UNDERSTANDING YOURSELF AND WORK

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Years back most people had the same job until they retired. They would find a job at age 16 or 18 and stay until age 65. There was job stability. If you did your job you were secure. Companies were independent and normally run by family members: Motorola, Crane, Wrigley etc. That is not the case today. Companies are now owned and run by large conglomerates and sometimes foreign investment. The loyalty and job security that existed is gone. When entering or moving in today’s job market one has to have options and be flexible. You can no longer feel safe that your skills, industry or line of work will be there tomorrow.To fit into today’s job market a person has to analyze and evaluate him or herself. What are your likes, dislikes, skills, needs, interests, education, personality and other personal traits. It’s very hard to take an honest look at oneself and decide where I will best fit into the job market. You have to build your own personal profile to judge your qualifications and personality. Once you identify the job or type of position you feel comfortable with; than it’s important to seek an organizational environment that is conducive to your personality. Sometimes you can have the perfect job, but you wind up with people issues or you become unhappy with management policies or other problems.Let’s talk little about your likes.. When you were young, you probably had or maybe still have dreams of what you want to be. Maybe you had a hero or person that you admired and wanted to imitate. Most boys have a baseball or sports hero. Girls admired a movie star. You have to be realistic in determining what you can and can’t do. We’re all different so it’s hard to make a blanket statement or to pick an approach to select a career. You can search the want ads to see what type of jobs are available, attend career conferences, follow in the footsteps of relatives, enter a family business, read career books, talk to friends about their experiences, ask yourself what were your favorite subjects in school: music, history, art, math, English etc. If you go to college you have to select a major that prepares you for a certain line of work or career. Maybe you want to be a chef, electrician, plumber and your approach to success is a trade school. You need to define the elements that meet your criteria, this is very difficult, and it may take periods of time to understand and adjust to meet career goals.What are your dislikes? Maybe you don’t like working indoors or with people. You don’t like responsibility, handling money, making decisions. You don’t like driving long distances. You don’t want long hours or overtime. You don’t want a job with changing conditions or one that requires continuing education. You must decide how important are your dislikes and too what extent are you willing to accept, what you consider, unfavorable working conditions.What are your skills? Technical, computer, mechanical, speak foreign languages, strong written skills, verbal, athletic, medical, and financial, math, social, or any skills that make you stand out from others. Some positions offer you the opportunity to develop or expand skills such as trades or on the job training.What are your needs? Do you need to make a certain amount of money or are you willing to start for less and work up. Past experience and education can determine your salary. Maybe you’re interested in benefits: education, on the job training, opportunities for advancement, career path, health care, investment plans, vacation time. What perks do you feel are important?Does the position interest me? Will I be bored? Will it lead to better opportunities, more money, create incentives to produce quality work, make me confident and more secure in my abilities, will you gain new and diverse skills. Does it fit your personality? Will you be comfortable in the environment? Will I use my education and previous training to improve and grow?There are so many questions to ask in seeking or finding the right job. You need to sit down, with a piece of paper, and document the things you know about yourself and the job or career you seek. If you’re seeking your first job your circumstances will be different from someone who has been in the job market. Above all try to understand yourself and have a good idea of what you want to do. The only true test is by working. Some of us learn by mistakes. Some are fortunate to land the perfect job, in the perfect environment. Don’t under estimate the effort that goes into finding a job. Next time let’s discuss some of the ways to find a job or the job search.For alittle humor check out, LOAFING.wmv (4.9MB.Your neighbor, Sasiad.
Posted by FROM THE FRONT PORCH at 10:01 AM