Finally…A Test With No Wrong Answers!
Anyone who knows me knows that I love personality tests. “Which Hogwarts house do you belong to” (Gryffindor!), “What reality show should you be on” (The Bachelorette…blech) and “Are you cool?” (The answer is yes). These quizzes are all fun ways to gather more insight into what you value and enjoy. So when I heard the Career Centre offers assessments on personality type and interests, I signed up right away.
Now, while the quizzes listed above can be amusing, what the Career Centre offers is a little different to anything you’ll find on Buzzfeed, or to the tests we had to take in Grade 10 careers class (where the three results you could receive were that you should be a teacher, a doctor or a flight attendant depending on if you answered “yes” to enjoying travel). No, I’m talking about legitimate assessments that can help you identify how your personality and interests relate to the world of work.
I won’t dive into the details of the actual assessments and outcomes – there is a debrief meeting you have with a Career Consultant who goes over all of that. What I will tell you is some of the success I have had with assessments myself.
For a couple years I thought I wanted to be a consultant. I love working with people, problem-solving and improving on existing processes. However, according to my personality assessment, I am an ‘Intuitive’ thinker – meaning I look at things in a very high level and holistic way (vs a Sensor who prefer facts, detail and micro-level thinking). This trait may work against me as a consultant as consultants need to examine all the details of a scenario before making a well thought out recommendation. Further, as a ‘Feeler’ instead of a ‘Thinker’, I make decisions very subjectively and sometimes objective thinking is better for the good of a corporation. These personality traits wouldn’t necessarily make me a BAD consultant, but may not fulfill what I would prefer in a career in a way that another job could. By taking into consideration jobs in line with my personality traits, I can find something fulfilling that would motivate me to succeed.
At the end of the day, assessments are not a one-stop shop that will answer all of your questions and hand you the perfect career. However, when thinking about what will motivate you in the world of work and what kinds of jobs you’re looking for, assessments provide perspective and insight you may not get otherwise. The important thing is to go into it having an open mind and answering the questions honestly. If you don’t like the results, nothing is written in stone. Assessments are simply adding an additional angle on how to think critically about yourself as it pertains to the world of work so you can make an informed decision about your career options. So take an assessment or two, what have you got to lose?
Lessons From Career-Related Films
As winter drags on and job applications continue to pile up, it is time to kick the job search into high gear. While most students are busy sending out resumės and cover letters, networking and going for interviews, sometimes I think we just need to take a break. But that doesn’t mean your time off can’t be fun and effective to your job search!
Below are some of the best career-focused movies that I’ve seen and why. In some instances the life lessons are clear, and in some they’re just plain amusing. Keep an eye out for career dos and don’ts and happy watching!
The Devil Wears Prada: Sometimes from the outside it seems like we should take that amazing-sounding job, or do that one little thing for our boss that’s actually completely inappropriate – until one day we find out the job has completely taken over our lives. When it comes to drastic career moves, trust your gut on what feels right and what feels like too big of a compromise…and always dress to impress 😉
The Pursuit of Happyness: “Don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something….You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go and get it, period.” I can’t say it much better than Will Smith, but this film shows it is never too late to change your career and make something of yourself – so go out there and try, try, try.
The Wolf of Wall Street: While a clear message from this film would be to not let greed go to your head, I think an equally valuable lesson is that your drive will make you successful if you refuse to quit. Despite his intentions, Jordan Belford created an empire from almost nothing, and if he can do that, imagine what you can do with your potential as well!
Jerry Maguire: This film shows that it is, in fact, possible to love what you do, make a difference, and be successful without turning into a Jordan Belford type. Even if you’re on the right career path, the company may not be the right fit for you. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and see what else is out there. The risk is great but the pay-off can be even greater.
Office Space: The lesson here is co-workers can make or break your situation. The best thing about this movie is the cast and how the characters work together (and sometimes completely mess with each other). They teach us how you can stand even the worst job when there are awesome people involved. Get to know the people in your work environment; they will help shape your experience.
So You’ve Landed Your First Job…Now What?
Congratulations! You are one of the lucky few who have successfully secured employment and are moving full speed ahead towards success when…speed bump, you find out that your brand new job is not everything you thought it would be. Sometimes we become so set on securing employment that we’ll accept jobs we are not well suited for, and end up in a position that we don’t want to be.
But do not fret! This is not the end and there are still things you can do to improve your experience.
Start by talking to your manager and colleagues about opportunities within the role. This will show your ability to take initiative while expressing your personal job objectives and interests. Who knows, if you tell your boss that you’re interested in marketing, maybe he or she can set you up with projects more tailored to that field of interest. Keeping an open communication with your manager about what you’d like out of a job is important and will only benefit your long term development as an employee.
Get involved with the workplace outside of work. Taking an interest in the workplace environment, meeting new people and connecting with your colleagues is a great way to improve your experience while at work. Even if you aren’t necessarily happy with all of the aspects of your job, you can still enjoy going into work, seeing new friends and having a new experience. So join the social committee, hit up the x-mas party and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You’ll have fun while networking as well!
You can’t expect to love every aspect of every job you have. However, whether or not you are completely satisfied, it is still important to put your best foot forward, try your best and keep an open mind. While you may not think that you would enjoy event planning, you may find that you enjoy certain aspects of the job. Look for the positive in all situations and you will come out of it more knowledgeable and skilled.
At the end of the day, if you are extremely unhappy in a role – get out of there! Finding the perfect career is an ongoing journey, and the experiences you collect along the way are only bringing you closer to your dream job. Maintaining a positive attitude can also help you land your next job, so make sure you are leaving the role on a positive note. The relationships, experiences and references that you collect are extremely valuable, so make sure even if you are crossing a bridge, you don’t burn it along the way.
You’ve Got Mail
In today’s society, reaching out to strangers over the Internet has come to be seen as a normal and popular way to extend your network, both in a personal and professional setting. While most students have no problem chatting through e-mail or posting status updates, many don’t understand the importance of communicating professionally through a computer screen.
Sending out e-mails and resumės to prospective employers is a key step towards conducting a successful job search, and the inability to communicate effectively via e-mail can be detrimental. Below are a few tips on how you can improve your email etiquette:
1. Be professional, not sloppy – Short forms like “TTYL”, “U”, and “LOL” may be appropriate for Facebook or your Twitter feed, but the convenient abbreviations are not welcome in the workforce.
2. Use proper grammar and sentence case – Similar to rule 1, you’ll want to make sure your email has been looked over for grammatical or spelling mistakes. USING CAPS LOCK COMES OFF AS SHOUTING, so make sure all
e-mails are edited and tidy.
3. Keep messages brief and to the point – Think of your first e-mail to potential employers like an initial introduction. They don’t want to hear your entire life story in the first two minutes… Attach your cover letter and resumė alongside a brief and professional message to have the greatest impact.
4. Leave an e-mail address or phone number – This is important in tandem with tip 3. You don’t want to overload the reader with info, but provide them with direct contact information so they can follow up with you.
5. Use the subject field to indicate content and purpose – DO NOT forget about the subject field…an employer seeing an “FW:” or “HI!” as a subject line will leave the impression that you are sending out this email to a mass amount of people.
6. Remember tone can’t be heard in an e-mail –Tone can get misconstrued, particularly over the Internet, so remember that an intro e-mail is not the place to showcase your sarcastic wit or best puns – unless you’re applying to work at a comedy club!
Email and the Internet provide yet another tool with which students can extend their professional network and secure employment. However, understanding how to use these tools effectively is what can separate those with jobs, from those who don’t. Think about your online presence, and the power you have to control a first impression just by hitting send!
A Baker’s Guide to Student Work/Life Balance
As a student, employee and avid baker, I find that maintaining a work/life balance is often like baking a very complex and intricate cake. There are many layers and components that go into the process, and if you leave something out, the end result isn’t always favorable.
Every recipe says to start with the main ingredients. Add together 3 hours of studying for each of my 5 classes and mix it all with a large amount of coffee. Combine the batter with 15 part-time hours of work per week, 7 hours spent on extra-curriculars and place it all together in the oven. As the cake and workload begins to rise, so does my anxiety as to how it will all turn out.
While the cake is baking, it’s time to prepare the frosting. My favorite flavour generally involves making fun and fancy meals, watching reality TV and motivating myself to get to the gym. The problem comes from my inability to keep my hands out of the frosting! Blowing off schoolwork seems so much easier than cracking open another textbook, but the sugar high comes to a swift end when the cake turns out all burnt because I neglected to pay attention to what matters the most.
I have found that the best way to manage my time is to slice the cake into tiers with a small amount of frosting between each layer. That way, I get through the dry stuff while still satisfying my sweet tooth. The important thing to remember, is to take everything one step at a time, work hard, and take breaks. Sticking to a defined rewards system will help motivate you without distracting from the end goal, and will result in both satisfying and delicious results!
Like baking a great cake, being a well-rounded student involves a combination of many different things. Being able to manage schoolwork, extra-curriculars and relaxation – is easier said than done. However, developing time management skills, as well as building on the competencies gained through extra-curricular involvement, will not only prepare you for a future career, but also prevent you and your cake from going up in flames! Maybe even think about rewarding yourself with a nice big slice of your delicious cake for every chapter completed 😉 I know I do!
Interviews as First Dates
The way I see it, a job interview is pretty much like a first date. It may be a little awkward at first, and you never know how it will turn out, but the main goal is to impress whoever is on the other side of the table. Will you be compatible with what they’re looking for, or be left with the bitter disappointment of never being called back?
To ensure you’re not a first-date disaster, follow one simple rule: Always Be Prepared. This means looking your best and making sure you know what you’re getting yourself into. Trust me, appearance is reality with first impressions and a clean shirt and combed hair go a long way.
This also means knowing how to present yourself in any given situation. By now, you’ll probably have answers to the typical questions like “where do you see yourself in five years” or “tell me about yourself” pretty much memorized, but sometimes you’ll get that wild child who will ask you the perfect question to throw you off. “If you were a flavor of ice cream, which one would you be?” To which the smart person would answer “I’d be vanilla, because it’s fantastic on its own, but even better when paired with any other flavour!” This person would have spent the entire time they were getting ready thinking up ridiculous questions so as not to be stunned and speechless when put on the spot.
However, sometimes even the smoothest of talkers can make some serious mistakes. When asked if I had any questions about the company, I wasn’t even fazed. I had done my research, was properly prepared and ended up asking a pretty great question…about another company I was interviewing for later that week!
REMEMBER, If you’re going to play the field, make sure you get the names right!
The most important thing to keep in mind when preparing for any interview is to always do a little bit of a research on that mysterious person on the other side of the table. This doesn’t mean Facebook stalking your potential employers, but understanding the background of a company, their likes and interests show that you care about the position and will prove that you’re that special someone that they’ve been looking for!
For more tips and tricks on how to prepare for interviews, check this out:
Laurier Career Centre Student Blog 