Posts Tagged ‘personal development’

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For the Journey - by Kara

Thursday, July 15th, 2010

My rowing season has just come to an end and with it comes the opportunity to reflect on the past year; the preparation; the successes; and the failures.hwr

This year I was one of the fortunate members of our squad to have won at Henley Womens Regatta - the main competition that we aim for. Yet strangely, the joys of winning for me were far outshone by the accomplishment of a successful seasons training and the progression of the entire squad - the discipline and dedication that has shone through in every crew/squad member.

I think it is important to prepare for every challenge that you may face in the same way as you would prepare yourself for a competition. This means that regardless if you are just starting out or if you are keen to develop your career, then you should approach it with the same discipline and enthusiasm you would a race. If you do the best that you can and do not succeed in the area/position - then at least you have been true to yourself - in that you cannot have done anything better.

Too often people are scared of failure or rejection but if you approach every day as a new challenge and do your best, then you have nothing to fear (except fear itself!). To improve your chances of success in your career is to get some career/interview coaching, invest time into your personal development and listen to others. But most importantly honour yourself and enjoy making the most of the journey!

hwr-2010

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Make your gap year more than just a gap! - by Kara

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

This viral video shows how many stereotype the gap year experience (including recruiters). So, if you are thinking of taking a gap year it’s worth steering away from this stereotype and having a comprehensive plan in order for your gap year to be more than just a gap on your CV! Here are 4 things to think about before you embark:footprints

1. How your gap year could help you. For example it could help to choose your career path.

2. How you can help others - think about volunteering overseas.

3. What you can learn on a personal level. Don’t spend all your time partying, make sure you experience some of the culture and history of the places that you stay.

4. Work experience that you can gain - are you going to work while abroad? or before you go? Think about the type of job you will be doing and what you can gain from the experience.

If you write about your gap year on your CV try to show exactly what experience you gained and what you learned. It is a time for you to explore and enjoy yourself so it shouldn’t be all work, however you will be more satisfied if you have something to show for it at the end.

Here are some listings of  useful schemes you can partake in or try united playground for low cost volunteering.

Enjoy!

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Identifying and Using your Strengths - by Kara

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

I have just read a blog post by Scott Adams, writer of the Dilbert comic strip. He suggests that to have

Piecing together your skills for business

Piecing together your skills for business

more than the average career success you have to be the best at a specific thing, or in the top 25% at 2 or more things (with the latter being far easier to achieve). So… his ability as a comedian and his ability to draw along with his extensive knowledge of the office environment enabled his success in making comic strips.

Following on from Grant’s post on ‘What it takes to be Excellent’ which suggests that it takes 10,000 hours to be world class in any area, I wonder how long it takes to make the top 25%? My guess is often a lot less, and depending on your natural ability you may already be there! What is important is to be able to identify these strengths and to work on any that need boosting.

But is it really that simple? I would suggest that the biggest challenge is perhaps not that of becoming the top 25% in different things, but it’s finding a way to utilize these strengths. Having a strong sense of business, the ability to network and ask for advice are key to being able to achieve this.

So… what are your 3 strengths?

Please also reply to others to suggest how they can use their strengths to help them become successful!

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Establishing Life Goals - by Kara

Friday, April 16th, 2010

I’m sure many of you have read about writing down 101 goals that you want to achieve in life. I never thought I would be an advocate of it (the thought of sitting down and writing this out seemed pretty cringe worthy and pointless to me) - however, my cousin who has been staying with me made us sit down and do it… and it actually started to make sense! You need to think about what is important to you and identify your goals in order to achieve them. What if your goals change? - was my natural reaction. Well, let them - they will, review your goals every year and allow for this. The most important ones tend not to.personal-vision1

So… thinking of 101 goals is quite a lot to get your head around. There will be some that come to you instantly but after that you’ll really have to start thinking about it! One way to tackle it is to think of different categories; travel; food; finance; work etc. Or you could try thinking chronologically – what you are likely to do and when? A third way would be to try and list them in order of importance, some might seem essential to you and some are just a nice to have.

I thought about not only what I would like to have achieved if I was looking back at my life, and in the process also identified the things that weren’t as important to me. For example, I know that I like adventure and would like to complete some major challenges, but for me the nature of these weren’t as important as the process. When I was younger I thought one day I would row across the Atlantic, but I actually don’t think it would matter if it was that or cycling across the US or climbing Kilimanjaro, it would be the process rather than the outcome that matters to me.

When considering these aims it highlights how important identifying your motivations are when it comes to deciding your career. You need to understand what is important to you in order to identify a career that suits you and enables you to achieve your life aims. This global perspective can be invaluable when making career decisions.

Finally, I would suggest that you put some on there that will challenge you! It doesn’t matter if you don’t achieve them – the list will remind you to try!

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Which way does the girl spin? - by Kara

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

Take a look at this article, the direction in which you see the girl spinning is supposed to predict the side of the brain that is most dominant. Some people can see both, and some can only see one way no matter how hard they try. I can only see anti-clockwise!

What do all these psychometric tests mean?

What do all these psychometric tests mean?

So… what can you extrapolate from your results? Well… some would say that this may guide you on some of your career choices, similar to psychometric testing which finds character traits you possess and tries to match that to a potential career. However, at MyTalentPlace we think that approach to careers advice sucks. If I took the advice when I was younger that I was right brain dominant and thus more creative and followed a career based on that, I would have missed out on some fantastic opportunities to study statistics and sciences which have developed my analytical skills and I would not have missed for the world. Or, if I had taken the results of my school psychometric assessment and become a zookeeper! - I may never have fulfilled my ambitions.

Whilst psychometric profiling is probably the most widely adopted form of Careers Guidance in UK schools, we have to question just how much you can tell from a multi-choice questionnaire? In our careers advice services we adopt the approach that the qualities and motivations of an individual have to be explored from all angles - in the business world this is known as 360 degree profiling. The process involves feedback from parents, teachers and peers and most importantly explores the motivations and aspirations of the student. The result? - students not only have an idea of the career they want and the ways to go about achieving success on that career path, but also helps develop their self-insight and understanding of what is important to them. See this video testimonial from Lottie who has been through the process.

Sure it’s fun to take these tests - it may give you some ideas and make you think about your characteristics (whether you agree with the results or not!) - but when its something as important as your career you want substantial foundations that you can build your success on!

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Thoughts on how to get - and stay - motivated! - by Kara

Monday, February 1st, 2010

There are lots of different ways that you can improve motivation in all aspects of your life. I would suggest that perhaps the most effective and measurable way is to set goals for both long-term and short term achievement. It is also important that you have a support network around you to help you and encourage you to achieve these goals (they must have some understanding of what you are trying to achieve in order to do this effectively).

An example of this is that I train for rowing every morning and evening, before and after work and all morning at the weekends. It can get pretty tough especially in winter when everything is freezing and you are always training in the dark. People often ask me – what keeps you motivated? (I often ask myself the question too!). So here is a quick list of what I think are the most important factors:

trial-8s1

University trial eights racing on the tideway

  1. I love the sport – If you don’t enjoy it then what is the point! Ok - when it’s dark and miserable in the winter or when we have endless gym sessions and experience a hell of a lot of pain or when you lose a race you should have won - then it is far from enjoyable. However, I love all my teammates and coaches, I love racing and the sense of achievement when you race well after a lot of preparation, I like having a constant goal and I love winning.

    Me (front-right) and some of my team representing England last summer.

    Me (front-right) and some of my team representing England last summer.

  2. I have a massive support network – coaches and teammates with common goals. It is also really nice when family and friends are supportive of what you are trying to achieve.
  3. I want to win – this is where it starts to get interesting as firstly you want to beat your crewmates into the best boat. And then you want to make sure that as a crew you win against other teams.
  4. There are continuous goals/aims. You have to set realistic goals about all aspects of your training e.g. if you are lifting 50kg on weights then in the next couple of weeks you may aim to lift 52.5kg, but you may aim that by next year you can lift 60kg. It’s the same on the water, you may be ranked 10th and want to beat the person ranked 9th in the next race, however you may aim to be ranked in the top 4 by the end of the season. You don’t want to miss any sessions as this would hinder you progression toward these goals and this is what keeps you going day after day. Take a look at this Canadian rowing motivational video for inspiration.

I hope this has given some insight as to how you can motivate yourself towards achieving the best you can in whatever aspect of your life. Setting goals, enjoying what you do, being competitive and letting other people support you and help you.

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Make your resolution last! - by Kara

Monday, January 4th, 2010

If you haven’t had time to make a New Year’s resolution yet – it’s not too late! It is important it is achievable so you stick with it – think tortoise rather than hare. If you think them through, then resolutions should be life changes that last longer than a year (rather than fizzling out at the end of January!). Here are some ideas to help you achieve 5 popular resolutions:

  1. Make yourself attractive to employers – whether looking for a job or wanting a career change, make sure you get up-to-date advice on your career. Use our career resources database – free videos, downloads and podcasts!
  2. Get yourself in shape! – join a sports club, sign up for classes or make your own club. It is a lot easier to exercise with other people, as if you commit to other people you are less likely to let them down. Do not simply join a gym on your own, as often you will have to commit for a year – and it’s a hefty fee if you get bored.
  3. Ditch your scales. If you want to make a resolution to lose weight – first of all change the way you think about yourself – think in terms of shape rather than weight. Muscle weighs 3x more than fat, therefore to get more toned you may actually get heavier on the scales.
  4. Make some savings or investments. You never know what life is going to throw at you - so see where you can cut back, and put aside the money you have saved. Simple ideas include – taking lunch to work and not buying take away coffee. You could try cycling to work and save a fortune on travel.
  5. Ask for help. This may sound easy but it can make your life a lot easier. Try to analyse a problem or situation and if there is someone who may be able to help it can save you a lot of time and hassle. If you need help in your career take a positive step and get a career advisor now to improve your success rate.

It is important that you see the changes as improving your lifestyle, decide on a small change and stick to it! If you can make it part of your daily routine and it will soon become habit.

Good luck for prosperous 2010!

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“It’s not what you said… it’s the way you said it!” - by Kara

Monday, December 14th, 2009

In a stereotypical argument this is what a girl will say to her boyfriend and he will then complain that he meant what he said and the way it was said is irrelevant. Whatever your stance on this scenario… have a think about what you can learn from the title quote if you think about how you can apply it to the first impression people get of you!?

Often it is true… that the content of what is said is far less relevant than the way one comes across. Whether this means posture, neat appearance or correct use or grammar, the first few seconds of a first meeting undoubtedly have a profound effect on opinions.

Now… think how this relates to a job interview? Often the way you act and say things will matter more than the content of what you say. Obviously someone isn’t going to employ you if you have absolutely nothing to bring to a company, but a good impression will definitely differentiate between similar candidates.

There are many ways that you can improve your first impression. Making sure you are well presented is key, as is your friendliness to everyone you meet in the company. Eye contact, smiling and trying to introduce some rapport with the interviewer can also enhance your chances of getting that job. Notice the details of people that are important figures in the company or that impress and try to mirror them. Remember to sell yourself in all aspects of your character. If you want further advice and to get more confidence get an experienced interview coach.

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Working backwards to your career choices - by Kara

Monday, November 30th, 2009

How do you know what you want from your life? Ask yourself this… what would you do if you won the lottery tomorrow? This can help you think about what you enjoy doing and what’s important to you. Would you travel, spend it on family, splash out on an expensive car, or save/invest to gain security from it?

Whilst we may not all have the luxury that this sort of money brings, the closer you can get to your ideal the happier you’ll be. There will be many people that wouldn’t do anything distinctly differently with the extra cash as they are happy in their lifestyle as it is.

One way to try to try and achieve this is to think about the ideal lifestyle that you would like, the details of what your day to day life would be like, and work backwards from that. There are some questions you might want to consider when imagining your ideal lifestyle:

• What sort of days/hours do I want to work?
• What’s the prestige/importance of what I do?
• What type of work do I want to do?
• Where do I want to live?
• What about work life balance?
• What about family?

You can use these types of questions to guide you in constructing an image in your mind about your ideal future. Note that specific jobs don’t need to enter the equation. If you start to feel positive or excited thinking about a certain lifestyle than this is a good sign. Once established you can start thinking about the types of career choices that would match your lifestyle. For example, if you want to have a big family, live in the country, work outside and work flexible hours, then you might want to train as a farm worker, a vet or a sports coach. If however, you want to treat yourself to expensive clothes, nice restaurants, live in an apartment in a big city, and have a job with lots of prestige, then you consider law or a banking.

As with everything in life, there will be compromises, and you may not find the perfect match. Yet it is defiantly something worth considering before setting out on a career path, to make sure that it meets your personal and lifestyle preferences.

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8 Lessons they should have taught at School! - by Kara

Friday, November 20th, 2009

Why do they always miss out on teaching you the good stuff at school? These are 8 lessons that I have gathered throughout my life that I wish I had learned when I was younger!

1. The power of an open mind… many opportunities can be bypassed by too quickly by assuming stereotypes.

2. The importance of setting goals. How do you know if you are on track if you haven’t set out any targets?

3. Pareto Principle. This is also known as the 80:20 rule… the first 20% of your activity/effort gives 80% of the value. This is especially useful in situations such as exams where it is better to make an effort on all the questions rather than to perfect one.

4. Batching… if you group activities then you can get things done faster.

5. If you are proactive, you will do things faster… if you complete a task immediately you won’t waste your time thinking about it!

6. Do not waste time being scared. I bet that more than 90% of your fears won’t become a reality. Just imagine what you would do if there was no risk of failure.

7. Mistakes are good! There are opportunities! In every experience, good or bad, there is an opportunity to learn.

8. Success is not an absolute measure. It depends upon what success means to you!

Whilst these are lessons to aid you in an uber productive and successful lifestyle, one thing that you cannot let go of is downtime. This is the time spent is the time you spend being useless and doing nothing. Everyone needs a little downtime in the week and this time ‘wasted’ may in fact be the most productive time spent, to relax and recuperate you and prepare you for more of life’s challenges!

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