The 7-Minute (Career Management) Workout

3-minute assessment.  2-minute reflection/prioritizing.  2-minute plan of action

Many people want to start their job-seeking process by focusing on one single item, such as their resume, cover letter, interviews or career branding, before any other tasks. This is flawed thinking. Objectively, you know that it is impossible to “fix” or create an interview-worthy resume without doing the requisite self-assessment of one’s career management skills. Even if you hire someone to write your resume, you’ll still need to provide a clear job objective, and related strengths and accomplishments- along with a host of other pieces of information.  Since managing one’s career is a lifelong process, it’s absolutely essential that you understand what it takes to successfully seek, obtain and retain a job.

Have you heard of the 7 Minute Workout?  It’s a great way to accomplish a whole body workout in just 7 minutes.  Well, here’s your 7-minute (Career Management) Workout. The Workout is designed to help you assess your career management skills for today's workplace .  Who doesn't have 7 minutes?Conmpletely worth your time.  Do it as a gift to yourself.  Ready? Set. Go!

STEP ONE

3-minute assessment: Career Management Skills. Print it, follow the instructions and rate yourself on the 25 skills

STEP TWO

2 minutes: Circle your 4’s and 5’s, reflect on your results, and determine your 5 most critical skills-gaps

STEP THREE

2 minutes: Determine your plan of action by doing the following: 

Quickly assess who can support you and where might you find assistance in your efforts to learn the   necessary skill?

Quickly draw 3 columns, 5-row table.  Label each column as follows:

   Task, Who/Where, Deadline

   List a single skill you want to work on in each row

   Commit to an amount of time and a deadline for ameliorating each gap

      7 minutes, and a plan for action.  Which career muscles need the most of your attention?