Intuitive Personal Assessment

“A Career Self-Assessment Tool”

Throughout most of my life, I have been on a journey towards the identification, development and implementation of my personal career path. Many years ago, my father introduced me to the concept of establishing and setting goals. He had developed a very sophisticated goal system and each Thanksgiving would have a series of goal-setting meetings with his business partner. Being involved in my own business for many years, I have incorporated much of what he has taught me into my personal life and career planning sessions.

Utilizing my personal and business experience as an executive recruiter since 1984, I have developed a unique twelve-step career assessment and goal setting process called “Intuitive Personal Assessment,” or IPA. The twelve steps and exercises of the IPA process will guide and assist you with the discovery, acceptance and implementation of your desired career path. The IPA self-assessment program utilizes your intuition and incorporates your ideas, skills, interests, values and life experiences to determine your career path.

The goal setting segment of IPA is based on the principle of establishing and maintaining balance in all of life’s seven components, including: Health, Family, Knowledge, Relationships, Spiritual, Financial, and Career. Balance is the key to life’s longevity and by achieving balance in your life your career will prosper. Setting goals and taking action to achieve them as they relate to the components of the IPA process will enable you to visualize and accomplish your career objectives.

The IPA personal assessment program is an excellent resource for anyone who wants to discover his or her unique career path. After completion of the twelve-step IPA process, you will be equipped with the knowledge needed to determine your career path and the tools in the form of goals needed to implement your job search plan.

The current job market is a tremendously competitive environment. Many individuals, who have recently lost their jobs often have very similar job skills and will be seeking a limited number of positions. Only those who have a clear understanding of their desired career path and are armed with the proper skills and job search knowledge will be successful in their search.

When searching for a new job, most individuals are doing so for one of two reasons. They are either dissatisfied with their current job, or they have been laid off or fired from their current position. They may be unhappy with the type of work they are doing or dislike the company environment in which they work. They may have a personality conflict with their boss, or salary and benefits issues that can’t be resolved. The reasons for an individual’s job dissatisfaction are endless.

This book is intended to serve as a guide for those individuals who either want to make a career change or for those who are literally forced to make a change and are looking for a new job. The current-day perception of the job market is that there are fewer good paying jobs and more people competing for the same positions. Many US companies continue to export thousands of jobs to foreign countries and as a result have dramatically restructured their businesses and have downsized their work force. Thousands of individuals out of work with similar job experience are thus infused into an already hyper-competitive job market.

When searching for a new job, time is always your enemy; you must start your job search immediately once you are out of work. Should you be privy to company layoffs or you decide to leave your present company, it is important that you begin your job search as soon as you are able to do so. Far too many people I have known through my executive search business have mistakenly decided to wait more than two weeks, to almost a year to start their job search. Some made a decision to take time off from work or even took extended vacations. 

Begin to ask yourself the following questions: Do I enjoy the work I was doing at the previous company? Does the work challenge me? Am I doing something that I feel is important? Was the environment, culture and location of the company suited to me as an individual? Do I want to work for a small, medium or large company? What personality traits am I looking for in a boss and my co-workers? These are questions that will help you to mentally prepare yourself to begin your job search.

Paul Rega is president of Paul J. Rega & Associates, a retained executive search firm he founded in 1985. He is well-known throughout the business community as an executive search professional and career coach. His new best-selling book, How To Find A Job: When There Are No Jobs hit the #1 position in Job Hunting books in the country, surpassing “What Color is Your Parachute.” The book continues to be one of the most downloaded books on Amazon with over 13,500 downloads during a 3-day promotion. It rocketed to #1 Job Hunting, Careers & Resumes, #2 Nonfiction and #2 Business & Investing. It was also ranked in the Top 20 at #14 on Amazon Kindle.

Paul Rega

Email: paulrega@paulrega.com

Web: www.paulrega.com and  www.howtofindajobwhentherearenojobs.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/paulrega

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Paul-Rega/1636494613

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/paul-rega/2/403/523

How to Find a Job...when there are no Jobs

In August of 1984, I was called into my boss’s office at The Fisher Scientific Company and abruptly informed that due to an economic cutback, I would be losing my job. Later that day, still in shock over what had just occurred, I sat on a cold metal folding chair at my local unemployment office patiently waiting my turn amongst dozens of other seemingly distant minded souls. The thought that I had just lost my first job out of college was tough enough, but I owned a small house I had somehow managed to buy and wondered how I would be able to continue to pay the mortgage. My head jerked sharply upward as my name was finally called for an interview. I vividly recall the meeting that followed with an older gentleman, a career counselor employed by the state. After I endured a battery of questions, the old man said, “Son, push on, no matter how disgusting!” I would never forget those simple, but sage words and knew that the older man understood what my feelings were at this difficult time in my life and probably had been there himself at some point in his career.

I have learned throughout my entire career that life is often very unpredictable and can directly affect one’s career path. At times it may seem difficult if not impossible to move beyond your present situation. It is important to remember that you are in control of your own destiny and can choose to adapt and learn from those experiences. You will always have options and the power to change your career plans when necessary to move forward with your life. Throughout your entire career you will encounter more challenges and inevitably more changes and disgusting things will occur, some you will have control over and some you will not. As your career progresses, many great things will also happen that will help to shape and affect your life and career in a positive manner.

The most that you can do throughout your career is to try and do your very best. You must never give up on yourself, but rather be persistent and take control of your life by properly planning and taking action towards achieving your chosen career goals. Remember what the wise gentleman said, “Push on, no matter how disgusting!”

How To Find A Job: When There Are No Jobs, 2012 Edition: A Necessary Job Search Book & Career Planning Guide For Surviving And Prospering In Today's Hyper Competitive Job Market

Paul Rega is president of a retained executive search firm and a professional recruiter with over twenty-seven years of job hunting and career planning experience. His provocative new book, "How To Find A Job: When There Are No Jobs" strikes a nerve with millions of displaced workers and goes well beyond the principles of job hunting. Paul introduces a revolutionary concept in career management and personal development called "Intuitive Personal Assessment." He takes his readers on a powerful journey as he tells a gripping story about his own career and the challenges faced as an executive recruiter, often fraught with personal tragedy. This is a must read for anyone who is looking for a new job or wants to change careers in the worst economy since the Great Depression.

The author shares his vast knowledge of career planning and the inner workings of the job search process, citing hundreds of proven and effective job search techniques. He explains how to market your background to a targeted audience, interviewing skills and techniques, network building strategies, how to utilize personal and business contacts, effective use of social media, including LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, insider tips on working with headhunters, salary and benefits negotiation, how to write a resume, cover and follow-up letters, how to start and succeed in your own business and much more.

In a message to his readers, Paul believes that despite the many challenges faced by those suffering as a result of the weak job market, change in one's life can be positive. He explains that, "Change throughout your life is inevitable, and as your life changes so often does your career." His book is an effective guide that will provide you with the necessary tools, skills and inside knowledge from a professional recruiter to help you navigate through difficult economic times and find a new job or change careers.
Paul J.Rega 
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