You are excited and ready for the next steps in your career. Whether it is a transition upwards, a career shift, or leaving a toxic job, you are ready for a change and want this to happen quickly. However, it is important to take some time to soul search and assess your values.
When you end a toxic relationship, the worst thing you can do is jump into another one very quickly. Instead, you need to soul search and assess your values in relation to your organization’s principles. Oftentimes, when an employee’s values misalign with the company’s, he or she cannot engage in their job, damaging their performance. Finding a job in an organization that aligns with your core values, passions and strengths can increase engagement, performance and job satisfaction.
How do you identify positions and organizations that align with your values?
1. Identify a problem you are passionate about solving.
Finding a problem you are passionate about solving – whether it is educating the poor, developing financial derivatives to provide access to finance, or streamlining companies to make them more efficient – is the first step to landing your dream job.
Example Problem: Many talented people have great experience and can shine in their career, if they could just market themselves better and come off more confident. I intend to help by partnering with them to develop resumes and business plans that will improve their confidence and marketability so they can achieve their dreams.
2. Identify your values.
Evaluate what values are most important to you in your professional career. There are many free sites that help you identify values that are important to you. Websites such as Landit.com and Monster.com help you create a list of values and then transform them into a statement that explains how your values translate into a new job.
Example Value: Creating the most impact in the lives of others while doing right by them. I believe in honesty, integrity, accountability and adaptability. I believe in helping people identify and solve problems. I believe in doing right by all of my friends, family, partners and clients. I believe in positive encouragement and relieving stress in any possible way. I do not believe in throwing people under the bus.
3. Identify your strengths.
Taking tests such as the Gallup Strengthsfinder may help you assess how you can use your talents to best contribute to an organization. Companies such as Spiraling Up Solutions are great at analyzing your strengths and guiding you towards finding your new position.
Example Top Strengths:
- Input – I am great at collecting and archiving data.
- Empathy – I sense the feelings of other people by imagining myself in their situation.
- Ideation – I am fascinated by ideas and am able to find connections between seemingly disparate phenomena.
- Learner – I have an immense desire to learn and want to continuously improve.
- Relator – I appreciate close relationships with others and find deep satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
4. Combine your problem, values and strengths into a statement about yourself.
Example: I am a professional cheerleader who enjoys cultivating strong positive relationships to propel job applicants to the next level. I relish learning about individuals and organizations problems by partnering with them to find solutions that help them grow. I seek to build connections between company activities and aspirations while developing strategic plans for growth. Through teamwork, I aim to improve the confidence of those around me by helping them be the best they can be while maximizing their contribution to their family, profession, and society.
You may find the following resources helpful:
https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/work-values-check-list
https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/home.aspx
http://www.spiralingupsolutions.com
All of us here at Total Rebrand wish you the best in your future endeavors. Please remember to periodically check our websites for updates, new tools, and advice in helping you find the best job that will maximize both your wealth as well as your health. Happy job hunting!