"Know Yourself....then Be Yourself"

For anyone who doesn't know me, I'd like to take this opportunity to let you know that I am a Certified DISC profiler and I use it extensively, not only in my career coaching work but also for personal development with my clients.

I noticed a quote from Ahmed Fawzi on LinkedIn this morning that caught my eye - his favourite piece of knowledge is "Be Yourself" which lead me on to think that today's blog should be based round that piece of wisdom. In fact I'm going to take it one stage further and say "Know Yourself then Be Yourself"!

But how can you know yourself inside out? You can of course take the time to write adjectives about yourself also ask others to describe you too. That's an interesting thing to do by the way as people invariably see things in you that you don't see yourself! You might get some nice surprises!

However, there is an easier way. DISC profiling looks at your behavioural style and the assessment can tell you how you behave and perform in the work environment. How fantastic to have such an insight into yourself so when you are at interview, you can talk confidently about yourself with the back up that the DISC profiling has confirmed these traits. And, its fabulous information that you add to your CV!

For instance it can reveal:

• how you prefer to communicate with others and what's the best method of communication for you



• what types of work environments you like and what you need to be motivated and productive



• how you go about achieving goals and what you need from others around you to support you to reach those goals



• how you react under stress

So, over the next 4 weeks I'm going to highlight the main behavioural traits of the four groups in D - I - S - C and I'm sure you'll soon be able to recognise your primary trait!

DISC stands for Dominance, Influence, Steadiness and Compliance. Lets begin with 'D' (Dominance type) here. Is this you? Or do you know people around you that fit this description?

D's are very task-driven and outgoing. The are Dominant, Driving, Demanding, Determined, Decisive and Doers. They make dynamic leaders. They have masses of drive and seldom take "no" as an answer. They tend to take a position quickly and stick to it, unless they see a better idea or plan. If you work with a 'D' you may sometimes have a difficult time knowing what is going on in their minds. They are normally strong willed and independent. Because they are "bottom-line" orientated they can tend to be blunt and to the point in order to achieve their goal. They are not particularly into talking; more into doing. 'D' types make great leaders, but can have a short fuse and a hot temper. They can often explode over small things, but 10 minutes later have forgotten all about it, whilst the rest of you are still reeling from the outburst! They quite like conflict and can rise to any challenge. When two 'D's clash it can be a good spectator sport, waiting to see who will back down. If you have 'D's in your team remember that they need control - give them projects - but don't give them step by step instructions on how to carry it out. Give them freedom to make their own decisions - they work best when you don't tie them down. Just tell them what you want and let them get on with it. That way, you'll get a good job done well.

Recognise yourself? Or someone you work with?

Next week I'll describe the 'I' in DISC, which is the Influence type. If you like to talk and love people this could well be you!

As always, if I can help you in any way, or if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.

Christine

Is your CV holding you back?

Many people come to me desperate - that they have been searching for work for ages and not had even a sniff of an interview.

My first approach would be to review everything they have done to date and that would include looking over the cv that has been previously used.

This is normally where the problems arise. I have candidates who are very capable, are applying for roles that are completely within their capabilities, but never get an interview.

Normally a re-write or 'tweak' of their cv can have stunning effects - the invites to interview will come through quite quickly and normally an offer is made shortly after that. My clients think I sprinkle them with 'magic dust' and perhaps I do ;-) In reality I listen very carefully to their skills and talents, write them in a way that showcases them and make the cv more'achievement-led'.

Perhaps your cv could do with some 'magic dust'? Send it to me for an assessment and get your career on the right track - every day you spend out of work is costing you money....

How to Present Long Career Histories

Some of my clients come to me with a cv which is pages long and can't see any way of cutting down their career history so it fits nicely on to one or two pages.

I can see their dilemma - they may have had a series of jobs (too many to mention in full detail) but still need to list them on their cv so it doesn't appear as if they have any 'career gaps'. There is a simple solution to this.

Your recent career history is the most relevant and certainly the past 10 years is the most crucial and this is where the emphasis should lie.

Any jobs longer than 10 years ago can be listed under a heading 'Consolidated Early Career History'. List the name of the company, your title and the dates. Type them in as a list. Then do one or two short paragraphs that emcompasses what you have done in that period of your career. This saves space on your cv but gives the reader a sense of what you have done previously.

It works a treat, especially if you have taken up temporary positions or backward steps! It is unlikely that a company will want to delve so far back into your career that you are scratching your head to think of what you actually did in each role.

As always, if you need a hand with this, just get in touch!