Your Authentic Self Resume - A Reflection Practice
© Jenn Shallvey
Shared from the recent newsletter - a reflection practice.
Traditionally we are guided and taught how to create a career resume. There are do’s and don’ts in terms of what to include, how to embellish experience, make sure the ‘right’ achievements are listed etc. The whole point being to get past the first gatekeeper of possible future employment. Practical and purposeful in the right context.
For this reflection process though let’s look at career from a different perspective – what you have learned in terms of key insights, personal growth and self-awareness.
This process also aims to look at career in the broadest sense possible – paid, unpaid, volunteer. Your definition of ‘organisation’ you ‘worked for’ is simply in terms of who you served and how. Look at each discernible period as a ‘career point’ of exploration. So your time as a manager in a big bank is on the list equally as is the time you took off for sabbatical to travel or full time parented. Hence why this is called an 'authentic self resume’.
Aim of this process
To create a summary of your life (so far) in terms of your key career insights, learnings and self-development.
Guidelines
Creation of this ‘authentic self resume’ is for your benefit only. No one else needs to see it, unless you choose to share.
You can be as creative as you like in compiling and documenting.
Simplicity is key. Summarise, distil and focus on what really stands out.
Look for the ‘silver lining’ of a difficult experience, find the hidden gems, focus on the positive.
Let the questions guide you and the discovery be what motivates you.
Setting
Select a recording method or use a combination of these. Create on your computer. Write in your journal. Sketch and draw out on a big poster or piece of paper. Fill out a set of post it notes and organise them.
Set yourself up in a place, time and moment that supports you to reflect. One time or many times. Allow more time than you think you need.
Reflection time
The overall approach is to select a ‘career point’ – whether specific role, duration of employment or other area where you provide service. Your selection points can be paid, unpaid, volunteer. It is up to you what matters.
Choose your career points to explore either randomly or by reviewing a chronological timeline. Start with what draws your interest the most. You do not have to go through all, just what matters and supports you the most now in your life.
For each career point ask the following questions;
Recall the setting and environment. What physically about the place of work, environment, location, building, etc impacted you? How did this help you grow, develop and be the person you are today?
What aspects of the culture of the organisation, group, team shaped you in terms of values, behaviours, and other ways of being?
Consider the dynamics of various relationships with people you encountered. How did these ones serve as teachers in helping you to learn and grow into who you are today?
What was your commute and travel to the place like? How did this necessary but not as relevant part of your day shape the way you balanced your time?
How do you recall your sense of time, work/life balance in this career point? What did you learn from managing time that you now apply?
What main lesson did you learn from doing the ‘work’ you did?
How did the experience of this career point extend and apply beyond to enhance your life?
What wisdom do you take forward from this ‘work’ into your current and future life?
How did you as a whole person benefit and learn from this experience?
How did this career point make you a better person today?
Review
Go back to each career point exploration. Consider the key message for you that stands out in each. Write this down as a statement of affirmation about you as a person.
Then collect these affirmations together. Sit with them and reflect. Feel into the essence of what this information is showing and telling you about yourself.
Next level
If inclined and open to this, meditate deeper and further. Sit with what your insights are showing you. Seek with intent to discern the main message you can for you about what you have learned, gained and developed so far in your life because of the work you did/do.
Keep reminders of these insights to support you and help you. Celebrate you and how you have grown.
Going forward
You can always revisit this process at any time. You can add more insights. You can explore additional career points. The key is to keep seeking the positive shaping forces within you that are supporting and enabling you now and going forward.
Then also when you, and we all do, hit a rough patch or are frustrated you can go to this authentic self resume as a reminder. We all have within us resilience, talent, self determination and abilities that others may not see. When we see these then we are able to apply and claim even more of our authentic self.