How to Find a Job: When There Are No Jobs (Book 1) a Necessary Job Search and Career Planning Guide for Today's Job Market (Find a Job Series) (6 page)

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* Once you have completed your Spiritual Goals, proceed to step number ten of IPA representing your goals as they relate to Knowledge.

Knowledge, One Year Goal and Achievement Plan to be Completed by 01/01/14

* Please refer to the worksheet entitled “Knowledge, One Year Goal and Achievement Plan” IPA step number ten.

Example:

GOAL #1:
Read at least one book per year on raising children and young teens and incorporate my personal knowledge and values into what I learn.

GOAL #2:
Continue my study of ethical human and business relations through research and the reading of various books and listening to tapes. Begin to investigate specific seminars, as they would relate to the study of human relations.

GOAL #3:
Read a minimum of one book per year on another culture, e.g., Korean, Japanese, Russia, etc. Speak with Sutch regarding his Korean culture.

Intuitive Personal Assessment, Step: 10

Knowledge

One Year Goal and Achievement Plan to be Completed by:  / /

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* Once you have completed your goals as they relate to Knowledge, proceed forward to step number eleven, Financial Goals.

Financial, One Year Goal and Achievement Plan to be Completed by 01/01/14

* Please refer to the worksheet entitled “Financial, One Year Goal and Achievement Plan” IPA step number eleven.

Example:

GOAL #1:
Obtain a minimum of three to five retained searches. Focus my energy over the next six months on retained search and my Executive Marketing Program.

GOAL #2:
Fund my Profit Sharing plan in the amount of $12,000.

GOAL #3:
Infuse an additional $15,000 into the Vanguard Wellington stock fund for my children’s college fund.

Intuitive Personal Assessment, Step: 11

Financial

One Year Goal and Achievement Plan to be Completed by:  / /

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The Final Assessment, Your Career Aspirations and Goals

Proceed to the final and twelfth step of the IPA process of your Career Goals. Establishing your career goals is the final step in the discovery and acceptance of your career path. Having completed the first eleven steps of “Intuitive Personal Assessment” you are now ready to evaluate and confirm your career aspirations by proceeding to step number twelve, parts “A” and “B.”

I have found it useful at this point of the process to review each of the Strength and Weakness assessments from IPA step number one. The assessments will act as confirmation for any decisions you may make regarding the discovery of your career path.

Your career path and related goals will come to fruition and be determined by extracting key information from each of the five initial steps of IPA. Using your intuition as a guide, begin the process of determining your career path by carefully reviewing IPA steps 1-5, including Strength and Weakness assessments, Your Ideas, Your Skills and Talents (Innate and Learned), Your Interests (Things that Excite and Inspire You), and Your Values (Things You Care About and Feel are Important).

Step Twelve Part “A” Intuitive Personal Assessment

After careful review of the first five steps of the IPA process, choose five to ten areas of internal interest and desire and begin to transform them into a meaningful career path. Create your list of internal interests using step twelve, part “A” titled “Career Aspirations.” 

* Please refer to the work sheet entitled “Career Aspirations” step twelve part “A” of IPA.

Your five to ten areas of internal interest may be derived from any one or a combination of your personal statements from your completed IPA lists steps 1-5. As an illustration, please refer to a previous example in step number five of IPA, namely “Your Values” (Things You Care About and Feel are Important). You may have derived from your created list of “Your Values” a desire to help poor children achieve a better start in life. You may have a desire to convert your interest in this area into a career of Social Work. A position such as Social Coordinator for your local food bank would be a union of your internal interest and desire transformed into a career path. In another previous example in step number two of IPA, “Your Ideas” you may discover that you have an interest in starting a company to develop a unique nut and pretzel combination featuring several natural flavors and seasoning combinations.

As you may have surmised from these examples, your initial list of five to ten internal interests may be generated from any one or a combination of your thoughts you indicated during the development of your five IPA lists and exercises.

Allow the child within to materialize and recapture that fearless innocence which may have been dormant for many years. By embracing and accepting your childlike mindset you will facilitate the discovery and acceptance of your career path. Let your intuition communicate with you and begin to accept the messages it conveys as you develop your initial list of internal interests and desires.

Once you have determined your initial list of five to ten areas of interest, begin to prioritize them according to the degree of true interest they hold for you. Determining your true interest may require you to do some additional research into each area you have indicated in step twelve part “A” of IPA.

Intuitive Personal Assessment, Step: 12, Part “A”

Career Aspirations

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Intuition, Your Guiding Light

If listening and communicating with your intuition is a new concept or experience for you, it may be difficult in the beginning to recognize that your intuition is even trying to communicate with you. I define intuition as an internal feeling generated from within your being, telling you how to act or feel towards a particular person, situation or event.

We have intuitional feelings every day that help to guide and direct our feelings and actions towards individuals and events that take place in our lives.  If you train yourself to listen to your intuition, you will learn how to properly act, thereby being able to protect yourself against situations that may arise. The challenge is to learn to recognize your intuitional feelings and learn to trust and act upon what these feelings are instructing you to do.

The ability to recognize your intuitional feelings and act upon those feelings takes a fair amount of practice if you want to fully utilize its potential. For purposes of identifying your unique and individual career path, begin to listen to your intuition as you continue to review your created lists of Your Ideas, Your Skills and Talents, Your Interests and Your Values.

You can greatly enhance your capability to identify and act on your intuition, by listening to it when it speaks to you in somewhat less important areas of your life. For example, the next time you need to purchase an item at a store, listen to what your intuition may be trying to tell you and make a decision based on your feelings in this area. If you make a habit of practicing in less significant areas and are later faced with a situation that is very important in your life, e.g., your career, you will be better able to identify your intuitional feelings and confidently act upon them.

Begin to carefully research and study each of your five to ten areas of interest to determine your true interests that can be transformed into a career path. It is my belief that nearly any true interest can be shaped into a career opportunity. However, it may require a great deal of thought, reflection and planning to be successful.

Start to eliminate from your “Career Aspirations” list in IPA step twelve, part “A” those interests that you determine are not true career path interests. Begin to focus on your remaining interests and study those areas in great depth. Read as many books and any other forms of literature, e.g., magazines, newspapers, trade journals, etc., pertaining to your subject matter. The Internet is an incredible research tool and can be used to gather information including company and organizational data. Also plan to speak with several individuals in your chosen field of interest. You may want to attend specific trade shows pertaining to your interest and speak with as many individuals as possible regarding your interests. 

Conducting thorough research as it pertains to your career interests is a very important aspect of the IPA process and a significant step that is necessary for the discovery and realization of your career path. After you have thoroughly researched and studied each area of interest, continue to eliminate from your list those career areas that you determine are not true career interests. Attempt to reduce your list to one or two areas of real interest. Once you have completed the process of elimination, you will be closer to identifying your true career path.

Continue your education process by researching and learning as much as possible about the one or two areas of career interest you have chosen. My father used to tell me, “Knowledge is Power.” Power of choice, I call it. The more knowledge you have, the more choices you will have in the pursuit of your career path.

Remember, one potential reason for making a career move may be dissatisfaction with your current position. The success of your career move is dependent upon the knowledge you gain during your research stage. The more knowledge you have about your career interests the better and more informed choices you will be able to make.

My father was a very successful and wise businessman.  He would often tell me, “If you think the grass is greener on the other side, think twice before you venture over to the other side.” He went on to say, “If you choose to operate a hot dog stand versus what you are currently doing, it will take you at least a year to learn how to make a great hot dog.” I think he was probably right; it may take someone a year or more to learn how to make a great hot dog and maybe an additional six months to have your customers recognize your great hot dog!

However, you should never let fear of the unknown stop you from starting and ultimately succeeding at your chosen career path.  Rather, investigate the best and most profitable methods to make a great “hot dog” and incorporate your own individuality. Throughout my career I have learned that if you want something badly enough you must arm yourself with the proper knowledge and empower yourself to create the best “hot dog” on this planet. Learn to trust your intuition and allow yourself to move towards your dream whatever your chosen career path may be.

Do not allow anyone to ever discourage you with negativity towards your career ideas. Unfortunately, there may be some individuals you will encounter during your career search who will express a sense of disapproval towards your career choices. These individuals have little or no knowledge of your unique perception. Their comments are often based on their own fear and a lack of confidence in their abilities. As I continue to study and learn more about human relations, I believe that negativity in almost any form is driven by fear and incompetence.

You may need to overcome your urge to overly scrutinize your area of interest. Several people I have counseled often talk themselves out of a great career opportunity because they over analyze the opportunity. They begin to discover problems with their plans, and as an unfortunate result, never start the process of achieving their career interests. It is important to learn as much as you can about a particular career field but resist the temptation to overdo it, as you will surely risk the possibility of never starting it. If you never start something, you will never succeed!

As a case in point, a relative of mine has always wanted to own and operate his own business. Several years ago he made the decision to purchase a company and begin the investigative and due diligence process to identify such a business. Over the past several years he has selected several businesses that have interested him. However, because of his overly analytical mind, he has successfully talked himself out of every good business opportunity he has investigated. To date he has never purchased a business and I fear he never will. He suffers from what I call “Paralysis by Analysis.” Remember, if you never start something, you will never succeed. 

Step Twelve, Part “B” Intuitive Personal Assessment

Once you have identified and accepted your true career path, you are ready to take action and begin the final process of IPA step number 12, part “B” Your Career. Outlined below is an example of a compilation of this author’s personal internal interests and desires, which I have transformed into career path decisions. The establishment of specific career oriented goals follows my career path decisions.

* Please refer to work sheet entitled “Your Career, One Year Goal and Achievement Plan” - IPA step number 12, part “B.”

Your Career, One Year Goal and Achievement Plan to be Completed by 01/01/14

Example:

Goal #1:
Continue to expand and build my executive search and real estate businesses. Plan to hire two individuals, one Executive Recruiter and one Administrative Manager over the next eight to twelve months.

Goal #2:
Purchase and renovate one to two rental houses over the next two years.

Goal #3:
Plan to hire a Marketing Manager to run the Executive Marketing Program as well as market my executive search business.

Goal #4:
Publish my next book, “Blinded by Our Spirits.”

Goal #5:
Continue writing my third book, “Molly.”

Intuitive Personal Assessment, Step: 12, Part “B”

Your Career

One Year Goal and Achievement Plan to be Completed by:  / /

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Education, Your Key to Success

I
f your chosen career path is considerably different than anything you may have done in the past, you will need to thoroughly educate yourself. Refer to the Internet, books, magazines and any other form of media, including various computer programs. You can further educate yourself by taking college courses, attending trade schools, etc. Properly educating yourself is one of the most important steps for achieving a successful career change. It is imperative that you obtain as much knowledge of your chosen career field as possible. The amount and degree of knowledge that you are able to obtain is directly proportional to your immediate and future career success.