Category: Research

First, gather your knowledge

If you are going to change jobs or careers, there is a lot of research you’ll have to do. You want to know what is available, what is doable, and what is suitable for you. To do this, you will have to sit down and understand many things about yourself.

It sounds easy when you know exactly what you want and where the jobs are. Yet, many people do not know what they want from their work life or even what is possible. And yes, many things are out there, but you cannot show up and say I’ll take any job. Employers purposely don’t have a job or need to call any job. Mainly because they know anybody who took an any-job would soon leave. Employers have specific tasks that need to be done, and people who best fit into those same tasks, do them, and be happy about it. That is why you need to study what you want and which companies need those positions. Doing so will help you, and the people who hire you will be happier.

Suppose you’re unsure what you really want to do. In that case, there is a free test you can take online that is written by the Department of Education for the Department of Labor. It is 65 questions long and only takes about 15 minutes to do. It is called my next move(www.mynextmove.org). If you take this free assessment, it will show you opportunities that match up with what you have indicated you like to do.

The My Next Move assessment is on www.onetonline.org. And the site holds information on every job category, right down to the pay for people in your area.

If you have any problems or need some coaching after or before taking the assessment, you can go to your local Workforce center, and they can help you. Your local workforce center can also help you find who is hiring for the job you want. Once again, the services are free.

How Do You Know

How do you know what you think is right or not? Did someone tell you? Were they correct, were they wrong? Did you hear it somewhere on the street or see it in a television program? Is the idea you have been told a fact or a feeling? Is this thought universal, or only on the local street corner? To borrow a line from NPR, inquiring minds would like to know.

How many people have you seen start off on excellent intentions with some terrible information? It happens more than you think, and all the reported cases that you see in the news or read about in articles are only the tip of an enormous iceberg. To keep your flotilla of ideas from crashing on the sea of life, a first step is to verify the facts. Some find out what is out there, and others just keep on crashing into ice.

This week we are going to look at ways we can do some research and plot a course around obstacles that have the tendency to get in our way. In this day and age, between cell phones, tablets, and computers, we have better access to the correct information than any other time in history. Those who want to know, check it out.

I will bet some did not finish the last sentence before objections rose that everything on the Internet is fake. Well, you are partly right. If you draw all your conclusions from gossip and rumor sites, the integrity of that data is probably in question. If you research on reputable websites, the chances of authentic information are much higher. Even on the best of research sites, if somebody is citing a study or research, and if you really need to know how accurate it is, you must find out who funded the research. Data sometimes gets skewed by who pays the bill.

The mere idea that you have taken the time and energy to find information puts you on a better road towards your future.  Also, check with mentors and supporters who you trust. To walk a long trail on the statement of only one person shows you must trust them very much.  Walk wisely.

Thank you for being with me today. I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

Your Turn

Go forth and do. It is a statement that is echoed time and again throughout the centuries. It means don’t just talk about it, make it happen. These statements remind us that talk is often an endless loop. We are also reminded that actions are much rarer and harder to accomplish.

Win, lose or draw, those who have set out in action to accomplish something are people of the same mettle. That is because these are the people who have moved from talk to action. Also, these are the people who work to move us forward as a people.

It is not the easy-going person that accepts life as it is who positively changes the world. It is the person who sets out to do something, and when everyone is asking why, he or she is asking why not. And his or her question will stay that way until the problem is solved or the person cannot find the answer and yields to fate.

Does this mean you should wake up one morning, decide that the sky should be green rather than blue, and immediately go tilting at windmills? No. Every journey starts with the first step. I believe that each step should be researched.

I belong to the Delta Mu Delta Business Honor Society. We believe through knowledge you can find power.  Researching gives you the knowledge to go forth and change things for the better.  This not only helps you, but it also helps all those who will use and benefit from your innovations.

If you feel you need information, get your information from credible sources. If you aren’t sure what constitutes credible sources, look at the research. The first thing you want to see in the study is who paid for it. Was the analysis performed in the intent of pure research? Or, was research on the consumption of a product paid by those who make or own the product? Research is a great tool. Just don’t accept analysis developed for or by the person who’s trying to sell you the product.

Remember to talk a lot with the customers of whatever you are making or changing.  If it is needed and wanted, you might do well.  If you cannot find customers and clients interested in whatever you want to build, you may want to consider if it is the best use of your time.  You are going to need customers for sure and most probably backers.

You can do whatever you are willing to put enough time and work into.  If it is something that people want, you may go far.  I have to tell you though, no matter what anyone says, there are no guarantees in life.  Work-wise.

Thank you for being with me today.  I hope to be with you again tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Know Thyself

It is essential that we actually find out what we need to do in life, and to do this we need to research. We need to research not only what is out there that we could do. We need to research ourselves. Sound a little strange? You would be surprised.

When my oldest son was younger, he wanted to be a lawyer. He wanted to study at Harvard Law. And, he was very gifted intellectually and more than able to do so. Up until about his junior year, he was set to be a solicitor as they would say in England. Then something very unexpected happened. Taking the SAT for the first time, he did very well in English, very well. And, surprisingly he almost aced the math portion.

He was so surprised at how easy math was for him that he decided he would retake the SAT again next year and just ace it. And he did. He is now a tenured professor at a prestigious school on the West Coast teaching the various forms of mathematics and calculus and doing pure research.

The change in mindset would not have happened if he had not by chance done well on an SAT and decided to explore those possibilities. Until then, it was a hidden talent. My question to you today is, what hidden skills do you have?

You may have talents you know nothing about. That’s why they call them hidden. How do you find out about them? You have to do a little research on you. You need to take a few assessments, try new things, and maybe try a few lessons online or at your local community college.

Do not over-invest or spend money you do not have to start with. Yet try things. If you’re really interested in something, ask if you can shadow someone doing it for a day. If you’re curious about something, find somebody who does that job, can take that person out for some coffee and talk to them for 20 min. Do not look at just the things that are fun for you about the job, also explore those things that may not be so fun for you. It is crucial that you know all the facets that go into any gem of a job.

Thanks for being with me and hopefully will meet again tomorrow.