I have found this "Thing" quite useful recently, as I have been applying for new jobs after finally receiving my professional qualification. It's interesting to take a good hard look at yourself, your strengths, your weaknesses and how you can use these to improve yourself.
Identify your strengths, take a good look at yourself, your tasks at work, your career, your life: what do you like to do?
At work, I do a lot of problem-solving. Either through helping users to find the information they need, or helping staff track an item or understand a complicated fines issue. I like to think that I am a quick learner, and retain information, particularly when it's technical in nature. I used to work with someone whose catchphrase was "don't give me problems, give me solutions". I receive the problems, and give back the solutions.
I like projects. And I like being left alone to get on with them. That way, I know that things have been done to my exacting standards, and that all parts of the project have been completed.
I like to indulge in amateur dramatics outside of work, which involves a fair amount of problem-solving, teamworking and project work. It's a good outlet for creativity, and when the writing bug comes upon me it means it's time to write a script! It also gives me a chance to do some teaching and work with children, both of which are challenging, but give you a real buzz when everything goes well.
What do you dislike?
I dislike being bored. I work quite fast, and am quite efficient, so sometimes I finish things quicker than others expect, and as a result I am left with nothing to do. When I was a student I actually worked myself out of a temporary job for being too efficient - it appeared there wasn't enough work and they didn't actually need someone in the post. In actuality, there was plenty of work - it's just that I did it faster than they were expecting and didn't spend a fifth of my working day in the smoking shed like the other secretaries.
I don't like needless bureaucracy - the type that is rampant in middle management in every organisation: where people schedule meetings because they think that unless you have a meeting a decision is not valid; where these meetings go on for three hours because someone thinks they should, not because there is so much to discuss; where you have to wait three months for a decision becuase people are afraid to make them; where there are acres of paperwork when one sheet of bullet points would suffice.
I also dislike most forms of sporting activity, mainly because I am rubbish at them (lack of coordination). Luckily, the sportiest part of working in a library is getting on and off a kickstool.
Do you remember the last time you felt that feeling of deep satisfaction after creating, building, completing something? What was it about?
I recently completed a serials rationalisation project at my site library. Basically it was an audit of everything we had, and a drastic reduction in the quantity of print serials held. Now, it is clear to our users what we hold, the most recent issues are not hidden amongst older volumes, and the collection takes up a third less space on the shelves. They also appear to be getting more use. Maybe you can see the wood now the trees have gone. This was a project that I had sole responsibility for, that I was allowed to just get on with in my own time and in my own way.
It's nice to finally finish something and have people comment on it. I produce programmes for plays and pantomimes, and it's nice to hear people say how much they like what you've produced, and how professional it looks.
A couple of weeks ago, we had a really good musical rehearsal for this year's village pantomime. They're not always so satisfying. Sometimes you feel really frustrated that people aren't picking things up as quickly as you'd like, or you don't have the right people at the rehearsal so you can't teach a particular song. This particular night, everything was perfect. If things go well, it validates you as a teacher. If they don't, there are moments of self-doubt and annoyance. But you just have to carry on, learn from your experiences, and plan to do things differently next time.
I'm sure once my pantimime costume for Maid Marian is completed I'll feel satisfied about what I've created. At the moment I have a lot of doubts that it will turn out to look like the image in my head. But that's the thing about projects, you can't reflect upon them until you've completed them.
I'm glad I've done these things, either as work projects or as personal projects, because completing something, especially if it has been a challenge, is not only a relief, but also a reward for all the hard work you've put in.
What skills do you need to do the things you like?
Communication skills are pretty high up on the list. When you're working with lots of different types of people, you need to know how to work with them and how to help them. I think my communciation skills can always be improved.
Time management is another big one. Sometimes it's difficult to know how long soemthing is going to take, but if you plan all the different parts of the project, and give yourself room to manouevre within your set of deadlines, you can usually complete on time. Of course, you can't plan for other people, or the unexpected, but you should always have a backup plan.
I need a lot of creative skills for the things I do outside of work. I enjoy using and updating these skills, and I'm glad that I'm revisiting some of them this year, because I'm really enjoying it.
What next?
I'm attending a course on Marketing yourself and identifying transferable skills. I'm not always aware of how I can use the skills I have to do other things. Being able to demonstrate the application of transferable skills will be very useful to me in the search for a professional post.
I'm also hoping to do some voluntary work in a different library to the one I work in. They need some serials cataloguers. The experience I could gain will fill an experience gap in my skill set.
Identify your strengths, take a good look at yourself, your tasks at work, your career, your life: what do you like to do?
At work, I do a lot of problem-solving. Either through helping users to find the information they need, or helping staff track an item or understand a complicated fines issue. I like to think that I am a quick learner, and retain information, particularly when it's technical in nature. I used to work with someone whose catchphrase was "don't give me problems, give me solutions". I receive the problems, and give back the solutions.
I like projects. And I like being left alone to get on with them. That way, I know that things have been done to my exacting standards, and that all parts of the project have been completed.
I like to indulge in amateur dramatics outside of work, which involves a fair amount of problem-solving, teamworking and project work. It's a good outlet for creativity, and when the writing bug comes upon me it means it's time to write a script! It also gives me a chance to do some teaching and work with children, both of which are challenging, but give you a real buzz when everything goes well.
What do you dislike?
I dislike being bored. I work quite fast, and am quite efficient, so sometimes I finish things quicker than others expect, and as a result I am left with nothing to do. When I was a student I actually worked myself out of a temporary job for being too efficient - it appeared there wasn't enough work and they didn't actually need someone in the post. In actuality, there was plenty of work - it's just that I did it faster than they were expecting and didn't spend a fifth of my working day in the smoking shed like the other secretaries.
I don't like needless bureaucracy - the type that is rampant in middle management in every organisation: where people schedule meetings because they think that unless you have a meeting a decision is not valid; where these meetings go on for three hours because someone thinks they should, not because there is so much to discuss; where you have to wait three months for a decision becuase people are afraid to make them; where there are acres of paperwork when one sheet of bullet points would suffice.
I also dislike most forms of sporting activity, mainly because I am rubbish at them (lack of coordination). Luckily, the sportiest part of working in a library is getting on and off a kickstool.
Do you remember the last time you felt that feeling of deep satisfaction after creating, building, completing something? What was it about?
I recently completed a serials rationalisation project at my site library. Basically it was an audit of everything we had, and a drastic reduction in the quantity of print serials held. Now, it is clear to our users what we hold, the most recent issues are not hidden amongst older volumes, and the collection takes up a third less space on the shelves. They also appear to be getting more use. Maybe you can see the wood now the trees have gone. This was a project that I had sole responsibility for, that I was allowed to just get on with in my own time and in my own way.
It's nice to finally finish something and have people comment on it. I produce programmes for plays and pantomimes, and it's nice to hear people say how much they like what you've produced, and how professional it looks.
A couple of weeks ago, we had a really good musical rehearsal for this year's village pantomime. They're not always so satisfying. Sometimes you feel really frustrated that people aren't picking things up as quickly as you'd like, or you don't have the right people at the rehearsal so you can't teach a particular song. This particular night, everything was perfect. If things go well, it validates you as a teacher. If they don't, there are moments of self-doubt and annoyance. But you just have to carry on, learn from your experiences, and plan to do things differently next time.
I'm sure once my pantimime costume for Maid Marian is completed I'll feel satisfied about what I've created. At the moment I have a lot of doubts that it will turn out to look like the image in my head. But that's the thing about projects, you can't reflect upon them until you've completed them.
I'm glad I've done these things, either as work projects or as personal projects, because completing something, especially if it has been a challenge, is not only a relief, but also a reward for all the hard work you've put in.
What skills do you need to do the things you like?
Communication skills are pretty high up on the list. When you're working with lots of different types of people, you need to know how to work with them and how to help them. I think my communciation skills can always be improved.
Time management is another big one. Sometimes it's difficult to know how long soemthing is going to take, but if you plan all the different parts of the project, and give yourself room to manouevre within your set of deadlines, you can usually complete on time. Of course, you can't plan for other people, or the unexpected, but you should always have a backup plan.
I need a lot of creative skills for the things I do outside of work. I enjoy using and updating these skills, and I'm glad that I'm revisiting some of them this year, because I'm really enjoying it.
What next?
I'm attending a course on Marketing yourself and identifying transferable skills. I'm not always aware of how I can use the skills I have to do other things. Being able to demonstrate the application of transferable skills will be very useful to me in the search for a professional post.
I'm also hoping to do some voluntary work in a different library to the one I work in. They need some serials cataloguers. The experience I could gain will fill an experience gap in my skill set.
No comments:
Post a Comment