Tag: Career Consulting Maitland

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Career Counselling: HELP ME PLEASE – I have no idea what I want to do!

Before we start can you please go grab a piece of A4 paper or writing pad, a pen and highlighter.

Now draw a line down the middle of the page and write on the top left hand side “Enjoyment” and on the right hand side “Dislike”.

Moving forward, I want you think about every hobby that you have ever tried, had an interest in or tried and disliked since childhood (let’s start from 6 years of age inclusive) and write the corresponding hobby in the Enjoyment or Dislike column.  It is important that you do not stop, think and analyse every entry just let it flow.

Upon undertaking this exercise, you may find you repeat yourself a few times – this is OK don’t pay too much attention to this yet.

So now you have completed both the Enjoyment and Dislike columns I want you to leave the list alone and go and have a 10-15 minute coffee break and come back to it.

Welcome back, now I want you to take 10 minutes or so to review and analyse the lists.

  • What are the common themes that seem to be repeating themselves?
  • Can you group the common themes together for example Sports, Animals, Collections, Home-making, Art etc.

You may wish to use your highlighter to highlight the areas that keep repeating themselves.

So what did you find? What are your top 3 groups?

Your top 3 key groups (both Enjoyment and Dislike) are strong indicators of your personal preference.

Finally, upon review and analysis of your top 3 key groups can you identify any key sub-themes for example.  If you loved playing sports common themes may include: –

  • Outdoor Activity
  • Team Work
  • Social Interaction
  • Commitment & Discipline
  • Communication Skills

So how does this apply to my Career?  Think about it – do you really want to sit in an office all day by yourself with minimal contact with clients or colleagues or would you prefer a job that saw you out and about for example a sales representative, outdoor motivational trainer, personal trainer, trades professional etc.

Finally, remember to analyse your disinterest side also as the common themes here will give you a clear picture of what you do not like and subsequently what to stay away from.  This is particularly helpful if you are going to review job advertisements, job guides and descriptions as it allows you to analyse what percentage of the role incorporates these areas of disinterest and allows you to question yourself for example can you really cope with this area as a part of the position or is this area a non-negotiable aspect for you?  Only you can answer this.  Remember to be truthful with yourself for you are only fooling yourself if you are not.

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Writing a Clear and Concise CV-Resume (Part 2) – Blu Ripples Career Consulting Services

Promote and elevate yourself on a professional platform with a Resume - Curriculum Vitae (CV) by Blu Ripples
Promote and elevate yourself on a professional platform with a Resume – Curriculum Vitae (CV) by Blu Ripples

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing a clear and concise CV-Résumé is easy if you take the time to do your research, remain objective and highlight what you can do for your potential employer based on their needs not yours.

To ensure you achieve the above stated outcome it is imperative that you know your subject “YOU” very well.  Spend a little time analysing your academic, professional and personal background.  What skills, acumen (knowledge) and personality traits do you currently possess that would be beneficial for your potential employer? Now look at the flip side of the coin to analyse which skills you need to develop or refine.

The purpose of the above stated research and analysis is to determine congruence between yourself and the current labour market.

It should go without saying that the labour market is a highly competitive environment and as such when compiling your CV-Résumé you need to keep in mind that Managers, HR Professionals and Recruitment Consultants are predominantly highly conservative individuals who are impressed with the content of the of the document not the “Bells and Whistles”.

NB:  “ Bells and Whistles” refers to clip art, photographs, multiple fonts, colours, borders etc.

Speaking from experience the more Bells and Whistles one finds on a  CV-Résumé the more one is likely to focus on what the applicant is hiding or not saying rather than what the applicant can do; as previously highlighted the whole point of a CV-Résumé is to highlight what you can do for your potential employer not draw their attention to what you are lacking in experience and/or education.

5 Tips for compiling a Clear and Concise CV-Résumé

  • Optimal Page Length – 3 pages ideally, but no more than 5 pages
  • Do not include discriminatory information for example your date of birth or marital status
  • Do not include the Bells and Whistles; when formatting  your CV-Résumé remember the  4 C’s: – Clean, Clear, Concise and Consistent
  • Highlight your academic qualifications, key skills and competencies, professional affiliations, operational responsibilities, key achievements and projects, academic publications and if appropriate relevant voluntary work; and finally
  • Always clarify your statements in the responsibilities and achievement sections

 

Stay Tuned for Part 3 – Creativity in the recruitment phase; Is there a place for it?