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ECONOMY
MORE THAN MY CV
Do You Know What Drives You?
BUNION
SURGERY
Passion can be irresistible to employers.
By Allan Nahajewski
one are the days when it makes sense
to put your objective on the top of your
resume. In today's market, flooded with
applicants, it's irrelevant. Employers just
want to know what you've done and what
you can do.
While the change in protocol may seem
as if the cards are stacked against newer job
market entrants, there is an ace in the hole
that those without years of experience can
draw upon. If you know what you are truly
passionate about, can articulate it clearly
and channel it toward the business owner's
interests, your energy and passion can be
your trump card — your key to a dream job.
So how do you identify your passion?
And how do you get it across to prospec-
tive employers?
We asked those questions to Katy
Caschera, leadership coach, HR consultant,
former business owner and founder/presi-
dent of Need2Be, Inc.
While working at Chrysler, Caschera
designed a program that provided a
framework for managers to develop their
leadership capabilities. In 2008, she left the
company and wrote Need2Be Living Life
to the Max, a book that takes readers on a
journey of self-discovery.
Caschera says she likes to ask three
questions to people seeking a job or a new
career:
•What do you do better than anyone else?
•What do you love to do?
•What do you see as the biggest problem
in the world?
"The next step is to look for where those
three circles intersect — your confidence,
your passion and your sense of purpose,"
she says. "You really have to take a close
look at how you like to spend your time.
What do you look forward to doing?"
She notes that many find their passions
at any early age. "One of my sons was draw-
ing floor plans to his ideal bedroom at age
10. He became an architect. Another son
liked to draw pictures. He became an indus-
trial designer. I knew at a young age that I
wanted to be a teacher and a coach!'
For many young people, working on
computers may be a passion, but because
computers are such a part of their daily
lives, they may not realize their natural af-
finity for computers can translate into huge
value in the workplace.
If your passion is not obvious to you,
Caschera recommends conducting a self-
assessment. "Some self-assessment tools
are available online, and many are free," she
says. "They help you learn more about your
interests, personality and potential career
paths."
You also want to find out if you are a fit
for a company's culture. How? "Just ask;'
says Caschera. "Go to Linkedln. Find people
who work there. Ask your interviewer. Is the
culture more collaborative or competitive?
Do they have a flexible work schedule?"
To get your passion across in a job inter-
view, "you just have to tell your story;' says
Caschera.
"If you love to work on cars in your spare
time and you're applying for a position as
an automotive engineer, talk about it. Tell
your story. Your passion will shine through.
It can't be faked."
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