Self-inventory leads to career excellence

Did you find the employment you were seeking during the 2011 HACE Career Conference held earlier this month? Regardless, it is time to analyze your career skills and conduct a self-evaluation for continued success. This article will enable you to conduct a self-analysis of your skills to grow in your new position or your continued quest to find employment.

If you followed my last article, you will recall my established strategy to make you stand out from the crowd and find the job you seek. We covered a plan to prepare for, interact at, and learn from a career fair event. If you followed this plan intently, your probability of finding employment was dramatically increased- and I want to take a moment here to congratulate your hard work if this was the case. Regardless, if you found employment or not, you are not done; Not even close. This article strives to build on the next stage of your development. The next step in the process is the same for job seekers and the employed. To succeed, you must take the challenge of self-improvement and work every day to build your skills for success.

Ask yourself the following questions for success to officially occur:

What is my Goal?
What is your objective? You must think about this question constantly, and be flexible enough to modify it based on ANY new information or gut feelings you may have. Once you have outlined what you want then you can focus intently on bringing that vision into reality. Get a notebook and begin to keep notes and brainstorm to narrow down what you want. Your goal must be fully developed and “winging it” will not work in the long run. TIP: Identify where you see your career in 2016, then work backwards to help analyze what steps you must take to make this a reality.

How do I impress my boss, next client, or my next interviewer?
For whatever you set as your “goal” to become a reality, you cannot act alone. Brain storm solutions to this question, and create a list of 20 items minimum to insure you have expired as many options as possible. Repeat this exercise often to be effective. The smart career strategist has a detailed plan on how they must interact with key individuals to attain the career success they are seeking; you must do the same.

What skills can I learn to become better?
Reaching success in your goals will require you to gain new talents. A portion of your time must consist of constantly seeking out new skills to improve yourself. Strive to be an expert in your industry, but don’t forget to “cross-train” by adapting primary skills from other industries into your professionalism, often these will make you stand out from the crowd. Develop a conviction to be “World Class” at something.

What events/groups can I join?
Groups like HACE will allow you to meet many diverse professionals, while providing opportunities to get involved in the community to boost your talents. Strive to identify groups where you can boost your career, grow your network and be involved in causes that are important to yourself and others. Focus on becoming an active member and be engaged in the events the group holds.

Where can I find a Mentor?
Who better to have in your corner than someone who will give you constant support and direction. Always be on the hunt for a quality professional you aspire to, and don’t be afraid to make the effort to build a lasting friendship with them. All of my mentors first started as (and are) friends, always remember it is a two-way street. Give more of your self at first, and you will have someone willing to share his or her years of insight to grow your career.

How do I keep myself on task?
At first it may seem overwhelming to balance every aspect of your self-development. The key is to make every aspect of your improvement a key part of your daily life, only then can you actually manage the process and reach the lofty goals you aspire to. It is best to keep an updated Excel file, spiral notebook or a calendar (best to use all three) to be on task. Having physical tool to brainstorm, analyze, and outline your progression will establish the discipline needed to be a success.

Your homework is to ask yourself and take time to answer these questions as often as you can for the next week with the goal of making the above questions ingrain to your everyday thinking from now on. Following this plan will make you better positioned for success in your position, employed or not. Achievement of your goals starts with a fully developed battle plan. Your commitment starts now. Always remember that it is you who determines success in life; never leave that to anyone else. Push hard to grow in your career, and strive to reach your career goals.

-- Steven Gonzales
Banker, Bank of America