Start 2022 With A Ta-dah List

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The new year is a great time to take a mindful inventory of who we are and how we want manage our work and life roles. Before you make your 2022 “To Do” List, make a “Ta-dah!” List of the unique characteristics you have offer the world of work. A thorough understanding of your values, interests and skills helps you articulate your awesomeness to hiring managers, coworkers and your growing network.

Values are the biggest determinate of job satisfaction, and they change over time. You may be ready to trade status, power and long hours for a work situation that allows you to spend more time with friends and family. Or you might be ready to trade the security of working for a company for the autonomy and creativity of entrepreneurship. Knowing your top work values makes it easier to evaluate new work opportunities.

Interests are a reflection of the information we consume, how we spend our free time and how we spend our money. Make a list of your favorite work projects, volunteer activities or accomplishments in 2021. You might glean important information when you ask yourself what you most enjoyed about the interest or activity. Journaling about this will help you notice key words and themes that will guide you toward more fulfilling projects, people and places in 2022.

Skills might be the most overlooked part of an annual career inventory, mainly because individuals tend to undervalue the skills they use every day. Take stock of the transferable skills that you used in paid and unpaid work. Also be mindful of burnout skills. These are the skills in which you are competent and don’t enjoy using. Plan to use less burnout skills in 2022.

Gathering this information will help you articulate what you have to offer in a resume, cover letter, LinkedIn profile, emails and networking opportunities. Most clients who are diligent about this first step find that it is a great ego booster. Making lists, journaling and talking with friends about what you bring to the workplace always elicits a heartfelt “Yay me!”.

Published by Debra

Debra Arviso is a career coach, career counselor, speaker and trainer. She has helped individuals and groups navigate the job search process and find meaningful careers in colleges, high schools, nonprofit organizations, corporations and jails. Debra is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. She is an advocate for underserved populations affected by trauma. She serves on the Advisory Committee of the California Career Development Association. Debra has a MS in Counseling with an Emphasis in College Counseling and Student Services from Cal State Northridge. She has a BS in Broadcast Journalism from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Backpacking, surfing, dancing, and adventure travel are a few of Debra’s passions. Her last adventure was hiking in the Amazon Rain Forest in Ecuador.

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