extra assistance?
  • How can I make a difference?

Then take action!

Create a partnership, collaborate, and start building your team and support network!

 

The Science of Character

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Great video in support of Character Day!

This video is based on the science behind the VIA Character Survey.

Kudos to Tiffany Shlain and the Moxie Film Institute for showing how FUN character education can be, and the difference it can make!

Link

VIA Character Survey

When working with students or clients, it is essential to have a set of tools that provide or encourage a feedback flow.

Tools like the VIA Character Survey open communication channels so that we can start a conversation about what really matters most to the person seeking information or assistance. These assessment tools can also serve as a starting point when interviewing and getting to know a new client. Once the conversation is flowing, we can begin to identify issues important to our clients so together we can form a collaborative plan to move them forward.

One of the best (free!) tools I’ve come across is the VIA Character Survey. (see link)

The VIA Character Survey is a fun and revealing way to get to know yourself and others. The survey was developed by a team of psychologists including Dr. Martin Seligman, the “father of Positive Psychology” and author of Authentic Happines and Flourish. The survey has been taken by over 2.6 million people in over 190 countries!

Learners and clients can take the survey to self-evaluate character strengths such as curiosity, gratitude, humor and zest. The survey results help individuals understand the character traits that reflect their “true” selves.

My top five character traits are: Gratitude, Spirituality, Hope, Love, and Curiosity

What are your top character traits? Take the VIA Survey and come back and share your results!

Steps to success

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Steps to success

Which step have you reached today?

I wish I could give credit to the person that created this wonderful illustration of how to succeed one step at a time.

Success begins with knowing which step you are on so you can move beyond any fear or resistance to taking your next step.

If you can be honest about what step you are on, it can help you identify the story you are telling yourself about why you think you can’t take that next step.

Once you identify that information, you can change the story by challenging your thinking or adjusting your attitude about the situation.

How do you do that?

By making a different choice!

It can be as simple as telling yourself YES I CAN! or YES I WILL!

Changing your thinking from negative to positive usually helps you make better choices and take the right action.