Interpreting Your Career Leader Self

Assessment

Louise JacksonCareer Services CoordinatorAlumni Association of the University of Michiganlouiseej@umich.edu(734) 764 5136

Why does it matter?

• “I want to work on wall street in finance”

• Meaningful work requires a realistic appraisal of your Interests, Motivations and Skills.

• Your Career Vision- YOU need to build it

Your Vision

• In five to seven years, where do you want to be in terms of: – Functional role– Industry knowledge– Organizational culture– Skill acquisition– Relationships with significant others– Work/Life Balance– Geographic location– Community involvement

• How deeply have you imagined these things?• Significant advantage in:

• Job search• Career advancement

• “Closer”- remember the journey

Some History…

• By Drs. Timothy Butler and James Waldroop, psychologists at the Harvard Business School and authors of: • Discovering Your Career in Business• The 12 Bad Habits That Hold Good People Back• Getting Unstuck• Numerous articles in the Harvard Business Review,

Fortune, Fast Company, and other popular business press

• Using a database of more than 400,000 business professionals collected over 13 years

Your Interests

• Interests patterns are stable- they don’t change much over life times.

• Independent of each other• Forced to make a choice (no middle point)

7

Your Motivators

• No good or bad motivators• Relatively stable but could change• Should be in 9-12 range. If you have no score over 8-

retake• Don’t base a career choice on motivators alone

10

Your Skills

12

Self Efficacy

• “Even though I can’t do it right now, I can learn what it takes to be successful”

• Why does it matter?• Self Efficacy Influences• Not innate for most of us

– Success breeds success/Small wins– Vicarious experience– Verbal persuasion

Now what?• Successful career cannot be

accomplished without detailed self understanding

• Use this knowledge and language to build your career brand

• Remember interests and how they match with your current or future career are the most important

• How your work’s culture fits your personality is important too

• You’re the pilot, not the passenger here. You CAN build skills through practice and persistence

Questions?

Louise JacksonCareer Services Coordinator

Alumni Association of the University of Michiganlouiseej@umich.edu

(734) 764 5136