TheLadders Job Central: What's next in your career?

What’s Next In Your Career?

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http://info.theladders.com/blog/bid/160256/How-to-Find-Your-Career-Path-Ask-Amanda

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My name is Amanda Augustine and I’m the Job Search Expert for TheLadders. I am a certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW). I’ve spent almost a decade working in the job search space, helping professionals find the right job, faster.

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Twitter @JobSearchAmanda

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TheLadders is an online job-matching service for all professionals ($40K+) that focuses on finding the right person for the right job.

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We’ve broken down the job search into 3 main phases: Prepare, Search and Close. This presentation will specifically focus on the very first step in your job search process, identifying your job goals.

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Before you can begin the search, you need to know where you want to go…

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Some of you may have no idea …

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Others may be looking for the next step up the corporate ladder.

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I’m going to walk you through a number of exercises you can try out. Some of these are more applicable to a person who’s in the job hunt. Others are specifically geared toward those interested in making a change in careers. And some are for those who like where they are today, but want to step up their game and advance in their career. I’m going to walk you through each activity, and then encourage you to try out the most applicable ones at home.

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Exercise 1: Take Inventory No one is an expert at everything, and, in fact, employers won’t expect you to be, as today’s job market requires subject matter expertise.

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Exercise 1: Take Inventory Take inventory of your strengths and preferences to guide the direction of your job search. Ask yourself the following questions to understand where you excel and what interests you most.

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Exercise 2: “Billboard” Top Hits This exercise was adapted from The Five O’Clock Club® “Seven Stories” exercise

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Exercise 2: “Billboard” Top Hits (Adapted from The Five O’Clock Club® “Seven Stories” exercise) If you’re having difficulty answering the last question, think back to your most rewarding and satisfying accomplishments over the course of your career. Brainstorm 10 accomplishments below. Then choose which 5 you are most proud of.

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Exercise 2: “Billboard” Top Hits (Adapted from The Five O’Clock Club® “Seven Stories” exercise) Ask yourself the following questions for each of your five proudest accomplishments: • Why were these accomplishments most important to me? What about them did I

enjoy most? • What was my involvement? Was I tasked with the project, or did I initiate it on my

own? • What was my key motivation? (Personal or social recognition, large-scale,

companywide recognition, et al.) • What was the environment like? Was it entrepreneurial and fast-paced? Slower

but controlled? • What was the focus of the project? (The arts, new program development, social

consciousness, et al.) • What core values drove my work during this project? (Collaboration,

empowerment, accountability, innovation, efficiency, diversity, service excellence, et al.)

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Exercise 2: “Billboard” Top Hits (Adapted from The Five O’Clock Club® “Seven Stories” exercise) This exercise should help you identify the underlying skills, core values and working environment that are best for you. The core values and work environment speak directly to the company culture that best suits you.

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There is an 80/20 rule in the recruiting world for placing candidates. When placing candidates, recruiters often say that 20% is based on the candidate’s skill (can they do the job), and 80% is based on their ability to fit in with the corporate and team culture. You can have all the skills in the world, but if you don’t get along with the team, you’re not going to work out there.

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Exercise 3: “9 Lives”– adapted from Karen James Chopra, LPC, MCC, NCC of Chopra Careers (http://www.chopracareers.com)

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Exercise 3: “9 Lives”– adapted from Karen James Chopra, LPC, MCC, NCC of Chopra Careers The Rules • You will have 9 lives. • You must work in each of these lives. • No trust fund, lottery, inheritance or marrying rich. It’s all you! • Whatever skills, education or experience you need, you have them. • However much money you desire to make, you will make it. • Every position has equal prestige.

Given these rules, what nine lives would you live?

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Exercise 3: “9 Lives”– adapted from Karen James Chopra, LPC, MCC, NCC of Chopra Careers When you look at the results, what themes do you see? What don’t you see? Both are important hints to help you understand what options might be available to you. This is a great exercise to do with a loved one or close friend. They can often help you pick out patterns you might otherwise miss.

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Exercise 4: Career Run-through - this exercise was adapted from Karen James Chopra, LPC, MCC, NCC of Chopra Careers (www.chopracareers.com)

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Exercise 4: Career Run-through - this exercise was adapted from Karen James Chopra, LPC, MCC, NCC of Chopra Careers (www.chopracareers.com) Take a piece of paper and make 3 columns: • Column 1: Make a list of every job you've held (just job titles/company names) in

your career. • Column 2: List (in nitty-gritty detail) what you liked about each of those jobs. Be as

specific as possible. • Column 3: List (in nitty-gritty detail) what you disliked about each of those jobs. Be

as specific as possible.

*You can also take a copy of your resume and jot down your notes next to each position. Similar to the 9 Lives challenge, take a step back and look for themes in what you’ve loved and been passionate about, and what type of work or working environment you did not enjoy.

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Think back to your childhood dreams. • What did you want to be when you grew up?

• What attracted you to that trade and why? Do you still find it attractive?

• Is there a way to leverage your current skill set in an industry that gets you closer

to this line work?

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While you may not be able to pursue your childhood dreams, consider how you can leverage your current skill set in an industry that gets you closer to that work. For instance, you might not become a scientist, but you could work in finance, sales, advertising and so forth for the pharmaceutical industry.

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Take the time to understand what you’re great at and what you love to do. Write down your goals so you don’t lose focus. The greater the gap between your goals and most recent experience, the more challenging the search will be.

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Here’s an example of how you can write out your job goals. I also recommend starring the criteria that are of highest priority.

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Keep in mind that the closer your goals match up with your recent experience, the easier it typically is to land a job. When you’re trying to make major changes, such as industry, location or function – networking and personal branding become an even more important part of your job-search strategy.

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Thank you!

Want more information?

Check out my Ask Amanda column on TheLadders Career Chronicles, and follow me on Twitter and through my Facebook page for tips and articles every day!

Ask Amanda Column theladders.com/askamanda

TheLadders Career Advice theladders.com/career-advice

Twitter @JobSearchAmanda

Facebook Page http://ow.ly/hh6wT

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