From the Career Coach . . .

So, what do you REALLY want to be when you grow up?

That's a funny question to ask a "grown-up," right?

I use the phrase often; I love how it immediately transports you right where the best Career Coaching experience happens - a place of wonder, a place of possibilities - a place of "play."

Not to mention that it is SO much easier to explain than the imposing concept of "Career Exploration" or "Career Self-Assessment." Those sound like a tortuous obligation or duty, or something even more awful, like getting teeth pulled. Without novacaine!

However, when done well, this process can be a transformative time of discovery. This self-exploration experience can become a revelation, full of light and clarity and purpose and direction!

You've come to this Self-Assessment process because your gut is prompting you in some way. And though I am a firm believer in listening to your gut - I've learned that the problem is that our guts don't speak English! And so we are left with trying to translate "gut" into some sort of language we can understand (and eventually verbalize not only to ourselves, but to others).

Some of these exercises might seem odd to you, some "obvious," some "silly." You might feel like this is just "busywork." Some might even feel uncomfortable or slightly intrusive as your awareness stretches in new ways.

I promise each one has a particular purpose. After 11+ years of coaching, I've collected these exercises and created this process that is completely for you. This workbook will help pull out those gut promptings and turn them into actionable steps. Steps on your path, and no one else's.

Once you complete your assigned exercises, we will review and process the information together during our coaching calls.

Many client ask me for a time table. They want me to give them a math equation: "If I do X plus Y and multiply it by Z, I will be handed the answer of what I should do with the rest of my life." I really wish I could tell you that was true. (Wouldn't it be awesome if it was?) This Career Self-Assessment Workbook is but one of the ways to collect the puzzle pieces of what will one day we will put together to become the picture of your dreams!

So you must be patient with yourself and with this process; be open and honest. Give yourself time and space to explore, to let yourself . . . play. The results absolutely will be worth it!

- Julie Mendez

How to Use This Workbook

This Process Is Completely and Totally FOR YOU.

Discovering "what you want to be when you grow up, again" isn't easy. Many issues, such as your values, goals, and priorities, need to be considered. And to make it even more complicated, these will all change over time!

A wide variety of exercises are included here: from family history, cultural influences, interests, constraints, skills, dreams, and experiences. Each one of these will help you reflect and build the self-awareness that will be critical to your success. The more you can learn and understand about yourself, the better you can prevent repeating past missteps and make well-informed decisions as you move forward.

Here Are My Best Tips For Success:

1. Be honest with yourself. Think of this workbook as a conversation between you and yourself. So you have every reason to be "real" with yourself here.
2. There are no right or wrong answers. You are not going to turn this in to be "graded." You don't have to share with anyone else outside of our coaching conversations. Do not censor, denigrate, critique, or prejudge your responses.
3. Don't deprive yourself of the good stuff. Where normally "less is more," that doesn't apply in this workbook. The more detailed and specific your answers, the more thorough information we have, the closer we will be to discovering your direction and path.
4. Don't "overthink" your answers. Listen to your gut and go with that first instinctual response.
5. Don't go all Type A, "Perfectionist" in the exercises. Don't stress yourself out and get stuck trying to make everything "perfect" or "right." (If this is you, please go re-read #2 again. And again, and again!)
6. You don't have to do everything. This workbook is not meant to be done in any order, and you do not have to complete every single exercise in order to get great results! Typically with a client, I might "assign" specific exercises for review, but you are also welcome to work your way through any of the other exercises that call to you. In fact, I encourage you to listen to those "gut" promptings!
7. Don't worry if you don't understand all of this . . . yet. Trust that as we move forward in our coaching, we will work through each of your questions and pull all of these little pieces together to make that bigger picture.