The Ultimate Career Guide Interactive Exercises

The Ultimate Career Guide – Interactive Exercises

Consistent Themes

After you complete all the exercises above, you will undoubtedly notice some “consistent themes” emerging from your work. Look through all your answers, and begin to identify the words and ideas that are mentioned several times.

Find the adjectives and threads that seem to run through your writing, and make a list of them. What stands out? What is repeated over and over? What seems most important to you? These are called your “Consistent Themes,” and you must make note of them! They define who you are and what you want professionally!

These “Consistent Themes” will actually point you directly toward your next opportunity, and give you a baseline against which to measure future offers. Here is an example of one client’s “Consistent Themes:”

- Organizing

- Researching

- Analyzing

- Seeing the “big picture”

- Sharing knowledge and information freely

- Increasing efficiency

- Transforming abstract ideas into practical results

- Working effectively on both the strategic and tactical levels

- Increasing value consistently

- Being detail oriented

- Working hands-on

- Motivating others

- Continually improving work processes

- Thinking logically

- Solving problems

- Sense of humor

You will find that these “Consistent Themes” are vitally important to your career satisfaction. To the extent possible, therefore, they should be treated as “must haves,” rather than “nice to haves.”

On the following page, please find a complete example of what the “Consistent Themes” document should look like.

George Newman, MBA, PhD

530 Valley Road (Home) 908-555-2222

Mission Viejo, CA 92691(Cell) 908-777-9999

Consistent Themes That Are Important In My Career

1.Pleasing environment

2.Variety of tasks

3.Ability to establish relationships

4.Mentoring and advising colleagues

5.Upscale, well-equipped, well-maintained facility

6.Coordinator to outside programs and institutions

7.Opportunity to meet new people on a consistent basis

8.Little or no commute – 30 minutes or less

9.Social environment that is pleasant, supportive, friendly

10.Flexible schedule with ample time off for life balance

11.Being acknowledged and respected for my work

12.Learning environment and continued professional growth

13.Being challenged yet supported

14.Contributing to the health and welfare of others

15.Giving service

16.Equitable pay

17.Culturally diverse

What are YOUR “Consistent Themes?” As your final piece of homework for Chapter One, please create your own list on the next page.
Listing your consistent themes