My Parachute is a Flower

Seasons always bring the promise of new beginnings. Spring is in the air here, bringing with it lots of pollen, thundershowers, and an amazing coolness in the air. We have had glimpses of the sun, but not much warmth. I cleaned my closet today and put away my winter clothes only to realize later the temperature outside is a mere 45 degrees.

This Spring also brings a season of job search for me. I am excited to take my accumulated skills out into my adopted hometown and meet an employer in search of my skill set.  To facilitate this search, I scoured our local library for books to start me on the best path.

"What Color is Your Parachute" by Richard N. Bolles came highly recommended. I was expecting a multiple choice personality test as was surprised to find this updated book offered much more detailed information regarding job search.

Two of the exercises that have caught my interest have been the "Describe Yourself Discussion" and the "7 Ways of Describing Yourself" flower petals. I was recently asked by a job search mentor to send a description of myself and after reading this exercise, I realize the one I wrote was highly generic and very bland. A re-write is definitely in order.

The flower exercise is one that puts the whole of job searching into perspective. There are 7 petals and each represent an area relating to a career in general. Listing my favorite knowledge areas or fields of interest took some thought to narrow it down to 8.  My preferred kinds of people to work with, salary range, what I can and love to do, preferred places, and working conditions are just part of the flower. Petal 7 was the thought provoking "My Goal,Purpose, or Mission in Life" statement.

I am fortunate that a church in my community provides a service that is beneficial to job seekers and employers. Job seekers are partnered with a mentor throughout the process. Having an expanded support group should certainly be helpful.