Career Planning: Waste of Time? or Sleep-Inducing Bore??

Self-Assessment and Career Planning with CareerLeader ®

It’s OK Not to Know (But…)  About 80% of students aren’t sure what they want to do when they graduate—regardless of what they say (and even believe)  That’s OK, but...the earlier (and better) you focus, the better your networking, research, self- marketing and interviewing

You Are Not the Person Sitting Next to You  Understanding your own personality, motivations, and needs is crucial— ergo, self-assessment  Beware the herd mentality!  You have to create your own unique career path

Most Common “But…”s  I don’t have the time!  Baloney! You’re spending N hours and dollars to come here and you don’t have time? Come on!!!  Just show me the money!  A common—and flawed—strategy (if you are a company, your debt-to-equity ratio is too low!)

More Most Common “But…”s  Just show me an offer—any offer!  The flaw in the “shotgun” strategy  The importance of convincing employers that you will accept offers and be a good fit

Key Components of Career Success and Satisfaction  Deeply embedded life interests  Work reward values  Relevant abilities

The Three CareerLeader Assessment Instruments:  Business Career Interest Inventory  Management and Professional Reward Profile  Management and Professional Abilities Profile

CareerLeader Is:  Scientifically based, using a sample of over 6800 business professionals in a wide variety of functions, industries and levels  Used by over 175 MBA programs and corporations worldwide (and a few visionary undergraduate programs!)

Interests  Are a “deep structure” aspect of personality  You develop a unique interest signature by early adulthood that is highly stable over your lifetime

Core Business Interests  Application of Technology: Using technology to accomplish business objectives; thinking like an engineer  Quantitative Analysis: Problem solving by mathematical analysis  Theory Development/Conceptual Thinking: Employing broadly conceptual approaches to business problems  Creative Production: Purely creative activity (creating ideas, products and strategies where none existed previously)

Core Business Interests  Counseling/Mentoring: Coaching, training, customer relationships  Managing People and Relationships: Working directly through employees to accomplish objectives  Enterprise Control: Having ultimate strategic and decision-making authority for an operation  Influence Through Language and Ideas: Persuading others–inside and outside one’s organization–to follow a course of action

Patterns of Satisfaction People with different Core Business interest profiles are excited by, and tend to be most successful in, different roles in organizations. For example…

ATQATDCPCSMPEC IN Sales and Sales Management CareerLeader Business Core Functions

ATQATDCPCSMPEC IN Public Relations and Communications CareerLeader Business Core Functions

ATQATDCPCSMPEC IN Human Resources Management/ Corporate Training CareerLeader Business Core Functions

ATQATDCPCSMPECIN Managers of Information Systems CareerLeader Business Core Functions

ATQATDCPCSMPECIN Finance in Corporate Settings CareerLeader Business Core Functions

ATQATDCPCSMPECIN Production and Operations Management CareerLeader Business Core Functions

BCII Score Summary GEORGE W. Application of Technology34 Quantitative Analysis36 Theory Development48 Creative Production42 Counsel and Mentoring63 Personal High Managing People & Relationships57 Personal High Enterprise Control40 Influence: Language & Ideas63 Personal High General Business Interest Index High Omitted ItemsNormal Inconsistent ItemsNormal Response RangeAverage

BCII Score Summary MARTHA W. Application of Technology65 Personal High Quantitative Analysis69 Personal High Theory Development54 Creative Production41 Counsel and Mentoring39 Managing People & Relationships46 Enterprise Control60 Personal High Influence: Language & Ideas39 Entrepreneurial Attributes49 General Business Interest Index High Omitted ItemsNormal Inconsistent ItemsNormal Response RangeVery Low

MPRP Score Summary Relative Value Value Inclusion Financial Gain8 Yes Power and Influence6 No Variety6 Yes Lifestyle6 Yes Autonomy2 No Intellectual Challenge3 No Altruism5 No Security6 Yes Prestige7 Yes Affiliation9 Yes Positioning10 Yes Managing People3 No Recognition7

Management and Professional Reward Profile  Forces you to make trade-offs among rewards  Results in shopping list with scores being “must-haves,” 7-9 “good- to-haves”

MPAP Score Summary Relative ValuePeer Comparison Problem Solving Critical Thinking 33 Quantitative Analysis52 Creativity43 Quick Thinking 53 Taking Initiative Power Orientation 83 Action Orientation104 Multi-Focus104 Leveraging104 Interpersonal Effectiveness Confidence43 Leading/Managing32 Sociability52 Teamwork103 Communication13

Management and Professional Abilities Profile  Focuses on business-relevant abilities  Three sets of scores: internal ranking (like MPRP), peer comparison, and optional feedback

Career Assessment Benefits  Determining the right career path(s)  Avoiding the wrong career paths  Effective selling: “I have these interests, these skills, and I’m motivated by these rewards–all of which seem to fit with your company.”