Opportunities…

· How will this position facilitate my professional growth?

(Note: i.e.…provide opportunities to network with other professionals in the field)

· How will this position enable me to serve my peers within the institution?

(Note: What is my contribution to the overall mission of the organization?)

 

F - Fitness…

· How does this particular position “Fit” my skills?

· What is the personality of the work family? How does it connect with who I am as a person?

· What are the anticipated adjustments I will have to make in this environment?

(Note: Important to understand my skills, talents & passions and how the work environment will enhance my opportunity to utilize them in service to the employer.)

 

I - Initiatives

· What new ventures are being pursued by the institution?

· What initiatives are being pursued from within the organization?

· In what ways are they involved with the larger community?

· In what ways is the staff involved in these projects?

L - Leadership

· What is the management style of the institution at the department and corporate level?

· What involvement would I have in the decision-making process?

 

E - Evaluation

1. How, when and by whom will my work performance be evaluated?

· Keys to an Effective Evaluation Process…

1. Evaluations should be progressive…no surprises!

2. Should include movement to an “action plan.”

· Lead to understanding of my contribution to the “Big Picture.”

Although following such an outline may seem at first like a daunting task, it is nevertheless necessary, especially in today's economy. It is said that the three dangers lurking in the process of pursuing employment are…

· Not doing your homework

· Selling yourself to the first bidder

· Selling yourself to the highest bidder

The things that should be most important to us in the job search process are the things that we notice and the things that matter after we have been on the job for several months. An accurate P.R.O.F.I.L.E. will help us to get to those issues. When the employer and the applicant are asking the right kinds of questions of one another, bridges of communication are built upon which both may travel and the result is a win-win for all concerned. The health and continued growth of the organization and their employees depends on a careful and deliberate marriage of needs and resources. Together, they will enter the 21st Century Marketplace with great expectations and anticipation of what can be accomplished. Upon such foundations…by God's Grace…our country was begun and will remain strong.

Jerry King is Director of Career Development Center in Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA. He can be reached at 706-820-14560 x-1141, king@covenant.edu.

The above is an excerpt from The Last Job Search Guide You'll Ever Need: How to Find and Get the Job or Internship of Your Dreams, which is available for sale for $19.85 in our bookstore or $27.00 at Amazon.com but for free to those who subscriber to our free career newsletter. This hot new book contains job search secrets of the most experienced, most knowledgeable and most respected career experts. Learn career planning, job hunting tools and tactics, interviewing, cover letter and resume writing (lots of samples!), networking, and how to find an internship. Written by 149 career experts. To receive a free copy, subscribe to our free career newsletter.

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