After reading this blog post, I realized I'd gotten off track. Time to jump back on.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
I am a person like a flower!
I'm not sure if you could tell, but the picture in my first post included a thin book. This thin book is the Workbook companion to Parachute. Some might say, "The workbook is unnecessary/redundant/just another product to make money." I'll agree on the redundant part. All of the text in the workbook is in the book. However, I will tell you that I like having all of the worksheets/tables/exercised in one place. There is more work space in the workbook than in the book. Extra pieces of paper are almost unnecessary. For me, not having scattered pieces of paper cluttering my table or having to recreate tables in a blank notebook is priceless. In case you're looking for it in a bookstore or online, the most recent edition (4th) looks like this:
The exercises in the current chapter I am working on (or basically, most of the workbook) are based around the concept that a person is multifaceted. Thus, the ideal job a person is looking for is multifaceted as well.
So, "I am a person that is like a flower." There are seven petals on this flower. This week, I finished petals 1 & 2. The first petal is all about the subjects I'm interested in or the careers/fields that are most appealing to me. The exercises took a while to go through, but here is what Petal 1 looks like for me:
Petal number 2 was a fun one, I have to admit. It has to do with the kinds of people you want to work with. However, in order to know what qualities you're looking for, you need to know what you HATE! Remember that coworker that was always gossiping behind people's backs or that boss that micromanaged you until your head almost exploded? You probably NEVER want to work with them (or anyone else like them) again! I don't blame you.
How can you compare horrible trait over horrible trait? They're ALL bad!! Parachute forced me think about all those bad experiences, coworkers, and bosses. I never would have thought to include types of coworkers in my search, but it really makes sense. Think of how working with people you get along with or that are like-minded affects how you feel about your job. Some common rants I have heard include: "My boss doesn't listen to me!" "My coworkers are so dumb!" "That girl doesn't pull her weight!"
So, here are the WORST qualities for the people I have worked with over the years and the ones I want to avoid:
Maybe in the comments below you all can talk about the qualities of horrible bosses or coworkers you have had the misfortune of sharing an office/job with. I would LOVE to hear the stories, and I'm sure it would get your brain working about the kinds of people you want to avoid (and by proxy, the kinds of people you WANT to and ENJOY working with!)
Speaking of which, here is my second Petal, the kinds of people I prefer to work with:
Oh! A Holland Code?! What's a Holland Code? I know, it perplexed me until I did the Party Exercise. Now I know I'm a SAE or ASE or ESA, etc. For the explanation, you'll have to read the book!
That brought me to the 3rd Petal, transferable skills. This petal's introduction says it can take a weekend or more to complete. I feel since the weekend is upon us (Happy Easter for those celebrating. Happy Passover, too!), completing the 2nd petal was a good place to stop. I know... skills! You're on pins and needles!
Now, for my job hunt update! I never heard back from the job at the record label in New York. Though, to be fair, I was never really sure about follow up procedures to faceless job applications (with or without personal references).
I have learned from that first application, though. I will be calling, knocking down doors, or renting out billboards (joke. I'm not that wealthy.) until I find out the status of my application/interview.
More recently, yesterday, I applied for 2 jobs at 2 other record labels in NYC. I'm kind of excited! Also, I was tweeting yesterday, and discovered a job opening I'm suited for at an organization I never would have considered, had I not seen their tweet. Sometimes, happy accidents are the best! They asked for an email with a bit about myself. I attached my resume anyway.
What are your thoughts? Do you think resumes are on their way out/old-fashioned? Do you put all your trust in the PERFECT resume? Talk about it, please! The more of us banding together, the better!
Thank you for reading. I know this wasn't a light entry. If you read all the way to this point, I would appreciate some feedback. Start some chatter!
--Katie*J
The exercises in the current chapter I am working on (or basically, most of the workbook) are based around the concept that a person is multifaceted. Thus, the ideal job a person is looking for is multifaceted as well.
So, "I am a person that is like a flower." There are seven petals on this flower. This week, I finished petals 1 & 2. The first petal is all about the subjects I'm interested in or the careers/fields that are most appealing to me. The exercises took a while to go through, but here is what Petal 1 looks like for me:
Petal number 2 was a fun one, I have to admit. It has to do with the kinds of people you want to work with. However, in order to know what qualities you're looking for, you need to know what you HATE! Remember that coworker that was always gossiping behind people's backs or that boss that micromanaged you until your head almost exploded? You probably NEVER want to work with them (or anyone else like them) again! I don't blame you.
How can you compare horrible trait over horrible trait? They're ALL bad!! Parachute forced me think about all those bad experiences, coworkers, and bosses. I never would have thought to include types of coworkers in my search, but it really makes sense. Think of how working with people you get along with or that are like-minded affects how you feel about your job. Some common rants I have heard include: "My boss doesn't listen to me!" "My coworkers are so dumb!" "That girl doesn't pull her weight!"
So, here are the WORST qualities for the people I have worked with over the years and the ones I want to avoid:
Maybe in the comments below you all can talk about the qualities of horrible bosses or coworkers you have had the misfortune of sharing an office/job with. I would LOVE to hear the stories, and I'm sure it would get your brain working about the kinds of people you want to avoid (and by proxy, the kinds of people you WANT to and ENJOY working with!)
Speaking of which, here is my second Petal, the kinds of people I prefer to work with:
Oh! A Holland Code?! What's a Holland Code? I know, it perplexed me until I did the Party Exercise. Now I know I'm a SAE or ASE or ESA, etc. For the explanation, you'll have to read the book!
That brought me to the 3rd Petal, transferable skills. This petal's introduction says it can take a weekend or more to complete. I feel since the weekend is upon us (Happy Easter for those celebrating. Happy Passover, too!), completing the 2nd petal was a good place to stop. I know... skills! You're on pins and needles!
Now, for my job hunt update! I never heard back from the job at the record label in New York. Though, to be fair, I was never really sure about follow up procedures to faceless job applications (with or without personal references).
I have learned from that first application, though. I will be calling, knocking down doors, or renting out billboards (joke. I'm not that wealthy.) until I find out the status of my application/interview.
More recently, yesterday, I applied for 2 jobs at 2 other record labels in NYC. I'm kind of excited! Also, I was tweeting yesterday, and discovered a job opening I'm suited for at an organization I never would have considered, had I not seen their tweet. Sometimes, happy accidents are the best! They asked for an email with a bit about myself. I attached my resume anyway.
What are your thoughts? Do you think resumes are on their way out/old-fashioned? Do you put all your trust in the PERFECT resume? Talk about it, please! The more of us banding together, the better!
Thank you for reading. I know this wasn't a light entry. If you read all the way to this point, I would appreciate some feedback. Start some chatter!
--Katie*J
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Apology
Hey readers!
Sorry for missing last week and today. I've been seriously busy with Rivers Monroe work but I PROMISE I've been working on my petals!
Next week will be less hectic and I'll be back, better than ever!
Off to NYC I go!
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Rome wasn't built in a day (the beginning of the work)
I started on my Parachute reading assignment this week, covering 4 chapters, plus some of the appendices. Since I am, in fact, job hunting (and have been for a while), I found reading the first few introductory chapters very appealing. They talk about job statistics (unemployment figures, etc.), and how the figures can truly be misleading-- NOT to despair! I don't think I had ever begun to lose hope, but I had begun to wander off the hunt. I had a vague idea of the career I wanted, but no real directions or compass to guide me toward it.
Initial chapters also talk about ways to keep from losing hope. Not that I didn't find the first 2 keys helpful, but the third one resonated with me in the truest way. It was like a bomb went off in front of my eyes-- an epiphany! Find meaning in everything-- even if you don't know what the thing means. Know and trust that in time, it will mean something (The old adage, "Hindsight is 20/20."). It is easy to look back at the progression of events in my life to see how I arrived here (Philadelphia, unemployed, blogging, etc), but to see that here means something leading to there, is often hard to see. Why not just know that it will eventually become clear? That made complete sense to me. Of course I know my actions today will hold repercussions for tomorrow's tomorrow. BUT!! I do not need to see them (yet) in order to take solace that situations will work out, lead to better offers or environments, and create a bright future.
I have read parts of Parachute before, but refreshing my brain on the anomalies that exist in the job markets was helpful, too. The fact that employers and job-hunters seek each other in two opposite styles is sort of mind-boggling to me. You would think someone would have fixed that by now! We first want companies to read our resume when we email/mail it to them. Companies first want to hire from within.
The brief dialogues between imaginary career counsellors and job-hunters brought up another resonate truth: career counselling and job-hunting techniques should be mandatory classes in secondary schools. Who among us has NEVER needed to know how to write a great resume, or look for a job online? I can only think of one person: my grandfather, a self-employed mason who finds all of his work through referrals. The point is we should be empowering people at a young age with the tools they need to succeed in this world if we are investing in them like we claim ("we" in this case being politicians, parents, mentors, educators, and the like). Otherwise, the world might be headed for an irrepairable downward spiral.
Alright, back off my soapbox. Obviously, re-reading the 5 best and worst methods for finding a job were helpful. Who wants to waste energy in an already-exhausting procedure? Not me. We've all told our friends to call us if they hear of a job opening or posted our resumes on company and/or work-related websites. I'll keep doing those things. You never know, right? This time, I actually want to do the homework on myself, like the book says is most effective. I just might find out my ideal job is in Zimbabwe purifying water for orphans. Time will tell.
Homework aside, I found a really inspirational quote (p. 49) that I just may turn into a graphic to share on social media, but for now, I'll share it with you.
Speaking of dreams, I have some great news! I was so inspired by the start of this blog, I started on some serious job-hunting on LinkedIn. I found job postings at a record label. Most of them were financial or IT-related. Then, I found it! I applied for a job as a publicity assistant at a major record label in New York City. Not only that, but I called my last employer, who is a tremendous networking asset to those who know him. He happily referred me to one of the executives at the parent company, who in turn forwarded my reference to the head of publicity at the hiring label. All I would really like is an interview. I know I would be a great addition to a challenging, exciting environment. This may not be my dream job once I finish Parachute, but for right now, I'm salivating! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Initial chapters also talk about ways to keep from losing hope. Not that I didn't find the first 2 keys helpful, but the third one resonated with me in the truest way. It was like a bomb went off in front of my eyes-- an epiphany! Find meaning in everything-- even if you don't know what the thing means. Know and trust that in time, it will mean something (The old adage, "Hindsight is 20/20."). It is easy to look back at the progression of events in my life to see how I arrived here (Philadelphia, unemployed, blogging, etc), but to see that here means something leading to there, is often hard to see. Why not just know that it will eventually become clear? That made complete sense to me. Of course I know my actions today will hold repercussions for tomorrow's tomorrow. BUT!! I do not need to see them (yet) in order to take solace that situations will work out, lead to better offers or environments, and create a bright future.
I have read parts of Parachute before, but refreshing my brain on the anomalies that exist in the job markets was helpful, too. The fact that employers and job-hunters seek each other in two opposite styles is sort of mind-boggling to me. You would think someone would have fixed that by now! We first want companies to read our resume when we email/mail it to them. Companies first want to hire from within.
The brief dialogues between imaginary career counsellors and job-hunters brought up another resonate truth: career counselling and job-hunting techniques should be mandatory classes in secondary schools. Who among us has NEVER needed to know how to write a great resume, or look for a job online? I can only think of one person: my grandfather, a self-employed mason who finds all of his work through referrals. The point is we should be empowering people at a young age with the tools they need to succeed in this world if we are investing in them like we claim ("we" in this case being politicians, parents, mentors, educators, and the like). Otherwise, the world might be headed for an irrepairable downward spiral.
Alright, back off my soapbox. Obviously, re-reading the 5 best and worst methods for finding a job were helpful. Who wants to waste energy in an already-exhausting procedure? Not me. We've all told our friends to call us if they hear of a job opening or posted our resumes on company and/or work-related websites. I'll keep doing those things. You never know, right? This time, I actually want to do the homework on myself, like the book says is most effective. I just might find out my ideal job is in Zimbabwe purifying water for orphans. Time will tell.
I read up to my first exercise in the book. Admittedly, I was a bit stumped. The basic idea is to list ten different ways to answer the question (positively), "Who am I?" Then, for each of the ten responses (nouns or adjectives) list all the reasons why that answer was given and what about it is attractive to you. I am not ashamed to say it was hard to come up with the ten responses. I definitely need to know more about me.
I know this might sound like a cop-out, but the paper was pretty sparse. I have work to do... that was the point of starting this journey. Here is my messy, "thinking" handwriting and a sample of the words I chose for myself. If you know me, can you think of anything I missed?
Homework aside, I found a really inspirational quote (p. 49) that I just may turn into a graphic to share on social media, but for now, I'll share it with you.
"One of the saddest lines in the world is, 'Oh come now. Be realistic.' The best parts of this world were not fashioned by those who were realistic. They were fashioned by those who dared to look hard at their wishes and then gave them horses to ride."Let's all dream A LOT! The saddest people in the world have lost sight of, and given up on, their dreams. I plan on dreaming and being happy. Here's to those who dream out loud!
Speaking of dreams, I have some great news! I was so inspired by the start of this blog, I started on some serious job-hunting on LinkedIn. I found job postings at a record label. Most of them were financial or IT-related. Then, I found it! I applied for a job as a publicity assistant at a major record label in New York City. Not only that, but I called my last employer, who is a tremendous networking asset to those who know him. He happily referred me to one of the executives at the parent company, who in turn forwarded my reference to the head of publicity at the hiring label. All I would really like is an interview. I know I would be a great addition to a challenging, exciting environment. This may not be my dream job once I finish Parachute, but for right now, I'm salivating! Keep your fingers crossed for me!
If you read all of this, thank you. Knowing someone is out there, enjoying my words means more than you will ever know. Please comment below to let me know you're following along, if you have any questions, didn't understand something, or even if you have a critique (grammatical or otherwise).
See you back here next week!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
A package arrives...
Today, I received a package from my Uncle Dick. Some of you might be saying, "Yeah? And?" Well, my uncle isn't just anyone. He's Richard Nelson Bolles, the author of What Color Is Your Parachute? a.k.a. The Job-Hunter's Bible. He's also my great uncle, to be precise-- my grandmother's brother.
Uncle Dick sent me this package as a "Thank You" present for promoting the newest edition of his book. He overcompensated for taking so long by sending so many of the books you see in the picture above. I am not a career counselor, nor am I 'so-called handicapped.' I do speak a good deal of Spanish, but I'm not about to read this book in conjunction with a dictionary at hand. It's long enough!
Today, the author also posted a YouTube video link to a talk he gave last year (I would give you the link normally, but the video appears to be having technical difficulties). During this talk, he read a passage from an email a recent college graduate had sent him. She talked about finally giving in to doing the exercises in the book and finding "[HER] job." Well, Heather Smith, whoever you are, thank you. You've inspired me to do the same.
Confession: I am tired of drifting from job to job, interest to interest, with nothing really sticking. Let me translate that: I want a career I am passionate about (I'm a really passionate person. Not having one makes me feel a bit imbalanced.). I want a fulfilling job that I am hungry for: one that I look forward to each day, one that makes me feel like I am reaching my potential as a human being, and one that I know is what I alone was put on this Earth to do.
So, dear friends, I am beginning a journey with you. I hope you'll follow along. This isn't a test for me (I'm not going to call this Day 1, and see how many days it takes for me to 'find myself.'). It will be an exercise in discipline (keeping this blog up-to-date and regular is a habit I look forward to forming). This is THURSDAY! How about.... every Thursday, I give you an update on my reading Parachute, my exercises, my job-hunting, any motivational quotes I find, etc.? A good place to start, anyway. I am here on the internet hoping my search will help someone else. I am hoping we can bolster each other's resolve, attitude, determination, energy... anything we need to get what and where we want. Also, I promise this won't just be a gigantic advertisement for my uncle's book. Though, if you want to buy it, it's available at most any bookstore. Here's a place to start: Buy Parachute.
Welcome to My Parachute Journey.
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