CAREER SELF-ASSESSMENT AND ACTION PLAN

WHERE IS THE TARGET?

1. Look at the shaded boxes tick one or more to show which of these wider career themes is influencing your current thinking. 2. Look at the elements mentioned in the other circles (self, work and jobs): put a tick by the elements you have thought about, researched and worked on in detail, a cross by the ones you havent. Ideally, you should be aiming to clarify these decision influences from the outside in starting with you, ending with more specific goals. Reflect on: Are there any entire areas or specific factors you have not given attention to? Are you working through your career thinking systematically (from outside in?). Or starting with too narrow a focus and neglecting the wider self and work factors you need to balance within your chosen career? What are your biggest challenges to career development at this point? What do you recognise you need to start thinking about in more depth?

Progress current path?

Further study/research? SELF

Work Preferences

Time out?

WORK JOBS
Vacancies/opportunities

Circumstances

Existing skills

Sector

Work pattern

Motivators

Culture

Specific post
Employers Specialist focus Training

Academic content

Values

Ethical stance

Setting Pace

Size Patient profile Career beliefs

Location/ travel

Team orientation

Professional interests

Portfolio career? Self- employment?

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Career change?

INTERESTS

An interest may be defined as an idea or something which will engage and hold your attention. Your interests represent your preferences for doing some activities rather than others. For example, some people may enjoy driving fast cars, others exploring caves, some may be interested in visiting art galleries, others in playing an instrument. If you are genuinely interested in the work you do, you are more likely to gain personal satisfaction and fulfilment than if you are working in an area in which you have no interest. Different types of work will interest different people and in medical careers, there are diverse options and patient environments which will call on different strengths, personal preferences and abilities. You may of course have a very wide range of interests, some of which you may prefer to keep to your leisure time rather than aiming to pursue them in your work. At this stage it just helps to know, in the broadest sense, where your preferences lie so that you can determine how important it is to you that these are reflected in your career environment.

The following exercise is based on the work of John Holland, who discovered that peoples interests incline them towards particular types of occupations. He also found that people in the same occupation will tend to have similar skills and interests although they may hold different values.

INTERESTS AUDIT
STEP 1 On the next page, there are 6 sets of statements. For each statement, show how much you agree or disagree by circling the number which represents the level of your agreement: 1 = highly disagree 5= highly agree

STEP 2 Now rank order the letters A S E P I A / O according to which inte rest group has the highest and lowest scores.

STEP 3 Take your top 3 scores and write in the spaces provided.

STEP 4 To find out more about the interest types, read through the interpretation of each interest group in the notes provided.

QUESTIONNAIRE
INTERESTS GROUP A I like seeing art shows, plays and good films. I like to be different. I like to forget about everything else when Im being creative. It is vital to have aesthetic and unusual things around me. I like to use my imagination. I like expressing myself on paper through painting, music or building things. Add up the numbers TOTAL

WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS?

INTERESTS GROUP P 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5 I like fixing and repairing things. I like to be very fit. I like making things with my hands. I like doing things outdoors. I like hard, physical work. I feel comfortable working with technical equipment. 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5

Add up the numbers TOTAL

INTERESTS GROUP S I enjoy being with people. I like to talk things through with people. I like to pay attention to what people want. I like helping people. I like helping people to develop and learn things. Who Im with is more important than where I am. Add up the numbers TOTAL 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5

INTERESTS GROUP I I like to understand things thoroughly. I like exploring new ideas . I enjoy working on problems. I like asking questions. I like learning about new things. I like to work out my own answers to problems. Add up the numbers TOTAL 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5

INTERESTS GROUP E I enjoy trying to persuade and influence people. I enjoy using a great deal of energy and resilience. I like people to do what I ask of them. I like taking risks. I like making decisions. I enjoy getting people organised and excited about a task. 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 5 5

INTERESTS GROUP A/O I like to be given clear directions. I enjoy getting the details right in my work. I like a clear structure and a regular routine. I can be relied upon to do what Im expected to do. I enjoy working with data. I like organising projects, ideas and people down to the last detail. Add up the numbers TOTAL 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5

Add up the numbers TOTAL

INTEREST GROUP SCORES Take your top 3 scores these represent your major interest types My top group is ___________________________ My second highest group is _________________ My third highest group is____________________

INTEREST GROUPS
Artistic: Ideas & People focus These people like to feel free from routine. They like to develop skills in language, art, music, drama and writing. They trust their minds, bodies & feelings, being more suspicious of things. Th ey enjoy beauty, unstructured activity, variety, interesting and unusual sounds, sights, textures & people. They tend to be creative, talented & freewheeling, often nonconformist, sensitive, independent, introspective, expressive. They like jobs where they can use their creative skills. They solve their problems by being CREATIVE. Practical: Things focus These people like to work with tools, objects, machines or animals. They like to develop manual, mechanical, agricultural and electronic skills. They like jobs which involve constructing and repairing things, They like using their hands. They use their bodies skilfully rather than words, thoughts or feelings. They admire physical co-ordination, strength, agility and logic. They like being outdoors and dealing with concrete problems. They tend to be down to earth and matter of fact. They solve problems by DOING.

Social: People focus These people live through their feelings. Relying on their gut reactions, they like activities that involve informing, training, teaching, understanding and helping others. They develop skills for working with people. They tend to be helpful, friendly, concerned, leaders, sensitive, supportive, responsible, perceptive, genuine, tactful, empathetic. They enjoy being close to people, sharing problems, being in charge, unstructured activities. They like jobs such as teaching, nursing and counselling. They solve their problems by using their FEELINGS.

Investigative: Ideas focus These people enjoy using their minds. They tend to be curious, studious, independent, intellectual, sometimes unconventional and introspective. They like to develop skills in maths, biology and physical sciences. They like scientific and medical jobs. They like thinking through problems, trusting their own minds more than other people and things. They admire logic, use insight, enjoy intellectual challenges. They solve problems by THINKING.

Enterprising: People and Data focus

Organisational/administrative: Data & Think focus These people enjoy orderliness and clear routines. They like activities that encourage organising information in a clear and logical way. They tend to be responsible, dependable, careful, logical and accurate. They have an eye for detail. They enjoy order, security and certainty, identifying with power and status. They develop organisation and information management skills. They like jobs involving systems, technical equipment and IT. They often like working in large organisations. They solve problems by following ROUTINES.

These people love projects. They like leading and influencing people, are often ambitious, outgoing, energetic, self-confident, independent, enthusiastic, sensitive and logical. They develop skills to lead, motivate, and persuade people. They enjoy organising, managing, variety, status, power and money. They solve problems by RISKING themselves and others.

Based upon an idea in Build You Own Rainbow Hopson and Scally

VALUES
(from: The Art of Building Windmills Graduate Employment Unit, Liverpool University) What do you want from a job? Complete the self-assessment below, using the key: 1 = Essential, 2 = Very Important, 3 = Important, 4 = Fairly Important, 5 = Not Important: Are there clear patterns which indicate the most and least important factors for you? How will these needs be met in your chosen career? What if they are not met?

1
Freedom to make decisions Working autonomously Freedom from rules/constraints Able to define own tasks Independent career, own terms Clear career path Steady, predictable performance Long term security Well known hospital or employer Incremental pay, service based Creating or developing new services Building own practice Owning something Ive developed Treatments or outcomes are associated with me Showing I can build a fortune Providing service to others Contributing to wider community Dedication to a cause Having a job of real value Making a difference in the world Balanced personal/professionally Flexible work options Low impact of job on personal life Little mobility required Time for leisure Being excellent in specialty Recognised as expert in field Using specialist skills Solving complex problems Stretched by regular challenge High standard of living Recognised for achievements Highly paid job Highly regarded by others Respectable social status Responsibility for key decisions Advancement in career Influencing or controlling others Contributing to organisational success Accountable for money/results/resources
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Authority/ Influence

Reward/ Recognition

Expertise/ Challenge

Balanced Lifestyle

Sense of Purpose

Enterprise

Stability / Security

Autonomy

WHAT ARE MY MOST TRANSFERABLE SKILLS?

(based on CIHE Competency definitions) Look at the following list of skills and abilities which are often required in work roles and environments. 1. Place an x in the right hand column to indicate where you feel you have good or developing ability (could or can do). 2. Place an x in the left hand column to indicate which of the activities you really enjoy (like/would like to do).
Interest Competency Achievement focus Flexibility/adaptable Analysis Attention to detail Audit Creativity/innovation Empathy Facilitation Financial acumen Influencing Initiative Interpersonal skill Judgement Leadership Lifelong learning Listening to others Mentoring Oral communication Organisational understanding Negotiation Networking Planning and organising Problem solving Presentation Professional expertise Project management Questioning/investigation Research Risk tolerance Specialist knowledge Stress tolerance Teamwork/work with others Teaching/training others Written Communication Note where you have put an X in both the Interest and Abilities columns You will be able to transfer any area of developed ability into work, but our most transferable assets are those where we combine something we can do with a genuine personal interest or motivation to use and grow that ability further. Areas where we have ability but less personal interest will still transfer well into a job, but we are less likely to enjoy using these skills over sustained periods of time. These skills can be good stepping stones into a range career roles but may be less central to our longer term career development.
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Ability

ACTION PLAN
Spend 5 minutes reviewing the outcomes of the previous exercises and discussions in the session and record them on the Action Plan below.

General career areas I need to think about or research (Activity 1)

Interests and abilities I would like to draw on (Activity 2)

Values I would like to be satisfied (Activity 3)

Transferable Skills I could use or develop (Activity 4)

Employers, work e nvironments and job features which capture my interest

Resources I intend to use in my career research and development