Pre-Consultation Worksheet
Congratulations! You have made the first, most important step towards advancing your career!
The worksheet you are about to complete is a Career Assessment Tool, which covers all of your skills, employment, responsibilities, and achievements in preparation for our upcoming Project Strategy Session. Please answer the following questions as completely and accurately as possible. Not all questions may apply to you. If they do not apply, mark them N/A. Use additional sheets if necessary.
Name:
Address:
City: State: Zip:
Mobile Phone(Personal):Email (Personal):
URL (Web Portfolio, if anyl):URL (LinkedIn):
Willing to relocate? YES NOWilling to travel? YES NO
Please answer the following questions as completely and accurately as possible. Not all questions may apply to you. If they do not apply, mark them N/A. Use additional sheets if necessary.
Position/Career Objective: (List top three job title choices in order of preference)
1.
2.
3.
Is this a career change for you? Yes ( ) No ( )
Long-Range Career Goals:
Purpose of Resume:
Briefly summarize your experience in this field: (include number of years, career advancement, etc.)
What are some terms specific to your line of work?
What skills do you possess that you want to highlight?
Current Salary: Targeted Salary:
Education
(list all degrees, certificates, diplomas received, dates received, school or college, and location of school or college).
Please begin with the most recent and work backwards.
College/Univ: City/State:
Major: Degree: Year GPA:
Honors:
College/Univ: City/State:
Major: Degree: Year GPA:
Honors:
High School: City/State: Year
Relevant courses/seminars/workshops: (include names, dates, place, sponsoring organization, etc.)
Certifications:
Professional Licenses:
Military: (include branch of service, locations, position, rank achieved, years of service, honorable discharge?, key accomplishments, special recognition, awards, etc.)
Professional Organizations/Affiliations: (include offices held)
Publications / Presentations: (Title / Periodical / Location / Date)
Computer Skills: (include hardware, operating systems, software, Internet, e-mail, etc.)
Foreign Languages: (fluency — verbal/written)
Community Activities:(Name of organization, years involved, positions held)
Use the following pages to describe your work experience. As you consider each position, ask yourself: "How isthis company better off now than when they hired me?” For example, did you increase sales? If so, by what percentage or amount? Did you generate new business, bring in new clients, or forge affiliations? Did you save your company money? If so, how much and how? Did you design and/or institute any new system or process? If so, what were the results? Did you meet an impossible deadline through extra effort? What difference did this make to your company? Did you bring a major project in under budget? How did you make this happen? How were the dollars you saved used? Did you suggest and/or help launch a new product or program? If so, did you take the lead or provide support? How successful was the effort? Did you take on new responsibilities that weren’t part of your job? If so, did you ask for the new projects or were they assigned to you? Did you introduce any new or more effective techniques for increasing productivity? Did you improve communication? If so, with whom and what was the outcome? How did your company benefit from your performance?
Begin with present employer / project — include self-employment, volunteer or unpaid work if it applies. List different positions at same company as separate jobs.
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT
Name of company:
City/State: Dates of employment:
Your title or position:
Who do you report to (title)? Number of people you supervise:
Their titles or functions:
Briefly describe the size of the organization (volume produced; revenues; number of employees; local, national or international?, etc.)
What it is that they do, make, or sell?
Where do they rank in their industry in terms of their competitors?
Briefly describe your duties, responsibilities, level of authority. Use numbers (size) and percentages, quantify budgets, state with whom you interacted, etc.
Why were you hired (or promoted or selected)? What was going on at the company? Was there a particular challenge or problem you were brought on to solve? Did you have specific performance measurements? If so, please describe them as specifically as possible. Where was the company headed? Why did they need you?
Describe 4-6 accomplishments.
PREVIOUS EMPLOYMENT
Name of company:
City/State: Dates of employment:
Your title or position:
Who do you report to (title)? Number of people you supervise:
Their titles or functions:
Size of the organization:
What it is that they do, make, or sell?
Where do they rank in their industry?
Briefly describe your duties, responsibilities, level of authority, etc.
Why were you hired (or promoted or selected)? What was going on?
Describe 4-6 accomplishments.
Name of company:
City/State: Dates of employment:
Your title or position:
Who do you report to (title)? Number of people you supervise:
Their titles or functions:
Size of the organization:
What it is that they do, make, or sell?
Where do they rank in their industry?
Briefly describe your duties, responsibilities, level of authority, etc.
Why were you hired (or promoted or selected)? What was going on?
Describe 4-6 accomplishments.
(For the following categories, consider your ENTIRE Work History)
Personal Strengths:
Achievements (your greatest accomplishments in the workplace / school / community):
Write your best accomplishments in story-format!
(optional)
The CCAR Accomplishment story-telling format is a popular accomplishment and interview story model recommended by Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Human Resources Specialists in the Federal government. Accomplishments will reiterate your confidence as a valued employee and help you get Best Qualified, Referred to a Supervisor, Selected for an Interview. Additionally, they will prepare you for upcoming Performance Based Interviews (PBI), and help you feel confident that you are a valued employee!
Feel free to share up to one or two work-related accomplishment stories with us.
The CCAR Model
Challenge–Describe a specific problem or goal.
Context–Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which youworked, to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinkingbudget, low morale).
Action–Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
Results–Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization.
Employer Name (& Location): ______
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Accomplishment Story Title… Write the title of your accomplishment story here. The title of your accomplishment will help you remember this for a job interview, your ECQs or your resume.
Example: Saved $10 million for my agency.... or Created a new program.
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Challenge… What was the challenge? Be sure to relate the challenge to the particular accomplishment. Was it the first time this had been done? Were there very tight deadlines? Was there a shortage of staff?
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Context… Your title and office and dates where you achieved this accomplishment
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Action… What specific action(s) did you take to address the challenge? Did you research something? Did you answer difficult questions before a hostile audience? Did you figure out how to do more with less?)
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ResultsWhat happened? (quantify with numbers if possible) Was the problem solved? Did you save money? Did you reduce processing time; if so by how much? Did you receive an award? Did your supervisor or customers make positive comments to you? Is there a performance evaluation comment which discusses your success?
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Congratulations, you have just completed an Accomplishment Story!
(Example & Template on next page)
CCAR Template
Challenge:What was the organizational change you were trying to lead or direct? What challenges did you overcome?
Context:What were the issues surrounding the change—what barriers were in place to prevent successful change? Who, what, why, when, and where?
Action:What steps did you take personally to lead or effect the change?
Result:What measurable results were achieved? How did you measure them, and how were they recognized? What was the bottom-line change to organizational performance internally and across boundaries?
Example
Challenge:Changes in management, lack of program commitment, lack of communication, reduced resources, and conflicting priorities.
Context:Within Department of Commerce, program management of energy program had been matrixed with other programs; organization not focused on meeting requirements, old IG findings not taken care of, and lack of program management and direction causing problems with public and other federal agencies.
Action:Developed plan of action and work team to identify issues, prioritize program development and remediation, and develop metrics to measure results.
Result:Program turnaround and improvement, adding value to Department of Commerce and improving public relationships.