Table of Contents HOME I. Before You Begin Your Journey II. Preparing for Your Journey III. Packing for Your Journey IV. Last Minute Travel Tips

NOVA JOB SEARCH 2000+ Part 1: Before You Begin Your Journey. What Kind of a Traveler Are You? Managing Your Career Search in Changing Times Identify Your Values and Skills Vocational Assessment Tests Education and Training Resources Career and Personal Counseling Some people like lazy days on the beach; others prefer days filled with fast-paced sight-seeing. Similarly, people have different types of work personalities. Some thrive on deadlines and crisis situations while others prefer a work environment that's calm and orderly. Researching the best job for yourself can be like finding the vacation destination that bests suits you. Knowing yourself, your skills, abilities, and work values is key in your journey toward job hunt success. Managing Your Career Search in Changing Times Managing a job hunt today differs from job searches conducted 10 years ago. Some job seekers are facing the prospect of long-term unemployment. They are confused and uncertain about the future. Through the CONNECT! Job Seeker Center, NOVA offers the following workshops that address the special coping skills needed by today's job seekers: • Planning Your Job Search: Open to all • Who Am I?: Open to all • Strategize Your Job Search: Open to all • Managing Change: Open to all For more information, see workshops or call NOVA at (408) 730-7232. Before you begin your journey toward job hunt success, you should take an inventory of yourself, your values and your skills. It doesn't matter whether you're a first-time traveler (a new graduate entering the workforce), someone who travels infrequently (reentering the workforce), a seasoned traveler (someone interested in switching career fields), or a confused and uncertain traveler (someone laid off). All travelers are in a state of transition. One lifestyle is ending and another will soon be beginning. Managing your transition well in these changing times lays a solid foundation for your job search. Q. What is transition? A. It's a person's internal reaction to a major life event, how one copes with the death of a loved one, a divorce, or the loss of a job. Even when the event is a happy one, such as a marriage, the birth of a child, or the offer of a great job, a person must internally come to terms with a major change in his or her life. How one copes with this change affects one's attitude and ATTITUDE often determines job hunt success. Remember . . .58 percent of applicants don't get beyond the first interview because of their attitude. Knowing the three phases of transition can help you deal with the turmoil of emotions you experience in each phase. For someone who has been laid off this means moving from shock and denial to anger, self-blame, acceptance, and finally, healing. Once you understand the process toward healing you will be able to emulate a job-winning attitude. The three phases of transition are 1) Ending, 2) In-between, and 3) Beginning. Phase 1. All successful transitions begin with an ending. If you have been laid off, your first task is acknowledging the ending of your job and allowing yourself time to grieve. Typical feelings during this phase include a loss of belonging, a loss of purpose, a loss of self-worth, a loss of personal power, a loss of a vehicle/avenue for socialization. Gradually you will move from shock and denial to anger, self-blame, then acceptance/reentry and finally, healing. Identifying and acknowledging your feelings is the first step in healing loss. Phase 2. In this next phase, the in-between phase, a laid-off job seeker may feel confused and perhaps empty. Because our jobs often provide us with a sense of purpose and identity, you may feel a lack of meaning in your life during this phase. People often say they feel like they are "in limbo." During this phase watch out for low self-esteem caused by rejections in the job hunt. Statistically speaking, for every 20 phone calls you make you will receive one positive response. (See tips below.) Phase 3. If you've been laid off, the "fog" has now lifted and you start to realize that there really are many opportunities out there for you. But, you're not sure where to begin. The first thing you must do is focus on what you want out of life, what is important to you, and what your work values are. This is the beginning phase, the final phase of transition. | Home | Top of Page | Helpful Hints for the In-between Phase of Transition See yourself as self-employed in a demanding new job. You're the sales and marketing representative for yourself. Develop a job hunt strategy and set up daily manageable goals for yourself, e.g. compose three cover letters a day or make four phone calls. You will feel successful at the day's end when you have been able to accomplish these small but valuable steps toward obtaining a job. Beware of the dangers of procrastination. Never let a day go by without accomplishing something related to the job search. Say to yourself daily, "I believe in myself" and "I am a valuable person with great skills and talents." Maintain a positive attitude. It will make others more willing to help you. Take this opportunity to think creatively about your future and about different options for yourself. Measure yourself by your actions. Note your daily completion of tasks rather than by results (which will involve rejection). Avoid isolation. Keep your social life active, surrounding yourself with a support system of friends and loved ones. Don't overburden those closest to you. Spare your family occasionally by discussing your turbulent feelings with a friend or more distant relative. Seek counseling. NOVA offers individualized "coaching" for job seekers. NOVA also refers clients to low-cost counseling services when personal or family problems are obstacles to employment. Exercise daily to increase your energy, combat depression, and raise your self-esteem. Get involved in volunteer work. You can feel proud to tell prospective employers how you've spent your spare time plus you can expand your network with your fellow volunteers and let it be known that you're looking for a job. Identify Your Values and Skills Examine the following list of work values and check those that are important to you. Now narrow your list to your top eight values and prioritize them. Decide which are "must haves" and which can be trade offs. As a goal of your job search, look for a job which can satisfy at least four of your work values. Checklist of Work Values: Contributes to society Offers good pay Supplies an interesting variety of things to do Is secure and steady Affords the chance to learn new things, to broaden experience Provides a chance to offer input into work methods Gives a feeling of pride and accomplishment Has friendly coworkers Makes good use of my skills and abilities Helps others Furnishes good working conditions Grants social status Yields opportunity for advancement Offers good fringe benefits (vacation, pension, insurance, sick leave) Provides physical exercise Presents a busy, active work day Involves the responsibility of supervising others Allows me the opportunity to try my own ideas Has a short commute Offers opportunity for overtime Requires only 40 hours a week Supervisors expect steady work without pressuring employees Supervisors give clear, complete instructions Supervisors recognize work well done Vocational Skills Assessment Tests When you're between jobs or deciding on a career path it sometimes helps to take the Meyers-Briggs and other vocational assessment tests to see what career fields you're suited for. You may discover your personality and work values conflict with the field you're in. Conversely, you may be surprised to find that you're suited for several jobs you'd never considered before. NOVA has a battery of tests available. These tests are free for eligible clients. For others, the costs are as follows: Know Your Personality in the Workplace ($100) Fee covers administration of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment test. Total time for the test and the one-on-one interpretation session is approximately 2.5 hours. Self-Assessment ($500) Fee covers 4 hours of assessment tests plus 3 to 4 hours with a Career Advisor. The assessment tests include: the Strong Interest Inventory, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the Values Card Sort, the Motivated Skills Card Sort, the Career Abilities Placement Survey, and the Self-Directed Search. A Career Advisor will interpret test results and help you establish an action plan. Enhance Your "Soft Skills" through NOVA's Professional Effectiveness Program (PEP) (Call for program pricing) The NOVA Professional Effectiveness Program (PEP) is an innovative and practical training program that can give you the proven tools and approaches for identifying and enhancing your personal strengths in communicating, team building, and problem solving in the workplace. PEP assessment (3 hours) and individual interpretation session (1.5 hours). PEP Skill Development Classes: Communicating (10.5 hours); Team Building (10.5 hours); Problem Solving (9 hours). For more information about the PEP Program, view its Web site, www.pepskills.org; e-mail PEP@novaworks.org; phone (408) 737-4931. NOVA offers a workshop called Presenting Your Accomplishments (for WIA-enrolled clients) which helps job seekers highlight their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. For more information, call (408) 730-7232 or see workshops. Education and Training Resources Let NOVA connect you to the education and training resources that will aid you in your job search. You will find helpful materials in the resource library of the CONNECT! Job Seeker Center, 420 S. Pastoria Ave., in Sunnyvale, Calif. Career and Personal Counseling NOVA offers individualized "coaching" for job seekers, helping them through the job search process by recommending job hunt techniques, reviewing employment offers, and analyzing compensation packages. In addition, NOVA refers clients to low-cost counseling services when personal or family problems are obstacles to employment. Drop-in Career Advising Sessions: available Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the CONNECT! Job Seeker Center, 420 S. Pastoria Ave., in Sunnyvale. Get one-on-one job search assistance. No fee. To speak to a Career Advisor, contact the CONNECT! Front Desk, (408) 774-2365. Career Advising Sessions, by appointment: You can schedule an individual appointment with a Career Advisor for $50 per hour, with up to a maximum of 8 sessions allowed. Get advice on how to move forward in your career or work with the Career Advisor on a specific career issue related to your occupation or career. | Home | Part 1: Assess Values/Skills | Part 2: Research Companies | Part 3: Packaging Yourself | Part 4: Additional Resources | Top of Page | CONNECT! Job Seeker Center Online Resources | NOVA | Send comments about this site to: jobsearch@novaworks.org   NOVA 505 W. Olive Ave. Suite 550 Sunnyvale CA 94086 Voice: 408-730-7232 Fax: 408-730-7643 TTY: 408-774-5448 An Equal Opportunity Employer/Program Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.