Before we start the series on how to become a Top Contributor at your job, I’d like to do some pre-work and cover some topics that will be beneficial not only for those of you who are currently unemployed and looking for a job, but also for those of you who do have a job and are unsure in what direction to take your career. These topics will include career assessment, writing a high quality resume, finding a decent job that fits your career goals, interview tips, and negotiation strategies before you say “I do,” to your new job.
Career Assessment tests are designed to help you understand your strengths, weaknesses, style of working, personality traits, interests, motivations, skills, and aptitudes, among other personal attributes, in order to figure out the types of jobs where you would be good at, and make an informed and smart decision about your next career move. There are many formal career assessment tests on the Internet that range from free to expensive, which you can take if you’d like a more elaborate assessment, but for this exercise, we do not have to spend any money. I would basically ask you to be honest with yourself and perform a personal self-assessment of where you stand today, where you’ve been, and where you want to get to in your career.
So, let’s start by taking a close look at your career and ask a simple question, “Are you happy with your current employment?” You may reply, “what does it have to do with happiness? I just need a job that pays the big bucks.” Yes, I’ll be the first one to agree that as Top Contributors we do want that job that pays very well for our hard work, but I also believe that when we do something we like, we will be more motivated to get up every morning and go to work to do an exceptionally well done job, exceeding all management expectations. In other words, these two do not have to be mutually exclusive, or to emphasize the popular cliché, we can have our cake and eat it, too.
Once you have an honest answer to the question above, you will be able to take a better decision of how drastic your next career move will be. For instance, you might be completely pleased with your current job, but do you see yourself doing the same thing ten years from now? If you are a Top Contributor in your company, I bet you are already planning your next step, and that’s because one single profession can have dozens of career paths. For example, if you are an engineer, do you see yourself becoming a Senior Engineer, or Senior IT Specialist? Do you see yourself becoming more technical? Or maybe, do you see yourself less technical savvy and more managerially inclined, and perhaps becoming an IT Project Manager or a Technical Executive?
This same example can be made with about any profession. As you can see, there are many roads you can take. Don’t just take one blindly. Take some time to assess your career up to this moment to make sure you are on the right path to meet your future goals.
So, when you have some time for yourself, open a spreadsheet and take an inventory of the following:
Education and Skills
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Experience
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Personal Interests
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Strengths
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Weaknesses
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- List skills you learned in the classroom, job training, on the streets, or by yourself.
- List those skills that have high value in the market place and that clients will pay top $$$ for.
- Also, think of the skills you possess that directly benefit the team and company you work for.
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- Think of your previous work experiences and list all major accomplishments in your career. How valuable were those to your company?
- How have those experiences changed you and your career?
- What positions would best fit those experiences?
- Please remember that experiences do not go hand in hand with a job title. You may have worked in accounting, but were doing management type of work. Make sure to list all your valuable experiences from each position you held.
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- What do you enjoy doing? Don’t worry about the monetary value of that skill. Just think of how you feel about it. Maybe, you like leading, public speaking, negotiating, listening, building, selling, teaching, designing, and so on.
- What types of jobs can you do that would meet your interests?
- Now, think! How can you connect those interests to your dream job?
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- List everything you do very well. Maybe, you are great at fixing equipment, coordinating, researching, analyzing, solving, directing, managing projects, and so on.
- Think of previous accomplishments. What helped you achieve your goals? What skills did you use? Why did you shine in that occasion?
- What makes other employees come to you when they need help?
- What makes you stand out from the rest of your team in a positive way?
- What do you have to offer to your colleagues and clients that no one else can offer?
- List personality traits that would be beneficial to a job. Example: personal values, philosophy, motivations, and beliefs.
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- Do you have a bad temper? Do you lose patience easily? Do you lack skills in one area of the job you want?
- Think of previous projects you worked in, where you could have done better. Why did you fail at completing a task? What did you not bring to the table that you wish you did?
- List personality traits that would not be beneficial to a job. Example: personal values, philosophy, motivations, and beliefs.
- Please, remember not only to mention your weaknesses, but also list your action plans to improve them or eliminate them. For instance, if you need skills in Project Management, do you plan to take a class to get certified as a project manager?
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Keeping in mind that each profession has a number of fields where you can grow your career, what would be your dream job based on your education, skills, experience, and interests, strengths, and weaknesses?
Once you have completed this part, we will use this information to align your results to your goals during our Career Planning phase, which I’ll start in a few days.
In the mean time, seek the company of all the people you know that bring positive values to your life. Share your goals with them and don’t forget to tell them: “I am on the path to become The Top Contributor!”
Fray Rodriguez – The Top Contributor
, by Napoleon Hill. 
