Achieve Career Success

Discover and Get the Job You Want

Copyright 2011. Raymond Gerson

Introduction

• Purpose of course – to help you discover work that is right for you

• And to show you how to get the job you want

• Answers are within you• This will be a journey of

self-discovery• It begins with self-

knowledge

Chapter 1

Discover Your Natural Talents and Best Skills

Chapter Objectives

• Identify your talents that you want to use in a career

• Determine your best and favorite skills• Identify skills you need to develop• Assess your non-talents that you do not want

to use in a career

Talents and Skills

• Talents are natural aptitudes you are born with

• Skills are methods that can be learned and taught

• A natural dancer still needs skills and practice to become great

Ways to Discover Your Talents

• Observe what you do well and enjoy• Feedback from others• Observe natural abilities• Notice what you learn easily• Activities that inspire and energize you• Activities where time seems to fly• Abilities that come easier to you than most

people

Enjoyable Activities You Enjoy and Do Well

• Observe what you do well and enjoy• If you love an activity you will usually do it a

lot• If you do it a lot you will probably get better at

it• If you do something well you will usually enjoy

doing it

Activities You Enjoy and Do Well (Cont’d)

• Activities 1.1 through 1.4 in your book address this topic.

• Why is it important for you to maximize use of your talents in a job?

• Why is it important for you to minimize use of your non-talents in a job?

Other Clues to Your Talents

• Feedback from others about what you do well

• Activities where time flies

• People you admire for the work they do

• Activities that make you light up and come alive

• Activities 1.5-1.10 address these topics

Skills

• Some skills are transferrable from one job to another• Some skills are job specific and are needed for a

particular job• Motivated skills are the ones you feel like using• Unmotivated skills are the ones you do not feel

motivated to use• You will want to find a job which allows you to use

your best skills• Please do Activities 1.11 and 1.12 and then list your

top three motivated skills

Personal Traits or Strengths

• Personal traits are considered soft skills• They are also referred to as self-management

skills (how you manage yourself)• Personal traits can be developed• They are valued by employers• What are a few examples of personal traits?• Please do activities 1.13 and 1.14 and

determine your top three

Skills Most Wanted by Employers(Partial list)

• Ability to get things done• Honesty and integrity• Problem solving skills• Dependability• Interpersonal skills• Motivation • Good work habits

Importance of Job Satisfaction

• Job satisfaction positively affects life satisfaction• Job dissatisfaction can make life less fulfilling• Enjoying your work positively affects your health,

relationships, and other aspects of life• Job dissatisfaction can negatively affect your health,

relationships and other aspects of life• A fortunate few love their jobs and this course will

increase your chances of becoming one of them

Summary of Main Points

• Talent is something you are born with and skills are methods that you can learn

• Maximize use of your talents and strengths and minimize use of your non-talents

• Your life provides clues to your natural ability Activities you enjoy and do well can reveal your talents and motivated skills

• Job satisfaction favorably influences life satisfaction