Personal Business Matters: There is no more important business than you!

As I was doing readings and writing assignments for my Business Development class, I couldn’t help but think of so many parallels with personal/professional development. Many of the tasks you would need to do when starting your business would also be helpful to someone who is applying for jobs, someone who is unsure which field to go into, someone who would like to switch careers, etc. Do you know what is it you want work wise? Did you figure out what your dream job would be and what steps you’d need to take to get there?

First and foremost, you!

Before starting a new career or getting into a certain field, it is very important to be self-aware or to know who you are. Why? Because a good fit between your personality and your best skills, with the jobs you’d be performing would be essential for long term well-being and accomplishment.

Struggling with your direction?

You can start with something as simple as SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Break down a piece of paper into four squares and start writing. The list of the first two categories, strengths and weaknesses, would mostly include your internal factors. What skills and qualities do you have that would benefit you in your career and what do you lack in? Knowing that something is your weakness is actually a strong point of its own and means you can work on improving it. The other two categories, opportunities and threats, would include your external factors. You may also include items specific to certain industries or do a separate analysis for each field you are considering. Ideally you would want to be able to find a suitable combination of your skills, preferences, and an industry focus.

Why do all of this?

It’s important to have a goal and a clear vision of where you are going in the future. You need to be knowledgeable in the industry or make sure you learn about it. Your vision needs to be somewhat concrete and provide a road map for you to get to your goal or purpose. You can break it down into smaller goals. This way you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment when reaching the next milestone and it will help fuel your motivation to move further and further along. As you move along, you may find yourself modifying or adjusting your future steps to make achieving your future vision more efficient.

Adding horsepower to your vision, mission, and motivation.

Another step could be a marketing plan. It is essential for the business because that’s what

makes it successful. The same holds true for people. You need to market yourself and do so effectively and consistently. You would need to gather some research to achieve your objectives.

• Do you know what companies successfully operate in your field?

• What is their vision?

• What are they looking for in their employees?

• How do they recruit their employees?

• Do you know anyone who works for one of those companies or someone who knows someone?

Network, network, network! Attend job fairs, conferences in your field, and any local events. Look at your resume, what kind of message does it send?

Dress to create an appropriate image. It is all part of marketing, making yourself stand out, and becoming more confident. All of these are also parts of your personal and professional development.

Would you like to know more? Do you need help developing your plan or upgrading your

resume? Would you like to know how to implement the change you are making by using simple steps?

Contact Power Dynamics, LLC today. Our consultants are highly educated and experienced in helping clients find their direction, take the right steps towards achieving their mission and vision, and continue to further development after initial success is achieved.