8 posts tagged “careers”

First of all, I apologize for the long hiatus . . .  I took a little break after the spring semester and did a little traveling and a little teaching (and not so much resting). 

Secondly, I have focused a lot on career tips, the pragmatic aspects of career opportunities, so I am going to shift for a while into the more nebulous arena of creatively cultivating career directions.  What is that, you ask?

Let's start with dreams.  I don't mean the psychoanalysis of dreams, their interpretations and meanings.  I mean dreams for the future -- hopes, aspirations, big goals.  Eventually we'll talk about goals and goal-setting, but we have to start with dreams.

I have a dream . . . of finishing my PhD and doing something fabulous with it.  I'm not sure what that "something fabulous" is quite yet.  I have a goal of finishing up sometime this decade.  I need to hurry; time is running out on that!  The dream is the bigger picture, the goal is detail of the picture.  Cast another way, according to the Teaching Moments blog, you shoot an arrow (goal) at a target (dream).

I like to think of it in terms of a journey: you have the destination (dream) and the vehicle (goals).  Both are equally important.  Why own a car if you don't have any place to go?  Conversely, if you have some place you want/need to reach, you need a way to get there -- just wishing yourself there or clicking your heels three times isn't likely to work!

So, what kind of car do you want to drive?  By this, I mean in the realm of opportunities and possibilities, in career and personal pathways --

* Sports car:  You want the fast track. You like to accelerate from 0-90 in a heartbeat. You want to stand out from the crowd with your style and features, get noticed, be envied. You are in a top-tier price group.

* Compact car:  You are efficient and effective; you get the job done. You can be just a loaded as features as the next car, but your emphasis is more on pragmatics. You may not get noticed for your extra features or flair, but you bring things in under budget.  You're great at going the distance.

* Hybrid car:  In today's world, you're a mix of the practical and the possibilities, down to earth and head in the clouds.  You have style, but you're sensible about it and you're looking for the best solutions for everyone.  You're globally-focused and team-oriented.

* Concept car:  You are the future, baby!  The world is in your hands, and you are ready to run with your ideas -- as soon as someone gives you the company charge card.  You are a visionary and a decision maker.  You take risks and lead others.  You are bold and people notice you and know who you are.

* Minivan:  You always have a lot of people around, and you have a unique way of providing the help that people need when they need it.  You can take charge, if necessary, but you probably prefer to be part of the support team.  You're very organized, detail-oriented, and you like the add-ons in life.  Your family values shine through and are at the heart of your aspirations.

* Pickup Truck:  You're practical and hands-on.  You like to be involved in making the details happen, not just planning them out, and you take initiative.  You're usually traditional, conservative, and a problem-solver.  People come to you to fix things -- and you do. 

Now, not everyone fits perfectly into the above categories.  Some people see themselves in more than one.  Some people may not quite see themselves (but can picture themselves as a different type of car).  You get the idea, though.  Your personality, your work style, your approach to life and values -- all of that influences how you work out your goals.  If you don't have the right type of car (goals) to get where you're going (dreams), now might be the time for a change!

The old adage, "It's not what you know but who you know" holds sway.  Networking is the premier way to find a new job.  Of course, the word "networking" strikes fear into the hearts of many.  I've discussed the topic before -- and will again, I'm sure -- because of its value (and its largely misunderstood nature).  Today, though, I'm going to focus on the technological tools that making networking if not a breeze, at least a relatively painless process. 

There are hundreds of social networking sites to explore -- and hundreds more social bookmarking sites.  New sites are cropping up constantly.  The social web is the place to watch.  Some of the top spaces are:

Facebook  (http://www.facebook.com)
MySpace (http://www.myspace.com)
Bebo (http://www.bebo.com)
iMeem (http://www.imeem.com)
Xanga (http://www.xanga.com)
Classmates (http://www.classmates.com)
Gaia Online (http://www.gaiaonline.com)
Friendster (http://www.friendster.com)

These are generally social spaces, but they can be used for making employment contacts and finding jobs.  Job seekers be wary --

*  Know your friends (you're known by the company you keep, even in cyberspace)
*  Reveal discreetly to avoid discrimination (photos, gender, marital status, religion, political affiliation, etc all reveal information that is illegal to ask in interviews and could screen you out of the job search)
*  Manage digital dirt (know what's online about you, make sure good information is visible and bad information is invisible)

The net is a tool like any other -- use it as such.  If you use a tool well, it can be an invaluable aid in your job search process.  If you use a tool poorly, it can hinder or sideline your progress.

Since it's almost baseball season, it seems apropos to think of the career search framed in the metaphor of a baseball game.

A season = a job (some players get traded to other teams)
A team = company or organization you work with/want to work with
A game = cycle of a job search
An inning = one phase of a job search
Strike = challenge
Strike out = setback
Hit = opportunity
Home run = job offer
Grand slam = successfully negotiated job acceptance

Now, I'm not a huge baseball fan, but I did spend my adolescence in St. Louis, attending Cardinals' home games once or twice a year, so I know a few things about baseball.  The metaphor may not be perfect, but it'll give us a lens to take a look at some of the details of the career search process more closely.

First of all, as any sports fan knows, you have to know the stats of the team (and the players) you're cheering to victory.  If you don't know their stats, how can you be sure the team (or player) will go the distance?  In the career search, the players put their stats into a document called a resume, a "first impression" on paper.  For more information about how to format your personal stats page and its importance in the career search, start with Dean Tracy Jobs blog on recruiting topics.   Make sure your stats stand out on the top of the pile!

Next, and I can't emphasize this enough, learn everything you can about the team and players you want to join.  You really need to do this step before you can write your resume -- and here's why: the more you know about the other team, the more you can tell them what skills, attributes, and experiences will make you their next MVP!  Help them see you as one of their new teammates by tailoring your background and qualifications to the team's needs.

Where can you find out about the team and players?  There are obvious places: company/organization websites and newspapers (online and print) that will tell you.  You can often learn about the background and mission of a company from its website and, depending on whether it's public or private, sometimes financial reports will be online.  Newspapers such as The Wall Street Journal will give you a sense of how a company sizes up against competitors, what the trends are, and what you might be able to expect in terms of growth and stability.  Besides obvious resources, check your library or career center for access to databases like Hoover's, Lexis Nexis, Vault, and CareerSearch that will search more specialized company information. 

Then, go beyond the obvious . . . look at company blogs to find the culture of the company.  Read what the company itself says -- and what it's team members say.  This is called transparency -- an important communication tool in the Internet era.  You need to know how you will fit in with the team culture so read about the values of the team, the corporate goals and mores, the stories that employees tell (and the stories between the lines) about working together.  Behind-the-scenes info is invaluable in sizing up the team and deciding how to sell yourself as their next team member.

So, work up those stats . . . that's the first step to success.  Next time, we'll talk about some next steps to take in earning a place on the team bench. 

According to the Myers-Brigg Type Indicator (MBTI), I'm an ENFP.  These four letters tell the world I'm a change agent who enjoys variety, sees possibilities everywhere, and is creative and charismatic.  On the downside, I tend to prefer an unorthodox method of organization (e.g., my own unique style of disorganization) that can be annoying to others and focus more on the big picture, the vision, and the ideas than on the details and the follow-through-all-the-way-to-the-end-when-it-gets-to-tedious-and-drawn-out part.  Like the code says, I like change and adapt well to new situations!

Within Holland's hexagon I come up with an SEA code: Social, Enterprising, and Artistic.  I love people, being around people, working with people, meeting new people, helping people -- perfect for my current occupation as a librarian/career counselor where I'm doing a lot of training and counseling.  I'm a leader and enjoy influencing others; I can sell ideas that I believe in and frequently organize groups and motivate others to get jobs done.  In addition to my interest in languages (French, Spanish, Italian, etc.) and international cultures in general, I both appreciate the performing arts and enjoy performing in musical, theatrical, and dance venues when time and opportunities allow.  Not to mention the fact that I've been known to dabble in the fine arts from time to time!

There are other inventories I have taken over the years and, no doubt, other codes I could acquire to "tell me about myself."  At the end of the day, though, these codes only take me so far in answering the big questions: Who am I?  What do I want to be when I grow up? 

While some of us would like to answer a page or two of questions and receive a printed report with definitive confirmation of our life's destiny, these assessments fall far short of being the guidestars we might want them to be.  They are simply tools to help us on our quest.  The hard work of searching, experiencing, trying different careers out for size, talking to as many professionals as possible is up to us.  The end result, after we make our decision to pursue a single path towards a career, a specific degree program?  We are rewarded with a set of letters to signify our degree: BA, BS, MA, MS, PHD. 

THE END

When you're searching for a career, the best move you can make is to "try before you buy."  In other words, get an internship -- or at least do some volunteer work, spend some time job shadowing, do some informational interviews with a wide variety of experts in the field you're going to enter.  Would you buy a mattress without testing it first?  Would you choose a car without taking it for a test drive?  Then why choose a major or sign on to a job without knowing what the ins and outs of the field are really like (and you can only learn so much from reading about it).  I speak from experience!

I spent 2 1/2 years earning my teaching credential and Master of Arts in Teaching -- only to get to the end (you know, the part where they actually put you in the classroom, with live children running amok, parents beating down the door, and administrators waving policies) and find out, "This teaching gig ain't my cup of tea!"  The theory textbooks didn't mention the disconnect between schools and parents.  The professors didn't spend a lot of time on the red-tape bureaucratic structure of school boards, administrative policies on curriculum, school committees, and constraints on actual time allotted to teaching.  Even our one required behavior management class wasn't sufficient background material for dealing with in-the-flesh situations with smart-lipped teenagers and classroom power struggles.  I love teaching and I love teens -- and I even love teaching teens -- but not in the traditional setting of a regular classroom. 

An internship experience a little earlier in the game would have saved me a lot of angst.  Live and learn, though.  I don't regret my classroom experiences and the lives I touched as a teacher, hopefully a few of them effectively.  I personally find the non-traditional library setting more satisfying as an educational arena -- no standardized tests, minimal restrictions on curriculum, fewer behavioral management issues.  I still love teaching because when I'm guiding others through the learning process, I'm completely wrapped up in the experience -- no need to watch the clock, count the ceiling tiles, etc.  As they say in psychology, I'm in "flow."  When I give a presentation and can get the participants involved through asking questions, doing role plays, talking to each other -- I've got my A game going.  The moment a participant comes up to me with the eyes of someone who has just seen a light for the first time, then I know that the years with the theory textbooks were valuable (as were my short-lived times in the trenches).

Lessons Learned:
1.  Find your passion and do it; keep your eyes off the clock and get caught up and swept away.
2.  Break a sweat, get your hands dirty -- get an internship, get a job, volunteer -- you'll be in your career longer than you'll be in a new car.
3.  If your new career isn't the right one, it's not a prison; regroup and move on -- your skills transfer to other settings.

The poem "The Road Less Traveled" by Robert Frost is one of my favorite poems because it encapsulates my career path.  My undergraduate degree is in General Studies -- and I do mean general.  Although I had sufficient credits to earn concentrations in Psychology, History, Sociology, English and minors in French, Education, and Theatre, there was no rhyme nor reason to my course selection.  I took History of Furniture in one of my last semesters -- and it was one of my most challenging classes.  I also took Basic Marketing as well as Personnel Management.  One of my most unique history classes was History of the Five Civilized Tribes.  I did a practicum in Technical Theatre and worked in the costume shop as well as building sets.  I took voice classes, participated in Master's classes, and took two semesters of Opera Workshop -- great experiences to extend my vocal training, not to mention my set-building experience, albeit no practical relationship to my career aspirations.  Actually, at that point in my life, I don't think I even had career aspirations.  I have definitely taken a circuitous road, if not a less traveled one.

Since college, I have had careers in teaching (middle school/elementary), youth ministry, non-profit governance, librarianship, and now career counseling/web programming/higher education.  That's all in the scope of 14 years.  Time flies when you're having fun.  All this to say . . . the career decisions you make at eighteen (or any age) don't have to last a lifetime, they just have to get you started.  Also, your degree area doesn't limit you to the area of your degree; think broadly about where the degree can take you.  I know a lady with an Art History degree who went to work in venture capital.  I know guys with Psychology and History degrees who are now in IT and web programming.  I know a French major who is a library professional and an Art major who is a technical administrator for a call center.  How did these people get into these jobs?  Some took special training or studied on their own to gain needed skills.  Many of the people, though, looked at their transferable skills -- and used them.

Transferable Skills
*  Communication skills
*  Leadership
*  Teamwork
*  Problem solving/analytical skills
*  Project management
*  Technology skills

This is a short list to get you started!  Which of these skills do you have?  How will they be important in different careers/jobs that interest you?  Your goal is to use your resume/cover letter to showcase your transferable skills.
 

Would you use a hammer to paint your walls?  Why not?  It's not the right tool for the job -- and it's likely to cause more harm than good.  Would you use an awl to tighten a screw?  You could try -- but you might not want to trust those screws later!  Would you use a wrench to pound in a nail to hang a picture?  Probably not -- unless you have really good aim or want a dent in your wall.  All this to say . . . there are specific tools for specific jobs; use the right tool.

When you're muddled about what you're doing with your life and where to go next, or you feel like you're drifting along with the current -- happy but not particularly challenged or excited, you need a tool for self-exploration and self-knowledge.  There are a variety of tools in this area.  Career counselors can administer various inventories, including the Strong Interest Inventory or the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, to help you determine what you like to do.  These are rather lengthy and require skilled interpretation but can assist you in uncovering areas you might not previously have considered exploring as career possibilities. 

A variety of online tools and print resources can also help you explore dimensions of who you are.  Be wary of online services that charge fees for assessments; they may offer the real deal or they may be scams.  Some state employment websites offer career tools with assessment tools to guide you in exploring your interests, values, and skills -- all important contributors to discovering your pathway to happiness.  One valuable print resource is What Color is My Parachute?  If you already know your Myers Briggs code, Do What You Are can point out some career areas to match your personality.  Your local public library career section (and the local librarian) can help you explore other options, both electronically and in print. 

Just remember . . . start exploring with the right set of tools by your side.  The first step on the path is to Know Thyself.   What do you like to do?  Do it!  What can you do well?  Put those skills to the test!  You won't enjoy work that you struggle to do every day.  What do you value?  That should be part of your work life, not just your home and leisure life. 

Here's an activity that will take you back in time and help you connect with your creative lens:
* Get some playdough, any kind, any color (I like the bright colors or the edible peanut butter kind)
* Make 4 large balls -- they should all look as similar as possible, even if you're using 4 different colors
* Now, leave 1 ball the way it is -- that's the "control"
* Take a 2nd ball and roll it into a snake shape (or worm or other long stretchy creature) -- feel free to include marks on its back for identification purposes
* Take a 3rd ball and flatten it into a pancake or record or frisbee (or other similar flat, round shape) -- as before, feel free to design it
*  Take the 4th ball and create a new shape of your choice -- go wild, be inventive -- make a person, a vehicle, a building, whatever comes to mind!

Then reflect -- of the 4 balls that started out alike, only 1 remains; the other 3 have become something new.  They're all made of the same substance, but they're shaped differently.  Try to answer a few questions:

Which creation took the longest?  Was the most satisfying to create?  To behold?  Which would be easiest to change?  How can you make them all alike again -- without going back to their original state?

We are like playdough -- our skills are transferable from one setting to another and our lives are malleable if we simply think broadly and creatively.  Realize that the path you choose today may not be the path you will walk down the road -- and be open to that transformation.  "Thinking outside the box" is a concept we hear bandied about often enough.  What does it really mean?  As someone who has a Master of Arts in Teaching and a teaching credential, I've interpreted it to mean that I can apply my teaching skills in non-traditional teaching settings.  I found out shortly after entering the classroom scene that I'm not cut from classroom cloth.  I love the energy of students and the sparkle of teaching -- but I can do without the politics, bureaucracy, nitty gritty of classroom management, and realities of being tied to a defined curriculum.  For the past 10 years or so, then, I've taught in a variety of settings -- churches, libraries, groups and one-on-one enrichment -- and these bring me greater joy and freedom to design the curriculum that I was trained to design.

So . . . what skills do you have?  This is where the phrase "transferable skills" is important.  You may have developed great teamwork skills in a coffee shop or sports camp or Jiffy Lube.  And now you want to use those teamwork skills -- transfer them, so to speak -- to a marketing team or a consulting team or a healthcare team.  Working in a team is working in a team wherever you are.  Sometimes it's difficult, though, to see how pliable our skill sets are.  We're boxed into traditional ways of viewing the world.