How to Identify Your Values for Career Change, from Career Change Guide Section I – Who You Are

Mike Schoettle, author of Career Change Guide, wants to help you make a successful career change at any age. These are Mike Schoettle’s recommended actions from Section 1 of his career change book. A primary goal is to teach you how to identify your values for career change. Knowing yourself, your values, your abilities and core competencies will help you be set up for a more successful career change and happier life. Learn from Mike how to identify your values for career change.

Understanding who you are at a deep level is critical to making informed decisions about the work you do.

How to Identify Your Values for Career Change
Career Change Guide Preview: Recommended Actions following Chapter 1 – Your Values

Identify your Core Values, especially the ones that are most important to you.

  1. Think about what your life decisions tell you about your values.
  2. What are the values of your family members, friends, and others whom you respect?
  3. Review the values listed in this chapter.
  4. Identify the three or four Core Values that are most important to you.

Identify other value-like considerations.

  1. How would your spouse/significant other feel about a career change or relocation?
  2. Do you have any personal commitments or feelings that might be affected by a job change or relocation?
  3. Identify any major considerations or circumstances that you feel are important to where you work.

Develop your thoughts about your personal culture.

  1. Identify the culture of your parents and the community in which you grew up.
  2. Determine what is now your personal culture.
  3. Identify the culture of where you want to work.

Make a list of the values and important considerations relating to where you work next.

  1. Include the most important Core Values, culture and other considerations you have identified.
  2. Prioritize this list.

Recommended Actions following Chapter 2 – How You Process Information

Determine your focus and how you process what you hear when talking to others.

  1. On what do you focus when someone tells you something? Do you think about what the person is feeling or his/her ideas?
  2. How do you process new information?
    1. First developing your thoughts about something, then discussing it with others.
    2. First discussing something, then developing your thoughts.
  3. 3.How do your colleagues at work and your family focus and process information?

If you have not taken the Myers-Briggs Assessment, consider doing so now. Then think about what this tells you about yourself.

How to identify your values for career change, from Career Change Guide, a Career Change book by Michael Schoettle
How to identify your values for career change, from Career Change Guide, a career change book by Michael Schoettle

Recommended Actions following Chapter 3 – Your Capabilities

Identify your skills and competencies.

  1. Review what you have learned about skills and competencies.
  2. What skills and competencies were in play in your recent and past accomplishments?
  3. Identify your top two or three skills and competencies.

Focusing on competencies, determine:

  1. What competencies are needed for someone to do well at the work you do or want to do?
  2. Which of these competences do you already possess, and which do you need to obtain?
  3. Identify the competencies you would most like to incorporate in your work.

If you took the StrengthsFinder course, determine how the strengths identified relate to your skills and competencies.

Recommended Actions following Chapter 4 – The Right Role For You

Identify your top two or three Preferences.

  1. Do you see a pattern in your preferences, and if so, what does it reveal?
  2. What Work Preferences are incorporated in your work?
  3. What Work Preferences do you want to be in your work?

Look at the Core Business Interests you checked and ask:

  1. Is there a pattern? If so, what does it reveal?
  2. How do these choices compare to your current job?
  3. Do you see something of interest that you might want to do in the future?

Determine the contribution you want to make.

  1. How does your work benefit your customers or clients?
    1. How do you feel about that?
    2. What change would make you feel better?
  2. Who or what would you like your work to benefit?

Identify and assess your role at work.

  1. Are you in a role that makes the most sense for you?
  2. If not, determine what role would be best for you?
  3. Do what you can to transition into that role.

If you are still puzzled about your preferred work role or your feelings about your current or previous job, consider doing the following exercise:

  1. If you are currently working, at the end of each day:
    1. Record what you most enjoyed that day and why.
    2. Do the same for what you disliked doing.
  2. Do this for 5-10 days, review your notes, and ask yourself what you learned about yourself.
  3. If you are not working, ask the same questions about where you last worked and see what you learn.

List what you think are important about where you work and what you do.

  1. Core Values & Personal Commitments
  2. Competencies
  3. Work Preferences
  4. Preferred role
  5. Whom or what you want your work to benefit
  6. Anything else that is relevant and important to you

Consider using the space provided in the back of the book for more space your list and ease of referencing and revising.

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