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Job Search:
Self-Evaluation and
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Self Assessment |
| Don't
think of this as some psychological test
or some other evaluation method. It simply
provides you with an organized way to find out what
you can offer and what
you are willing to contribute in
terms of ability and effort to a new job. Many people find going to a career coach or a career consultant useful. If you go and see one, remember that the better you are prepared for that meeting, the more you will benefit from it. The key contribution, the career coach will make, is to help you see things clearer and better. His function is not to push you into a specific direction. The career coach/ counselor should be a mixture of a devil's advocate and someone who encourages you. It is, not necessarily, the career suggestions he makes to you, that are important, but rather the new thoughts, he plants in your mind. You should, after a session, go home and develop these thoughts further. |
| The
Career One-Stop-Centers The US government has set up a useful internet infrastructure for career advice and job seekers: The Career-One-Stop Centers. They offer, amongst other things, skills evaluation tests. You can access the centers also on the Internet. They even have on-line career coaches. You can also go and visit one of their offices. To find the offices nearest to you, click here |
| There may be limitations of the
help you can get this way, if you are in a highly
specialized field such as medicine or patient
care. Also, if you come from another country,
this source may not be open to you. The most important benefit of a new job should be financial security and your individual happiness. The more you need the money, the more restricted your choices might become. Though, even under those circumstances, you should put some thought into selecting a job that will make you feel content and happy. Before you start your job search, you should set aside several sessions with yourself, about knowing yourself! The evaluation we are talking about here, is not so much about your objective technical abilities, but more about how well you know yourself and how well you use any abilities you have. |
Ten Points for Evaluating and Selecting what Kind of Job or Position you should get |
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What is my Goal? Self Fulfillment? A Career? Earn Money, because I need to(?), or work because I want to work? Make a ranking of these and other factors in your order of importance! |
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What are my strengths and weaknesses? (if you really need to, take a know-yourself test in a Career Book!). This is your perception of things! Make a list of five to ten points on your strengths and weaknesses. Rank them according to your perception of importance. And then make a ranking on how you perceive other people might see their importance! |
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Where, or about what, do you have my highest confidence levels? (list five items and see whether they match your strengths! These could be technical skills, leadership or personal skills, e.g. relationship with patients) |
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Make a list of activities within your job that you would like to do. Then match that list to your Strengths and Weaknesses and your level of confidence in what you bring to the table. |
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Make a list of places where (geographically, type of institution or hospital) you would like to work (You can have dreams, but be realistic about it - "I would like to work on the moon", does not help you very much! |
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What impact will starting a new job have on your surrounding (family, friends, hobbies etc.) Think hard about that and write it down, because you do not want to make people around you unhappy! |
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Find out how other people see you. Ask friends or former colleagues (or your former bosses) you worked with, what their perception of your strengths and weaknesses are , i.e. what were or are you good at? Be careful in evaluating these comments, because often people will tell you what they think you want to hear! Remember, you get the best self assessment if you are honest with yourself and if other people are honest with you! |
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Based on the above, start to match job functions (or titles) with your wishes and abilities? You should come up with a final list of ten jobs, then narrow them down to five or so! Do you like any of the Options? If not, go back and start afresh at the beginning! |
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Once you have gone through that process, start to look for hospitals, companies, medical establishments, recruiters or other sources with information about who is hiring (not everyone does and you want to stay clear of groups or companies that just need a "man/girl Friday" to do every menial task other employees want to avoid doing!) |
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The final phase is finding and selecting the job you want to do. The last thing you want is to start a job, then find out you do not like it, resign, and then start somewhere else. This may not easily be possible, especially if you come from another country. In addition, it is stressful and will not do much for your own confidence either. Thus, selecting your job and the right employer, asking the right questions during the interview process and starting with a really positive attitude is key to a successful career. Remember, you want to work and a career, because it makes you happy and fulfilled! |
There are areas in which your experience, human and technical skills, as well as seriousness of purpose, are key elements that drive the activity or are the essence of your job. Obviously, that should apply in every job you take, though sadly, it often does not.
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| Some useful Books from amazon you should consult |
The above is only a small selection of books available on the topic. Try to stay clear of authors that attempt to "sell a life style"!
So where do you go from here?
Well, the next step is creating a good core resume. There are some points that you should consider, when you write that resume to start you job search. We have put together a page with some thoughts on how to write a resume. Besides our own thoughts, there are links to professional resume writing services. Often they provide a useful investment, and you should consider it.
There is also a page on networking. It has become so prevalent in the USA, that it is an important tool in your search for a job. Using networking as a means of finding out more about jobs and where they are located can be a great help. Maybe the combination of knowing yourself and what you want, a good resume and "working the network" will land you an interview!
An interview advice page is also available here. It would be a real pity, if you had made all this effort and then blew it with a poor interview. Have a look at the page, you might learn something from it.
And finally, you might find that you should start your job search with a small advertisement on the Internet. We offer, in conjunction with JobLine International, a small Job Search Advertisement for 60 days for $9.99 or for 120 days $14.99. Go here, to see the format of the adverts and purchase the advertisement. You can also use the local newspapers in the area where you want to work. But remember, that advert will only appear once, while a Small Job Search Advertisement (SJA) will stay up for 60 or 120 days!
Good Luck!