Personal Inventory replacing the resume Cassini Nazir Spring 2008

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Resumes focus only on small slice of who you are and what you can do. They focus on skills and knowledge that you’ve gained. They don’t tell you much about your potential and possibilities.

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Resumes can’t tell you what career direction you should take either. In fact, a resume does just the opposite: they tell a prospective employer the career directions that you’ve already taken. To figure out what you’re capable of, you’ll have to do some deep digging by taking a personal inventory. Here’s what one looks like:

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Focus Experience Knowledge Personal Acquire Master Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Creativity Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Master – Skills that you have honed well enough that you could teach it or could be considered an expert in. Focus – Skills that you have, but need to develop further. Acquire – Skills that are not currently in your repertoire or would like to have. Focus Acquire Master

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Master – Skills that you have honed well enough that you could teach it or could be considered an expert in. Focus – Skills that you have, but need to develop further. Acquire – Skills that are not currently in your repertoire or would like to have. Focus Acquire Master

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Master – Skills that you have honed well enough that you could teach it or could be considered an expert in. Focus – Skills that you have, but need to develop further. Acquire – Skills that are not currently in your repertoire or would like to have. Focus Acquire Master

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Focus Acquire Master Skills eventually are acquired and rise from the bottom, eventually are focused – enough to reach mastery.

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Personal – Skills that you have because of your personality. We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything. -- Blaise Pascal Knowledge – Skills learned through classes, research, or some other source. A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle. -- Kahlil Gibran Experience – Skills that you have because of what you’ve been through. I am a part of all that I have met. -- Alfred Lord Tennyson Patient Focus Acquire Master

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Personal – Skills that you have because of your personality. We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything. -- Blaise Pascal Knowledge – Skills learned through classes, research, or some other source. A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle. -- Kahlil Gibran Experience – Skills that you have because of what you’ve been through. I am a part of all that I have met. -- Alfred Lord Tennyson CSS Focus Acquire Master

Personal – Skills that you have because of your personality. We must learn our limits. We are all something, but none of us are everything. -- Blaise Pascal Knowledge – Skills learned through classes, research, or some other source. A little knowledge that acts is worth infinitely more than much knowledge that is idle. -- Kahlil Gibran Experience – Skills that you have because of what you’ve been through. I am a part of all that I have met. -- Alfred Lord Tennyson Working with Difficult Clients Personal Inventory replacing the resume Focus Acquire Master

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Experience Knowledge Personal The two essential pieces to your personal inventory are the solid circle and the empty circle. Focus Acquire Master

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Experience Knowledge Personal Maya Let’s say I know that I’m interested in 3-D animation. I currently know nothing about the software application Maya. Learning Maya a skill I need to acquire. I draw a solid circle to show where my skill set currently is. Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Experience Knowledge Personal Maya Maya The empty circle is where I need to be in order to get a job doing 3-D animation. It’s empty because I’m my skill set isn’t there … as yet. Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Experience Knowledge Personal Maya Maya Where I am now Where I’d like to be Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Creativity Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Creativity Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites Patterns eventually emerge. Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Creativity Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Knowledge CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Creativity Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Making Ideas Real Presenting Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Personal Working with Difficult Clients Working in Teams Motivating Others Building a Team Patient People skills Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal PEOPLE

Personal Inventory replacing the resume PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics Javascript Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites Consulting Creativity HTML Flash/AS3 Designing Interactivity Web Design Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics Javascript Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites Consulting Creativity HTML Flash/AS3 Designing Interactivity Web Design Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal DESIGN

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Balance In Life B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Launching Websites Creativity B.A. English Classical Languages Presenting Teaching Classes Publish Article Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Balance In Life B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Launching Websites Creativity B.A. English Classical Languages Presenting Teaching Classes Publish Article Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal IDEAS

Personal Inventory replacing the resume DESIGN PEOPLE IDEAS The three things I’m most passionate about are: design, people, and ideas. I would like to eventually work as an art director at a design firm or as a creative consultant. Later in life I would like to teach.

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Creativity Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites By doing this right-brain exercise, you’re actually generating content for your resume with these two sections… Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Consulting PHP Problem Solving Good listener Project Mgmt Experience Knowledge Personal Working with Difficult Clients CSS AJAX Prioritizing Negotiation Skills Creativity Balance In Life B.A. English Classical Languages B.A. Economics HTML Javascript Flash/AS3 Working in Teams Making Ideas Real Presenting Designing Interactivity Managing Conflict AJAX Adobe CS3 Motivating Others Building a Team Managing a Budget Balance In Life Adobe CS3 Web Design Teaching Classes Ruby on Rails Patient People skills Accessibility Publish Article Launching Websites And identifying strategies/personal skills you can use during an interview. Focus Acquire Master Experience Knowledge Personal

Your turn...

Personal Inventory replacing the resume Focus Acquire Master