I’ll Be Back Soon

Hello Readers,

It has been an interesting time for me away from the Blog. I have had a lot going on:

• I facilitated a presentation on workplace career development for a human resources group.
• I was asked to write an article for my national organization.
• I accepted a role to develop and chair a committee for my national organization.
• I completed training to serve as a counselor in the MilitaryOne Source program.
• I declined applying for a leadership development program.
• I’m moving my office closer to my client base.
• Of course, my client caseload increased.

Now I’m in the midst of a personal research project on workplace bullying.

There is so much going on in career development that it’s hard to know where to begin with my blog post. Given the frequency of clinical mental health counseling I’m doing, it seems fitting that I change the focus of this Blog.

So when I return to posting here the focus of the Blog will be mental health counseling. Look to my Twitter account (hcptweets) for announcements on updates to this Blog. Until then…

Search through my Blog pages for career information and resources.

Be well.

Tristana

The Good Wife: A (Short) Case Study in Women’s Career Development

I have seen an increasing number of stories in the news about women’s career development particularly for those in the mid (>15 years) to late stages of their career. The stories reflect choices of women leaving high profile roles, lack of women in high profile roles or women returning to work. (I wrote my dissertation on factors that influence professional African American women’s leadership aspirations). One question that is often asked is what will their next job be. When any individual reaches the mid-point in their career experience, a better question is what and how will they perform work in their next role.

Take for instance the lead character in the CBS television program The Good Wife. Alicia Florrick (played by Juliana Margulies) is a married woman with two teenage children. She made the decision to be a stay at home wife and mother while supporting her husband’s career as a state’s attorney. Essentially putting her law career on hold. One day her husband is caught in a scandal that lands him in jail and her back at work full-time after a 15 year absence. The transition is challenging as she navigates the scandal, single parenting, and being a new professional.

While Alicia Florrick is a fictional character, there were several factors she needed to consider in making decisions for her career development.

Meeting Home and Work Demands

When making career choices, lifestyle matters. Alicia Florrick moved from her stately suburban home to a two bedroom apartment in the city. Why? She no longer had the financial resources (her husband’s income) to support her lifestyle. It wasn’t just a financial decision but a work/life balance decision as well. Her new role as an attorney with a boutique law firm meant she wouldn’t work the typical 9 to 5 workday. The move to the city provided her the ability to be close to both her work and children in case of an emergency.

Key Factors: Income, Parental Status, Geographic Location (Home & Work)

Being the New Professional

The introduction of a new employee to an established work group changes the dynamics. (I previously wrote about this in the blog When You’re the New Hire). In Alicia’s case, she was the new hire returning to the workforce after a 15 year absence…in an entry level position. Effectively she was starting over. Alicia had much to learn about workplace dynamics including impressing the senior administration, meeting/exceeding the work of her younger childless colleagues, and independent decision making. All of this while the relationship dynamics among the senior administration and financial stability of the firm were in question.

Key Factors: Age, Work Status, Work Adjustment

Experience Informs Practice

Alicia Florrick may have been out of the workforce for 15 years, but her experience running a household, supporting her high profile husband, and maintaining external relationships gave her transferable skills. The skills gained from those experiences helped her to understand cases, anticipate problems with assignments, and build relationships. It was her approach to work that made her a standout to her employer and their competitors for unsolicited job offers. Her greatest challenge now is deciding how fast her career will progress and what influence will it have on her family.

Key Factors: Personal Experience, Transferable Skills, Professional Growth

Personal factors influence career decision making. While Alicia Florrick is a fictional character, her story mirrors what any mid-career woman may experience. She understood she needed to find a job. However, it couldn’t be just any job. The key factors highlighted above were intangible influences on her decision making. Although Alicia found a “right fit”, it is those intangible influences that will determine her career satisfaction.

Tristana

If you have a career question, contact me at career_planning at hotmail dot com.

Interviewer Clues: Why there may be more to their story than you think

Have you ever been on a job interview and the interviewer starts talking about themselves? It’s happened to many of us. These “self-disclosures” can make you feel uncomfortable. In these stories, there often clues to the interviewers expectations of you as a job candidate.

Counselors can use self-disclosure to assist clients to better understand their presenting issue and even to provide reassurance. I have often shared personal experiences or information with clients to help create a greater connection and build the relationship. Whether in counseling or an interview, the timing of the self-disclosure can help establish its purpose.

Before the Interview: Create Rapport 

Have you ever felt completely calm but had uncontrollable perspiration during an interview? It is possible to appear scared to the interviewer without meaning to. So an interviewer sharing a personal story can be one way to create rapport and help you relax for the interview.

During the Interview: Foreshadow the Type of Information They Want

Before you answer a question, the interviewer may share a personal story to give you clues to the type of information they are seeking. For example, situational interviews provide you with an opportunity to share how you would respond or act in a certain situation. If an interviewer shares a story with you, you should listen for behaviors, actions, or decision making strategies they imparted in the past. This will clue you to what content you should utilize in your response.

After the Interview: As Feedback on Your Question Response(s)

Behavioral interviews allow job candidates to demonstrate competency for a particular role. More specifically, interviewers are looking for how past performance may influence future behavior. These can be the most challenging as they require a high level of self-knowledge. When an interviewer shares their story with you after your response, consider it feedback. They may be giving you clues about what to do in answering future questions.

The key to recognizing the above clues will be your own interview preparation. You can consult with a career counselor to review your interview experience to learn more tips and strategies for future success.

If you have a career question, feel free to send it to me by email at career_planning at hotmail dot com.

Tristana

There’s a Lot of Change Going On

Hello Readers,

It’s been a busy time for me. Not only am I working in my business but I’m working on growing my business. So all the fun stuff I normally do like writing blog posts have taken a back seat for a bit. My new busy is a good busy.

Here’s What’s Happening:
As the new budget year approaches for many organizations, they have announced significant changes for their workforces. This means announcements of impending layoffs and early retirement offers. I expect to hear of more soon. So I’ve created a support group called Alternative Futures to help clients with the emotional and psychological adjustment of these changes.

As a licensed counselor, I not only do career counseling but mental health and behavioral counseling. The Employee Assistance Program groups in my area are contacting me to find out if I can take new clients. So my need to keep up with paperwork and billing is taking more time.

I’m also traveling quite a bit for meetings to partner with organizations on conducting training and workshops. Right now I’m developing workshops to offer in my practice location itself. Keep an eye out on my website and Twitter account for updates.

All that to say I’m busy. I hope to get back to writing the blog soon.

Be well.
Tristana

Taking a Career Assessment

Client: I’m here to take a career test.

Career Counselor: Tell me why do you want to take a career assessment/test?

Client (sounding frustrated): I don’t know what I want to do with my life. I need the test to tell me what to do!

If the last sentence in the above dialogue sounds familiar, you are not alone. There are a number of people who walk into a career counselor’s office using those same words.

Here are a few things you should know about taking career assessment/test.

1. Career assessments are expensive!! There are fees to take it, get a written report, and have it interpreted.

2. The results of a career assessment are influenced by your mood during the test. So the results may not be applicable two days or even two hours after you take it.

3. A single career assessment/test does not tell you whether you will be satisfied in the work you could do.

So why do career counselors use them? Career assessments/test help us to identify, clarify or confirm personal characteristics in relation to professional interests. Below are descriptions how I use career assessment/test when counseling clients.

Identify	To connect personal characteristics with career fields. Particularly useful for individuals with no work experience. Follow up may include experiences with job shadowing/volunteering or conducting informational interviews.
Clarify	To narrow your career choices to select fields or environments. Particularly useful when the career field or work environment does not fit with personal characteristics. Follow up may include exploration of job announcements in parallel fields and non-traditional work environments.
Confirm	To verify and/or support your career decision. Particularly useful when considering a career change or pursuing advance education. Follow up may include reviewing occupational informational and identifying barriers to the career path.

Whether you take a career assessment/test to identify, clarify or confirm your choices, consult with a career counselor about the results and develop a plan for your success.

Feel free to send me career questions at career_planning at hotmail dot com.

Tristana