Get Your Students Hired
That is a really great idea. After posting this, I thought very hard about how I cannot let bias and discrimination stand in my way. Sure it may cause some hurdles, but that is the way it is for everyone. I wasn't allowed to do any kind of presentation or work for these two "opportunities". No desk, etc. What I should have done was walked out. If they cannot behave better than that, then that is a great early warning sign that these are not people that I want to work with.
Thanks for the tips to use when there is the possibility of proving oneself!
Heidi,
this is obviously a difficult situation & to me a case of discrimination. Regarding the "presence" issue, is there a way to develop this "presence" through other avenues, such as speaking skills, interpersonal skills, etc that will compensate for height if that is being connected to "presence?"
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
From my experience, and this may be absolutely wrong, and would love to hear other options, is that you have to be realistic about the culture of the job field. My personal example is this...I studied and trained very hard to be in a particular industry, top certifications, but I did not "look" the part. When I was hired, my photograph was accurate, but it was just a head shot. When I stepped out of my car to meet my new boss, a 2700 mile and $5000 move, he told me that I would not be there in six months. I could not fathom why. Over the course of the two days that he was with me he made all kinds of short jokes. As it turns out, he saw short as weak. He was able to cancel my contract (still felt like fired) in six weeks. The person who had to cancel my contract said that it was indeed the reason without saying "short" (I am 5 feet tall). I did not give up...another place told me that I had "no presence", so they would not hire me. I asked what that meant. The hiring manager pointed to someone and gestured from the floor up. I said. Tall. He said yes. These were government jobs. It just never occurred to me that hiring bias was something that I had to take into account for my career choice. This was 2 years ago, by the way. My height actually has no bearing on whatsoever on the work. So I have taught for the past two years, but don't want to throw away everything either. I guess I don't know the first step.
Caryn,
yes, the more you know yourself & what you are good at & what you want, the more successful you will be.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first most important step in personal career management is to know yourself and become aware of your interests and the type of rewards that reflect your goals. After the self awareness is completed then one can look at current skills that can transfer or how to achieve training for new ones.
I think the first step is knowing your passion, what excites and gives you the most personal satisfaction. I am a nurse and I am very passionate about nursing and health care so I looked at career change option that allowed me to use my transferable skills and work in an area associated with what I am passionate about. I have discovered that by looking at possible opportunities this way a wide range of career options opened for me.
Tammy ,
excellent point, a strong key to career management is that high-level of self-awareness.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think the most important step in my personal career management is knowing my strenghs and weaknesses, and being confident in what I know. The start of my career I always knew that I had great work ethics and the desire to exceed benchamrks, what i didnt always have was the confidence to know what i knew and handle situations in a professnal way. In th past 5 years, as my competence increased.. so did my confidence!!
walter,
it really does come down to effective & appropriate goal setting & monitoring those samem goals.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Andrew,
and this really comes, I believe, in networking & talking to a wide variety of individuals to get the best ideas.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
You have to have a vision of where you want to go and where you want to be at, and then lay out a plan and timeline so you can check your status periodically and measure your progress. this will also give you a sense of pride on your accomplishments.
Going after a career that will make you happy, if you dont love what you do then you will never be happy.
Jaime,
yes, self-awareness is key to moving forward in our career & knowing what we would be best suited to do.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
The first most important step in personal career management is knowing yourself, understanding who you are in your professional. This can conist of knowing your passion, talents, skills, and abilities. I believe there are opportunities that algin with your values, skills, talents, and passion. You will be a greater asset to the company and you will not feel you work. You will be a leader in your area.
Lynne,
yes, we have to tap into our passions & this helps us know what we would best enjoy doing.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Understanding what makes you excited about going to work everyday is essential so must be the first step you take. That means you have to identify what makes your pulse quicken when you imagine doing that kind of work and being able to see yourself doing it well in your mind's eye. If you can't identify what makes you happy, then you will never find it because you won't know where to look.
Nikki,
yes, survival mode kicks in. But remember, taking that survival job can then be a great way to buy some time to really look for that job that you would love doing.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Nikki,
yes, survival mode kicks in. But remember, taking that survival job can then be a great way to buy some time to really look for that job that you would love doing.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think that you have to find something that you will enjoy doing first and foremost. With the recent economy and unemployment, I think a lot of people are just looking any type of employment. I understand that most of these people need to work, but maybe you get that job for financial reasons, but look within the company to see if there is a better fit for you. You will be less likely to be productive if you are at a job you do not enjoy.