PARKER Associates

Assessments are useful in your career.  The results can be very illuminating to the job searcher. They can help steer your career in a direction of meaningful work.  Frequently companies give assessments before hiring.  What do assessments say about you?  It is useful to take some assessments yourself before a hiring manager asks you to do it.  Knowing yourself really well will help you to remain calm and answer the assessment questions honestly.  Self knowledge is the key to finding a job that really suits you.

1. Self-assessments get you to think strategically about yourself. At least yearly you need to look at yourself to determine your strengths and skills, identify the areas that need more development and put a plan together to get training and experience in the areas you want to develop.  Looking at your vision for your career should help you to see where your strengths and skills fit into your total plan.
2. A communications assessment will tell you what others learn about you from the way you speak and behave.  The DISC assessment can help you to see what your communication and behavioral style tells others about you.  You can learn to adapt your behavior and communication style to suit your situation.
3. A behavioral assessment will teach you how to identify the behavioral style of those you work with.  Once you understand the way others like to be communicated with you can adjust your style to that of your audience.  Better yet if your work team has used the DISC you and they will have a better understanding of individual differences and either adjust or acknowledge your styles.  You will also appreciate the value of all styles in the workplace.
4. Assessments help to validate your own self-assessment.  If you believe you have a particular strength it is helpful to get support from an assessment that in fact you do have that strength.  One assessment that can be helpful comes with the book Strength Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/159562015X/parkerassociates
5. Assessments give you confidence and language to speak about your strengths, style and skills to others.  Some people may find it difficult to talk about themselves.  To many it feels like boasting and many of us learned in childhood that was not a good thing to do.  In a work situation it is necessary to “toot your own horn” and therefore if you are at a loss for the right words an assessment can give you those words and the confidence to say them with commitment.
6. From some assessments you will learn how others see you. In a 360 assessment your work group will give you feedback anonymously.  The data is then collected so that you get a picture of how the group sees you.
7. Assessments will help you writing a resume, answering interview questions and branding. The more you understand yourself and are confident in what you are saying the more you will impress those who are in position to hire or promote you.  In the course of learning from your assessments you may also find what makes you stand out from others.
8. Assessments are objective and many have had their validity verified.  Except for the assessment that is done by your work colleagues assessments are usually done by your answering questions about yourself.  Assessments have no agenda or preconceived ideas about you.  You may in fact learn some things you did not know about yourself.  Before discarding the results that you object to ask some trusted sources whether what you found offensive is in fact the way they see you.
9. Assessments can help to start a useful conversation with a career coach or friend.  Even assessments that are just checklists get you to think about whether the results are true or not.  Some assessments have no real validity.  We take them for fun.  I’m talking about the short questionnaires that appear in magazines.  Assessments always give you something to think about even if it is just “Is this really a valid way to assess this?”
10. Assessments can help you to guide your career by helping you to build on the strengths you already have and to develop any weaknesses that you see are vital for your career and/or that really interest you.   They also can let you see where you might need some support.  A career coach can be helpful in steering you to the appropriate assessments, guiding you to understand their meaning for you and your career, and helping you to initiate the changes you decide are necessary.

If you are employed today you are probably grateful to have a job.  When the job market improves a bit there will be  many people ready to leave their current job in order to find something better.  Maybe you feel you want to leave it right now! People often have mixed feelings about leaving a job and company they know well to go to a new job in a company they do not know well.  You can start to prepare for that transition by checking to see if you are making any or all of these career mistakes and taking the action necessary to correct the mistake.

1.       Not continually building new relationships and enhancing the old relationships while you are employed.  Employed people often get complacent and don’t continue to build their relationships.  On the day they are laid off, fired or quit their current job, they begin to call the people they know.  They get the reputation of being someone who only calls when they need something – a job!  Few if any people are going to help initially.

2.       Being too loyal to their employer. Some people actually think it is disloyal to the company they are working for to begin to look at other companies that they would like to work for.  You owe it to yourself to keep abreast of salaries in other companies, new job requirements being asked for, and what the hot employers are in your industry.

3.       Not having a career plan.  It is not enough to go from job to job within one organization any more.  That was the way it was in my father’s day.  Today to be attractive to employers you need a variety of experiences outside the company.  As you learn more about the kinds of experiences required from employers you will want to have a plan to get those experiences.  The plan should include companies you are interested in, skills you want to build, as well as goals for adding additional responsibilities in your current and future jobs.

4.       Assuming because the economy is bad there are no jobs available.  Even in a bad economy there are jobs available.  Find a way to fill a void that an employer has and he/she will hire you.  Stay abreast of the trends in your industry or profession.  What can you learn today that will be invaluable to employers in the future?

5.       Not building a relationship with one or two recruiters.  As a sales executive there was nothing more irritating then taking a call from a recruiter when I was busy.  They just wasted my time or so I thought.  I was dead wrong.  Find one or two in your industry that are good and talk to them frequently.  They know the skills that are hard to find and can be a great resource for what’s happening on the job front.

6.       Not having a LinkedIn Profile that shows your expertise.  You don’t want to signal your employer that you are looking for a job so just keep your profile up to date with significant accomplishments and updated skills.  Recruiters look for passive (currently employed) candidates on LinkedIn.  If you are an attractive candidate you will hear from them without specifically saying you are looking for a job.

7.       Not having a specialty that sets you apart from others.  One of the best ways to attract attention is to build a reputation for a specialty that few others have.  If the need is great for that skill or talent, you will have lots of opportunity when you are ready for a new job.

8.       Not belonging to one or two professional organizations.  You can learn about what is available in your industry from colleagues who are doing similar work. Professional organizations give you the opportunity to network with those colleagues and gain recognition from them by working on projects within the organization.  Even if your employer will not fund the membership dues, join the organization.  Be sure to go to a few of the meetings after work and if possible be part of the annual conference if there is one.

9.       Forcing your current company to increase your salary or responsibilities by telling them you have an offer from another company.  This is not a way to build trust with your employer.  He/she is apt to find a way to replace you after he/she gives you the raise or the new title.

10.   Not pursuing a job when you think there may be a fit.   Loyalty and keeping the status quo plays a role in an employee not taking the opportunity to pursue a job that seems to fit his/her career plan.   It is important to explore your options. This does not mean you have to leave before you are ready to but at least learn what is out there and how hard or easy it will be to get an offer.

Unhappy at your current job?  Ready to move on but feel stuck in place?  If you need some help moving forward, a coach can help you to develop a plan and to take action.  Imagine being excited about going to work every day because you love your job!  Call or email me at 781-598-0388 or asparker@asparker.com.  I’d love to work with you.

Several years ago I had a client who had been laid off from her sales position.  She was clear that she wanted a new sales job in the travel industry.  Frustrated by her inability to get a job offer she sought my help.  Just as we began our work, she got a seemingly good job offer.

I recommended she talk to others who worked for the company and if possible find someone who had the same job.  She soon got an earful about the tyrannical boss who as they said, “chewed up salespeople and spit them out.” Turnover in sales was high.  Unfortunately the boss was also the owner of the company.  Doesn’t sound like a job anyone would want, right?

You can imagine my surprise when she continued to pursue the offer.  The company sent her a non-compete agreement that limited her ability to get another sales job if she stayed in the same geographical area.  Her boyfriend at the time and her lawyer recommended changes to the agreement which she ignored.  She actually accepted the job.  Needless to say she was miserable.

To Accept or reject a job offer?

Why would anyone do that?  The hardest thing to do when you have been looking for a job for a while (as many are doing today) is to turn down an opportunity.  My client told me she was going to tough it out.  She said she needed a pay check even though she had savings and a boyfriend willing to loan her money.  She also admitted she felt useless unless she had a job and was making money.

More recently a former client told me about a good job offer she had from a company she had been doing contract work for.  The offer was at a salary much higher than any she had ever had before.  She too surprised me.  But this time it was because she turned down the offer.

Why would she do that?  She made her reasons clear to me.  First there was no job description for the job. That told her they were not sure what they wanted her to do.  What they told her she would be doing did not play to her strengths and was not work she was really excited about.  Finally the man she would work for had recently treated her more like an administrative support person than an experienced professional.  She admitted it was scary saying no to such good money but she had to.

Learn from the experience of others

What can you learn from all this?  First with any job you take you want to know that you can leverage your experience from it to an even more responsible position in a few years.  A restrictive non- compete or a job that doesn’t use your strengths will hold you back.

Second a boss who is tyrannical or does not treat you as an equal can sap your confidence and make life miserable for you.  It will be hard to recover.

Finally to get up in the morning and go to work each day you need to really be excited about the work and the workplace.  Neither of these clients had offers that would do that for them.

Saying no to a job offer when times are tough and job offers are scarce is hard to do.  Before you say yes however do consider whether in accepting the job you will lose more than you will gain.

Coaching can help

Are you interested in finding “the right job” rather than just “a job”?   Do you know yourself well enough to know what the right job is when it is offered to you?  That can be very confusing when you really want to get back to work and feel just about any job will do.  Inside while you know that is not true  it is so hard to be sitting on the sidelines.

Instead I suggest that you start your job search from a position of strength.  Learn to feel good about what you have to offer an employer. There is a lot, you know there is, but it may be hidden even from you!  Define the best job for you and then find it. If this is the attitude you want to foster and you would like support from a coach whose only goal will be to help you find meaningful fulfilling work, call me at 781-598-0388 or email me at asparker@asparker.com.  Ask me about my VALUE program for Career Changers.

Several years ago I was asked to speak to a group of graduating seniors at a local college.  I was going to give them some tips for their future careers.  Don’t use the word “networking” the woman who asked me to speak warned.  They are so sick of hearing about it that they just shut down and don’t listen once they hear that word.

Networking is an overused term and just about every client I have had will tell me that he/she hates doing it.  When pressed to say why they hate it, it is because that they think networking involves meeting a big group of people and “working a room”.  Guess what?  I find that a little intimidating too!

How can you make networking something that is fun and that you look forward to.  I know I am so much better at doing something that I like then forcing myself to do something intimidating. 

Ultimately the goal of networking is to find a new contact within a target company, active job seeker who can tell you about other jobs, or person with lots of connections who is a willing referral source.  Essentially you are looking for people you enjoy spending time with and who can help you.   That is the end result but what are the steps that precede that? 

In all the time that I have gone to large events like Chamber of Commerce meetings no one has ever said to me after I introduced myself for the first time, “I know a job that would be perfect for you.”

You Are Really Building Relationships

There are several steps before someone actually becomes a referral source who is willing to introduce you to their network.  These are the steps necessary to building a trusting relationship and that takes time.  If you were looking for a low level job then perhaps you could get a referral on the spot but those looking for a new professional job really need to work on building relationships and that takes time.

When you do go to one of those large meetings what you are trying to do is to find a few people with whom you would like to build a relationship. They must be people you find interesting, who you will enjoy spending time, and who you think there is an opportunity for mutually beneficial business. You don’t have to meet everyone there or even “work the room”. 

It is best to have identified people (either specific names or by a type of business or occupation) you want to meet before you attend the event.  Large group meetings and social networking are some of the ways to find those people with whom you would like to build a relationship. 

Relationship Building is a Two Way Street. How Can You Help Them?

That is only the beginning however.  Once you have met the people then it is up to you to find a way to make them want to build a relationship with you. As you begin a conversation you want to be listening for what you can do to help and support them.  This is not a place for a sales pitch or a conversation totally about you.  It is a place to build mutual respect and trust. 

Some of your contacts will lead to a good relationship and some you will decide to let go of for a variety of reasons.  As you begin to see who you work best with, you’ll formulate some criteria for identifying people you want to meet.

Think of relationship building as a process that begins with identifying people online through Facebook and/or LinkedIn or through friends and colleagues.  It continues by connecting with those you have identified either at a meeting or through an introduction by a friend.  Now it is up to you to find ways to continues to build the relationship.  You could share an interesting article, recommend a good book, meet regularly for coffee or introduce him/her to someone.

Basically you are creating a relationship funnel (similar to a sales funnel).  The networking part of the process gives you lots of possible connections.  Only a few will be sustainable and productive. You will eliminate the non-productive ones and keep the productive worthwhile relationships that come out the narrow bottom. Those will be the valuable relationships that you will want to continue to build over time.