Career Assessment Test

Posts Tagged ‘work’

i find what i am most suitable to be doing? Which career test shall i take?

How do i decide what to do?
I’m interested in many things like stars & galaxy, books & writing & reading, tv & movies, computer, cooking(baking), singing, and planning (events or anything else) and making arrangements.

Do you feel like you need a change but can’t quite pinpoint why? You know you want to be happier, more satisfied, and more fulfilled in your career, but you just don’t know what that means. You’re not alone. Many people often wonder if something better might be out there for them.

“How do I figure out what to do next in my career?” is one of the most common questions I get. While most people are somewhat content with their current situation they have a sense that something is missing. Somehow, the meaning they once attached to their job is no longer there. They want to know how they can best use their skills and talents in a more meaningful way. They also want to know how they can better align their most important values with good career opportunities.

When people feel this way, they generally launch a job search. They update their resume, post it online and see what happens. Usually they get a few nibbles but most often the response is fairly minimal. Then, they begin to wonder if they even have other options or if they’re stuck in place forever. They’re at a career crossroad. It’s at this point that career assessments can be of great value by providing personal insight.

Having a clear vision of a desired career path is very important since there are several career paths to consider. Among the options are advancing within your current company, moving to another company for a change of scenery and advancement opportunities, or making a more drastic career change. You may feel that staying put while enhancing your current career situation is the way to go. Or, you may ultimately decide to enhance your knowledge through education, enhance your visibility through project work or volunteering, or by actively cultivating a professional network.

What is most important, though, is that you are able to clearly describe the factors that will bring you the highest level of satisfaction no matter what direction you choose. Career assessment can help you get clear about your career aspirations. Assessing your skills, interests, values and personality and other factors and examining how they connect with potential career opportunities will allow you to get clear about such factors as your ideal work environment, desired salary and benefits requirements, regional preferences, and industry preferences among other variables. Taking inventory of those areas also will provide important insight into what career-related factors will bring you the highest level of satisfaction.

While career assessment can be a formal process that you go through with a qualified career counselor, it doesn’t have to be. There are numerous resources available and exercises you can complete on your own. I’ll outline two exercises you can do on your own.

First, you can start by simply taking inventory of your career progress. A really good exercise is the “Career Lifeline.” When, I use it with my clients, I first have them draw a horizontal line on a sheet of paper labeling the left side beginning and the right side end. Second, I have them plot their career highs and lows beginning from their first “career decision” such as deciding to go to college rather than work, or choosing x major, or turning down y project. Finally, I have them review their lifeline to date, and we discuss the career decisions they’ve made and what influenced those decisions. We also discuss the outcomes. The objective of the exercise is to analyze personal values and their impact on their decision-making, career path and career satisfaction.

A second exercise you can do to analyze your strengths is to ask people for feedback. When they think of your strengths, what words come to mind? Obviously, you want to do this with people who know you and whom you trust. It can be a little awkward, but explain that you are simply trying to get a sense of your strengths.

Another approach is to think over your career at the various jobs you’ve had and think about the feedback you’ve received from employers and co-workers. We are all known for some set of skills and attributes. For example, in all of my work experience, paid and volunteer, I consistently hear feedback that I am organized, focused, articulate, conscientious, hardworking, reliable, pleasant to be around, fun, good with people, good at explaining things, have good presentation skills, am honest, and have integrity. I’ve also been told that I have expert knowledge in my profession and make it easy for people to apply concepts and get results. What do people say about you?

By completing the two exercises you will have a better sense of how you go about making career decisions and what influences your decisions and a better sense of personal attributes that lead to success for you in the past. There are many other exercises in my book, Fast Track Your Career: Three Steps For Finding Work You Love. The Futures in Motion, Inc. bookstore contains other suggested resources (http://www.futures-in-motion.com/bookstore.php). You can also complete formal assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and Strong Interest Inventory. Futures in Motion, Inc. also offers career assessment packages in which you can complete the series of inventories and get personalized feedback with suggested career options. You can find out more about the packages by clicking this link- http://www.futures-in-motion.com/future_motion_package.php.

As I mentioned, there are several career paths to pursue. Once you’ve completed the assessment process you will be better able to determine whether to advance within your current company, move to another company for a change of scenery and advancement opportunities, or make a more drastic career change. You may decide that staying in your current job while enhancing your current career situation is the way to go. Or, you may ultimately decide to enhance your knowledge through education, enhance your visibility through project work or volunteering, or by actively cultivating a professional network.

Career test for your work personality. Discover the careers that fit you best.

I will graduate from college next month with a degree in comp. science. For some reason, a few months ago, I seem to have lost interest in my major even though I still like computers. I’ve had other majors in the past, like accounting & computer engineering & had considered library science. I took a career assessment test recently, & it said I’m better off having a career in industrial arts, science, and clerical work. I’ve looked up industrial arts online but can’t really find anything. Any advice on what type of career I should have? I feel bad because I’m this far along in school & still not completely sure. Some of my interests include computers; forensics (BIG CourtTV fan); French; math; working with my hands & machines; writing. I prefer not to do social work/ work with the public.

I will graduate from college next month with a degree in comp. science. For some reason, a few months ago, I seem to have lost interest in my major even though I still like computers. I’ve had other majors in the past, like accounting & computer engineering & had considered library science. I took a career assessment test recently, & it said I’m better off having a career in industrial arts, science, and clerical work. I’ve looked up industrial arts online but can’t really find anything. Any advice on what type of career I should have? I feel bad because I’m this far along in school & still not completely sure. Some of my interests include computers; forensics (BIG CourtTV fan); French; math; working with my hands & machines; writing. I prefer not to do social work/ work with the public.

Have you ever felt stuck in your career?  Employee stress and burn out can account for a lot of dissatisfaction in your life.  After all, you are at work some 8 hours a day or more.  That’s 1/3 of your day if you don’t count sleep.  That’s a long time to be dissatisfied.

If you feel stuck, here are 6 great ways to find your ideal career:

1.   Brainstorm on a sheet of paper – I’ve talked about this before and it’s a strategy I use all the time.  Take a pad of paper and write down at the top your objective in question form.  Then, simply list out 20 answers to your question.  For example, you could write “What should I be doing with my time and life?”  Then stay seated for a half hour to an hour coming up with answers to that question.  The key to this exercise is coming up with 20 answers – don’t quit until you have 20 answers.  You can repeat every day until you get the answer you seek.  

2.   Ask 3 close friends – Sometimes our friends know us better than ourselves.  While meeting with one of your friends, mention you are at a crossroads in your life and career.  Ask what they think you’d enjoy doing.  You might be surprised at how easily they can zero in to your strengths and abilities and report a perfect job area.

3.   Ask your boss and coworkers – much like your friends in the example above, your boss and coworkers most likely see you in a way you do not see yourself.  In fact, they are likely most familiar with your strengths and weaknesses in the work environment.  Compile all the answers you get from them and see if there are any common threads you can explore.

4.  Call a headhunter – If you are searching in your career, it’s likely you have a resume.  Sometimes you can catch a headhunter or recruiter during their slow times and meet with them to pick through what you might be good at.  I’ve done this at different times in my life and the people seem open to talking with people.  After all, if you don’t get paid, they don’t either.  The ideas I get are usually good.

5.  Take a career assessment test – There are several sites on the Internet you might be able to take one of these tests for a fee.  But using my ‘headhunter’ tip above, many headhunters have this software and don’t mind you taking the test in their office.   I’ve taken these tests two times in my life and they usually take an hour or two, but they are thorough.  They ask you to answer a series of questions about what you are good at, what you like to do, what you prefer doing over what you don’t.  If you take one, you will likely see some new exciting areas to explore in your life.

6.   Keep a journal – Do you keep a journal?  If so, read through, looking for common threads in your writing.  Keep your eyes peeled for trends and activities you like as well as don’t like.  In fact, finding examples of what you don’t like and what frustrates you is almost as important as finding what you do like.  For example, if you hate an overwhelming boss, you’d probably like a self-directed position.  If you hate nosy coworkers you’d probably prefer your own office.  

Discovering what you really want to do with your life is the most important decision you can make.  We spend 1/3 or more of our lives at work.  So figuring out the right career is important to keeping that 1/3 of our lives happy and productive.

Searching for a new and unique home business opportunity? There’s plenty of options out there, but it can be pretty easy to get lost in the sea of business after business without really finding the home based business that will set you apart and bring you the excitement and fulfillment of doing something truly different. To that end, we’re going to take a look at some of the most unique business opportunities that tend to operate off the beaten path and although one might think that mainstream business = mainstream profits, think again. Consider that in many small businesses, a good niche market business will often outperform some of the more common small businesses due to their lack of competition and the preponderance of new and repeat business. If you’re ready to find a new and truly unique franchise, take a look at just a few of the Hottest work from home Franchise Business Opportunities You Didn’t Know About.

Click Here To Access My Tried and Tested Methods of Making Cash Online.

Got Mold?
Well, hopefully the answer is no, but mold has quickly become a huge problem in the US with millions of homes being affected and the mold assessment and cleanup industry growing to a multi-billion dollar market. Many Americans affected by the problem don’t even realize that they have mold in their homes, but they are sick more often and symptoms mimic the reaction to severe allergies escalating to a condition similar to pneumonia. 1-800-GOT-MOLD? Is leading the charge to help diagnose America’s mold problem and along the way, making a pretty penny as they are one of the only mold assessment franchises in this multi-billion dollar but largely untapped market. Their combination of high-tech mold detecting tools and specially trained Labrador retrievers make this franchise appealing to pet lovers and technology lovers alike. Customers can trust 1-800-GOT-MOLD? because they are an unbiased authority on detection of mold. Since they don’t do the actual mold cleanup and remediation, the mold assessment report will be fair, unbiased and ultimately very helpful to the homeowner. If you want to clean up financially as well as help clean up people’s homes and give them healthier, longer lives, consider a franchise with 1-800-GOT-MOLD?

Drive Hammered, Get Nailed
Ever been out at a bar with a few friends, enjoying a drink or two and some conversation and then wonder, “Am I OK to drive?” Many times, you can be over the limit legally without necessarily feeling impaired and to make matters worse, the more you drink the more your judgment can be clouded allowing you to make the decision that you’re ok to drive, when you may not be. Breath Testers USA USA is the sole distributer of a great new product that can help a patron to diagnose their BAC (blood/alcohol content) as well as help the bar or restaurant owner by generating more business. Breath Testers’ machine uses the newest, most effective technology to detect BAC and like many other vending or kiosk franchise opportunities, with a Breath Testers franchise you’ll be able to work from home, set your own schedule and decide whether to work part time and generate some additional cash flow, or work full time, setting up dozens of machines and generate some serious revenue. As a Breath Testers USA franchisee, you’ll contact bars and restaurants to arrange for your machine locations and since there’s no restocking or servicing required, just place the machine in the establishment and collect the funds. This is a fairly untapped industry in America, but with the way this type of machine has caught on in European countries and Canada, BAC testing machines are sure to become a huge industry here in the next few years so take the opportunity to get in on the ground floor.

Real Estate At 900mhz
If you’ve ever bought a house, you no doubt know the frustration of driving buy a great looking house with a for sale sign, checking for more information and discovering that they’re out of flyers and you will have to come back another time or call the realtor if you want any real information about the house. PreQuence is out to change this dilemma and their innovative method is helping realtors sell more homes, helping buyers get the information they need and helping their franchisees make some serious income in this uniquely new market. PreQuence’s core service involves sending listing information and color photos of homes directly to the buyer’s cell phone. A small sign is placed in the home’s yard or attached to the for sale sign indicating a number that the buyer can send a SMS text message to in order to obtain instant info. The information and pictures are sent immediately to the buyer’s cell phone providing a green alternative to printed flyers and an instant way to receive photos and info about the home without even having to leave the car.

B-I-N-G-O
Several billion dollars are spent each year in this country on advertising. Ad dollars are what keep radios and televisions broadcasting and can serve to inform you of a new product or event, and while established forms of print and broadcast advertising have been around for years, there are still a few niche markets of advertising that can make a substantial amount of money while allowing you to work at home. One of the most unique and truly innovative advertising franchises: Bingo Lingo. Bingo Lingo publishes bingo programs primarily for charitable organizations and has developed a sterling track record and reputation in this 20-year old industry. They’ve developed a proven method to achieve financial success through bingo program advertising while contributing to the community all from the comfort of your own home. If you’re apprehensive about heading into this fairly unknown field, don’t worry because Bingo Lingo provides an excellent training course designed to teach you all the ins and outs of the field, build management skills and help you get your franchise up and running even if you have no previous experience in advertising (or bingo).

These niche market businesses can seem a little intimidating since they tend to blaze their own trails, but if one of these unique franchise opportunities catches your eye, consider that with a niche market business you’ll most likely be the only game in town, earning you repeat business and customer loyalty should a similar business pop up a few years down the road. You’ll also receive all the training you need from the franchisor to teach you the overarching ideas and the minute details associated with these unique businesses. Most importantly, you’ll be surrounded by a supportive team who’ll provide answers to any questions you man have and will continue to support you and your new small business as you continue to grow.

When you were a kid, what did you dream of growing up to be?   

This may sound obvious, but before you can find the career you really want, you have to know what you are seeking.  Career planning is a delicate process.  The work we do, as well as where we do it (our work environment), have a huge impact on our ability to experience life and career success.

Too often when asked to define an ideal career, people think immediately about salary and benefits. As a result, there are plenty of people who earn a great living with exceptional benefits, but hate their jobs and are very unhappy.  

A job you really want can’t be based on financial criteria alone. And, with a few exceptions, the industry is often not as important as the actual day-to-day activities.  If a “great” job does not allow you the opportunity to do what you love and nurture your natural talents, it is probably not the ideal job for you.  

Effective career planning means figuring out the specific criteria and values you want the job to fulfill. By this we mean it is important to consider those daily activities that are going to make the best use of your natural skills and talents?  Consider this:

If you are an outgoing person and a job isolates you from interacting with other people all day, it is not for you. If you are orderly and find yourself in a work environment that is chaotic, you will wear out over time. If you work well with only occasional supervision, a job where you’re micromanaged will be annoying.

Knowing who you are is key to finding the right job for you.  Ask yourself some self-reflective questions.  Define the criteria that make up your “perfect” job.  What’s important to you in the work you do?  What brings you satisfaction?  What expectations do you have for work-life balance? What natural skills and talents do you have?

You’ll also want to consider the answers to questions like: 

Part-time or full-time? Flexibility or consistency (both in hours and tasks)? Amount of interaction with others? Specific skills you want to use? Travel? Do you like to make decisions or follow procedure?

Answering these questions is the first step in finding the path that will lead you to ultimate career satisfaction.

 

 

 

Career assessments and tests help you explore who you. Career books and web sites give you a glimpse of the world of work. Free career information is available on web sites. Some writers have written facts for children and teens. We would like to share some information with you. These web sites use graphics, multimedia presentation, activities, and other techniques to expand our knowledge of careers. We have written information on seventeen (17) web sites. Here are the four different types of exploring careers web sites:

Curriculum

General Career Information

Science Career Clusters

Specific Science Careers

Curriculum Web Sites

Curriculum web sites provide activities, tests, guidelines, as well as career information.

Resource One: Career Cruiser

Source: Florida Department of Education

The Career Cruiser is a career exploration guidebook for middle school students. The Career Cruiser has self assessment activities to match personal interests to careers. The Career Cruiser has information on Holland Codes. Careers are grouped into 16 career clusters. The Career Cruiser has information on occupational descriptions, average earnings, and minimum educational level required for the job.

Teacher’s Guide is also available.

Resource Two: Elementary Core Career Connection

Source: Utah State Office of Education

The Core Career Connections is a collection of instructional activities, K to 6, and 7 to 8, designed by teachers, counselors, and parents. Each grade level has instructional activities that align directly with the Utah State Core. This instructional resource provides a framework for teachers, counselors, and parents to integrate career awareness with the elementary and middle level grade students.

Career Information Web Sites

Some web sites provide excellent career information. Some web sites list facts about job tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, and more.

Resource Three: Career Voyages

Source: U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Education

The Career Voyages web site is a Career Exploration web site for Elementary School students. The Career Voyages web site has information about the following industries:

Advanced Manufacturing

Automotive

Construction

Energy

Financial Services

Health Care

Hospitality

Information Technology

Retail

Transportation

Aerospace and the “BioGeoNano” Technologies

Resource Four: Career Ship

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Ship is a free online career exploration tool for middle and high school students.

Career Ship uses Holland Codes and the O*NET Career Exploration Tools. For each career, Career Ship provides the following information:

Tasks

Wages

Career outlook

Interests

Education

Knowledge

Skills

Similar careers

Career Ship is a product of Mapping Your Future, a public service web site providing career, college, financial aid, and financial literacy information and services.

RESOURCE FIVE: Career Zone

Source: New York State Department of Labor

Career Zone is a career exploration and planning system. Career Zone has an assessment activity that identifies Holland Codes. Career Zone provides information on 900 careers from the new O*NET Database, the latest labor market information from the NYS Department of Labor and interactive career portfolios for middle and high school students that connect to the NYS Education Department Career Plan initiative. Career Zone has links to college exploration and planning resources, 300 career videos, resume builder, reference list maker, and cover letter application.

Resource Six: Destination 2020

Source: Canada Career Consortium

Destination 2020 helps youth discover how everyday tasks can help them build skills they will need to face the many challenges of the workforce.

Skills are linked to:

School Subjects

Other School Activities

Play Activities At Home

Work at Home

Through quizzes, activities and articles, they might actually find some answers or, at least, a direction about their future. There are more than 200 profiles of real people who are describing what a day at work is like for them.

Resource Seven: What Do You Like

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

What Do You Like is the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Career web site for kids. The web site provides career information for students in Grades 4 to 8. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most of the material on the site has been adapted from the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook,a career guidance publication for adults and upper level high school students that describes the job duties, working conditions, training requirements, earnings levels, and employment prospects of hundreds of occupations. Careers are matched to interests and hobbies. In the Teacher’s Guide, there are twelve categories and their corresponding occupations.

Science Career Clusters

Some organizations have created web sites that feature science careers.

Resource Eight: EEK! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids

Source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources

Eek! Get a Job Environmental Education for Kids is an electronic magazine for kids in grades 4 to 8. Eek! Get a Job provides information about:

Forestry

Hydrogeologist

Engineering

Herpetologist

Park Ranger

Wildlife Biologist

Park Naturalist

There is a job description for each career, a list of job activities, suggested activities to begin exploring careers, and needed job skills.

Resource Nine: GetTech.org

Source: National Association of Manufacturers, Center for Workforce Success, U.S. Department of Commerce, and U.S Department of Labor

GetTech.org is a educational web site that provides CAREER EXPLORATION information. GetTech.org has information about the following industries:

New Manufacturing

Information Technology

Engineering and Industrial Technology

Biotechnology and Chemistry

Health and Medicine

Arts & Design

Within each area, there are examples of careers.

Each career profile gives:

General description

Salary

Number of people employed to job

Number of jobs available in the future

Place of work

Level of education required

Location of training programs: University Pharmacy Programs.

Courses needed

There is a GetTech.org Teacher’s Guide.

Resource Ten: LifeWorks

Source: National Institutes of Health, Office of Science Education

LifeWorks is a career exploration web site for middle and high school students. LifeWorks has information on more than 100 medical science and health careers. For each career, LifeWorks has the following information:

Title

Education required

Interest area

Median salary

True stories of people who do the different jobs

LifeWorks has a Career Finder that allows you to search by Name of Job, Interest Area, Education Required, or Salary.

Resource Eleven: San Diego Zoo Job Profiles for Kids

Source: San Diego Zoo

San Diego Zoo Job Profiles discussed jobs for people who:

Work with animals

Work with plants

Work with science and conservation

Work with people

Work that helps run the Zoo and Park

There are activities listed under each area, for example:

What we do

What is cool about this job

Job challenges

How this job helps animals

How to get a job like this

Practice Being a …

How to Become a …

Resource Twelve: Scientists in Action!

Source: U.S. Department of the Interior

Scientists in Action features summaries of the lives of people involved in careers in the natural sciences:

Mapping the planets

Sampling the ocean floor

Protecting wildlife

Forecasting volcanic eruptions

Resource Twelve: Want To Be a Scientist?

Source: Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of the Agriculture

Want To Be a Scientist is a career exploration web site for kids about 8 to 13 years old. Want To Be a Scientist has a series of job descriptions, stories, and other resources about what scientists do here at the ARS.

These stories include information about:

Plant Pathologist

Chemist

Soil Scientist

Entomologist

Animal Scientist

Microscopist

Plant Physiologist

Specific Science Careers

The last group of web sites is dedicated to providing information on specific science careers, for example veterinarians,

Resource Thirteen: About Veterinarians

Source: American Veterinary Medical Association

About Veterinarians has facts about:

What is a Veterinarian?

Becoming a Veterinarian

Making a Career Decision

What Personal Abilities Does a Veterinarian Need?

What Are the Pluses and Minuses of a Veterinary Career?

Veterinary Education

General Information

After Graduation From Veterinary School

General Information

School Statistics

Preparation Advice

Preveterinary Coursework

Where Most Schools Are Located

About School Accreditation

The Phases of Professional Study

The Clinical Curriculum

The Academic Experience

Roles of Veterinarians

Private Practice

Teaching and Research

Regulatory Medicine

Public Health

Uniformed Services

Private Industry

Employment Outlook

Employment Forecast

The Advantage of Specializing

Statistics

Greatest Potential Growth Areas

Other Professional Directions

AVMA Veterinary Career Center

Becoming a Veterinary Technician

Your Career in Veterinary Technology

Duties and Responsibilities

Career Opportunities

Education Required

Distance Learning

Salary

Professional Regulations

Organizations

Further Information

Resource Fourteen: Aquarium Careers

Source: Monterey Bay Aquarium

Aquarium Careers features careers information. For each Staff Profiles, there is Educational Background and Skills Needed. The Staff Profiles include:

Aquarist

Education Specialist

Exhibits Coordinator

Exhibit Designer

Research Biologist

Science Writer

The Aquarium Careers web site answers the following questions:

What should I do now to prepare for a career in marine biology?

Where can I find a good college for marine biology?

What should be my college major?

How do I pick a graduate school?

I’m not sure of my area of interest. What should I do?

Marine Science Career Resources include information on:

Marine Advanced Technology Education

Marine Mammal Center, California

Scripps Institution of Oceanography, California

Scripps Library

Sea Grant

Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station

State University of New York at Stony Brook

Resource Fifteen: Engineering The Stealth Profession

Source: Discoverengineering.org

Engineering The Stealth Profession has a lot of information about engineers:

Types of Engineers

Aerospace Engineering

Ceramic/Materials Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil Engineering

Electrical/Computer Engineering

Environmental Engineering

Industrial Engineering

Manufacturing Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

Other Engineers

True Stories

Salaries

Education Required

Work Schedules

Equipment Used

Resource Sixteen: Sea Grant Marine Careers

Source: Marinecareers.net

Sea Grant Marine Careers gives you facts about marine career fields and to people working in those fields. Sea Grant Marine Careers outlines information on:

Marine Biology

Oceanography

Ocean Engineering

Related Fields

In each area, there is a detailed description of the type of the work that the scientists do. There are feature stories for different scientists in the career field.

The career profiles include information on:

What is your current job and what does it entail?

What was the key factor in your career decision?

What do you like most about your career?

What do you like least about your career?

What do you do to relax?

Who are your heroes/heroines?

What advice would you give a high school student who expressed an interest in pursuing a career in your field?

Are career opportunities in your field increasing or decreasing and why?

What will you be doing 10 years from today?

What is the salary range?

Resource Seventeen: Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist?

Source: Marinecareers.net

Do You Want to Become a Volcanologist? provides the following descriptions:

The Word Volcanologist

Daily work

Traits for success

Education

Salaries

Career web sites help you build awareness of the different aspects of careers: the tasks, wages, career outlook, interests, education, knowledge, and skills. We know that you will be fun exploring careers.

Copyright (c) 2008 Jacqui Tillyard

Do you ever feel that the increasing pressures at work are sapping your life energy? Yes- I thought so, because that’s exactly what happened to me a few years ago. Trapped in a car crash of a career, going nowhere fast, filled with a sense of panic from the increase work load, higher targets and lack of leadership from my manager.

Well if you feel your health and sanity are at risk at work here are some tips to help you. Millions of days are lost worldwide from people who have burnt out with exhaustion, depression and stress. They are what I refer to as Career Casualties, I should know I was one once, but found a way to recover and return to full health.

Emergency Room solutions- take some much needed rest and recuperation. If you are so exhausted and overwhelmed take the time to recover. A short break can help you regain composure, energy and stamina to approach your job in a new light.

Don’t be an Emergency Case – Don’t wait until you become an emergency case, usually delays result in more time being lost and more serious health issues arising which take longer to recover from. Walking wounded- Avoid the walking wounded, ignore the negativity around you and don’t let them drag you down.

Confidence crush- continuous bombarding of insults, criticism and berating can lead to a lack in confidence, to avoid this affecting your performance, think of all the great things you have achieved at work and focus on the feelings that that brings you.

Crash team – Do you have a crash support team around you. If not enlist the help and support of colleagues, friends and family members to help you put the current situation into perspective and see it in a new light.

Ward off – the bullies, company politics and negative speak. It will serve you better in the long term. Check up- on opportunities to improve yourself, get a move to a more comfortable position and one that allows you to recharge your batteries from time to time.

Nursing- You may need some TLC from time to time, when you get it welcome and embrace that someone cares enough to do this for you. First aid box – there are many things you can do to alleviate pressure at work, find techniques and tools to assist you and keep them on hand should you need them.

Oxygen mask- Breath properly, really start to oxygenate your lungs, it will allow you to think clearly, energize yourself and stay calm.

Corporate coma – Are you in a corporate coma? Do you feel stifled and in a trance when at work, if this is the case then maybe a change of surroundings would suit you better?

Assessing weak spots- if you go for a health check up they will do diagnostic tests to assess your weak spots so they can be treated. Work stress and career casualties are no different. Assess the areas you have a weakness in and get some support to improve and rise above them.

Shock tactics- sometimes taking the break can be the shock tactic that your workplace needs, If they see you take command of your own situation then there could be a slim chance they will also recognize your value in the work place and allow you some space to recover so you can return to be your best.

MRI scan (my resource inventory) MRI in this case stands for my resource inventory. Have the resources handy to help you as you go about your busy day.

Avoiding energy bleeds/burns – don’t get burnt! Find ways to avoid energy escaping from you, so if you can find a way to keep out of the way of people who sap your energy, tasks that drain you do it.

Overcoming RSI (repetitive stress inertia) if you can come up with a strategy to avoid stressful situations, you can overcome RSI, and repetitive stress will slow you down permanently if not addressed.

Remember you only have one life you have to live it. Do you work to live or live to work, if the answer is the second one, remember you too still need time out for leisure and relaxation, don’t be the next career casualty.