Conduct a 360 degree personal assessment

Conduct a 360 degree personal assessment. So, what is a 360 degree assessment?  It is a way of getting feedback from all directions and multiple people to know how to improve. Some companies use a 360 degree assessment to evaluate their employees. You can do a 360 degree personal assessment to evaluate areas where you need to improve.

To do this, is it as simple as asking people around you how you can do better.  Ask family, friends, coworkers, neighbors, managers, and those who work for you.  As you ask a variety of people, you will get a variety of feedback.  Then, take the feedback to consider what to focus on in order to improve and do better.  Consider which change will have the most immediate impact. Focus on doing what it takes to make the biggest changes first.

You can also make the 360 degree feedback specific to a job you desire.  Ask people what skills they think you should develop to move into management, to switch careers, or to start your own business.  Then, focus on those skills that will best help you succeed in the job you desire.  Making the change can be hard, but it can lead to big dividends down the road as you prepare for success.

360 Articles

Here are a few articles with information on 360 degree feedback.

• What is 360 degree feedback?
• 360 degree employee assessments
• The Complete Guide to Running 360 Reviews
• Getting 360 Degree Reviews Right
• Sample questions for 360 employee reviews
• Performance: 360 Degree: Manager Effectiveness Evaluation
• What to Ask Before Starting a 360 feedback
• 360 degree performance reviews: do it yourself
• Reinvent your career with a personal 360 interview

Take the time to conduct a 360 degree personal assessment.  Once you have gathered the feedback, really take the time to consider how you need to change.  Change can be difficult, but it can be the very thing that drives your career forward.  Look deep inside of yourself for ways to improve based on the feedback you receive. The changes you make will pay big dividends in terms of job opportunity, growth, and advancement. It all starts with a 360 degree personal assessment

Know Yourself

Conduct an interest and skills assessment

Know yourself by conducting an interest and skills assessment.  When you know who you are and what you like to do and what your skills are then you can better find a job that is a good match for your interests and skills.  Taking the time to do an interest and skills assessment can pay dividends in the long run as you find a rewarding career that matches who you are and what you can best do.

You can best start an interest assessment by asking a few questions such as those listed below.

• What do I like to do?
• What would I do if I didn’t have anything else I needed to do?
• What do I enjoy doing?
• Do I like working indoors or outdoors?
• Do I like working with people, with my head, or with my hands?
• Do I like working on my own or in large groups?
• Do I like being my own boss or working for others?
• Do I like to be in charge or to follow the plan others have put in place?

Once you have identified your interests, then take the time to identify your skills.  A skills assessment will help you identify your core strengths and skills that you will take with you into the workplace.  Ask yourself the questions below.

• What am I good at?
• What things do I do best?
• Am I good at problem solving and decision making?
• Am I good at learning new things?
• Am I able to work with others?
• Do I notice what others are doing and how they interact?
• Am I good at working with machines?
• Do I have specific knowledge in an area such as computers? Science? Match? Business?
• Am I good at using computer software?
• Am I good at a certain specialty area?

As you notice your skills you can also identify those skills that you would like to develop further.  If you have further skills to develop,  consider ways you could develop or strengthen skills to enhance your performance on the job.  A little bit of action can make a big difference.

Evaluate the Job Market

It is important to take the time to evaluate the job market. Knowing the market and its trends and help you find job success.

Look at your target market

If you have a target field or job that you want to do, then evaluate the specific market for that field.  Look at professional journals, articles, gather information, network with people in the field in order to find out who is hiring, what jobs are “hot”, and whether the industry as a whole is expanding on contracting.  Once you know what your target job market is doing, you can make it a point to get the skills the employers in your field desire.

Look at the market generally

Other times you may not have a target job in mind.  Look at the market generally.  You can look at the Bureau of Labor statistics web site which has information on occupation, outlook, earnings, etc. for a variety of occupations. Target a specific occupation that is on the rise, looks to stay strong over the next decade and shows a great amount of growth.

In addition, you may want to gather information on your local job market.  Who is hiring in your city?  What industries have the greatest growth in your area?  Some people like to join a professional organization, network, talk to people, and gather first-hand information on the local market.  Go and talk to a few employers to see who they are hiring and what skills they need.  This will allow you to prepare with the skill set employers need in hiring.

Use the market information you found

Once you know the job market, here are a few strategies to use the information you have found.

• First, consider what jobs you would enjoy doing in job areas where there is expected to be growth.
• Second, get the skills needed to work in areas of strong growth.
• Third, let employers in your target job market know you are interested in work.
• Fourth, continue to hone your skills to stay up to date as the market changes.

As you evaluate the job market and do what it takes to be prepared to land a job in an area of high demand, you can ensure that you and your skills will be in demand in the marketplace.