Getting reacquainted with your Values

Sometimes when job searching , we tend to forget our values and just accept the first job that is thrown your way regardless of whether or not the company and/or the position are a good fit to us.  This can result in more stress because we are then in a position of unhappiness with our workplace.  It’s best that you take the time to interview the employer and research the company before accepting any job offers. 

Use the checklist below to get reacquainted with your values and know yourself better!  Select the items that are highly important to you.

 

□      Family

□      Friendship

□      Reliability

□      Trust

□      Harmony

□      Competitiveness

□      Self-Expression

□      Creativity

□      Loyalty

□      Freedom to do

□      Material gain

□      Open-mindedness

□      Hard work

□      Independence

□      Success

□      Perseverance

□      Commitment

□      Personal growth

□      Faith/spirituality

□      Helping others

□      Making an impact on society

□      Practicality

□      Adventure

□      Respect

□      Solitude

□      Continuous learning

□      Being challenged

□      Low-stress

Make a list of your top 5 values and keep these in mind while you are interviewing potential employers and researching companies. 

Remember: your job takes up a huge part of your day – make sure you are happy with what your doing and who you are working for!  Don’t surrender your values just because you need employment right away.

Goal Setting

Everyone has goals in some form or another but reaching your goals can at times be difficult.  This may be due to a number of factors such as not thinking of the steps to reach your goal, distractions that interfere with reaching your goal, having too many goals at once or not a clear enough goal.  You can sometimes feel overwhelmed and your goals fall out of sight.  Developing a plan can help you stay on track and reach your goals!  A useful tool when making a plan to meet your goals is the SMART system that is demonstrated below.

S        M        A        R        T

Specific – when you set specific goals you are more likely to reach them; don’t be vague, set what your aim is.  For example: “my goal is to find a job” vs. “my goal is to find an office administrator job”

Measurable – set up a system to show the progress of reaching your goal.   This will allow you to visually see the steps and the work that you have put into obtaining your goal.  For Example:  develop a tracking system to record your job search activities ie: networking events, jobs you have applied for through email, etc.

Achievable – when setting your goals, remember to think about whether or not your goal is achievable.  Record the barriers that may stop you from achieving your goal and determine whether or not you have the tools/support necessary to overcome those barriers

Realistic – ensure that your goal is realistic.  For example: If you set a goal to become a doctor, do you have the educational background to become a doctor?  If you do, do you have the funds and time to attend university to become a doctor? 

Timeframe – determine a specific timeframe that you want to achieve your goal by.  This will help you to stay on track and the steps it takes to reach your goals.

Setting goals is important in order for us to move forward in our lives.

 

It’s important to remember that if you do not achieve your goal in the timeframe that you have allotted yourself, this is not a failure.  You can be proud of the steps that you have taken to work towards your goals and extend your timeframe if you are on track.

Goals will change as people are constantly growing and changing throughout their lives.  It is ok to adjust your goals to fit you current situation and changes that may have impacted your life. 

When developing your goals, make sure that they are just that…your goals.  Sometimes influences from partners, parents, children, co-workers can affect what you see as your goals.  Spend sometime with self-reflection and really think about what You want and develop your goal list from that. 

A helpful chart to use:

I want to [insert goal] by [insert timeframe] and I will reach this goal by

Step 1______________________________

Step 2______________________________

Step 3______________________________

And so on.

Keeping your goal and your plan with you is also a good idea; this allows you to keep your plan in action at all times.  Set up alerts in your phone or calendar that remind you when you must perform a step for reaching your goal.  Create a vision board that shows you reaching your goal and post it on your refrigerator.  Do whatever helps you keep that goal fresh in your mind.

Persevere and keep on track with your job search goals by using the S.M.A.R.T. system and before you know it, you will see the light at the end of the job search tunnel!

                                                                                                                                    -Sunny & Sassy