Career Windows Online

I just watched Happy Feet, a movie about a brave little penguin named Mumble who in the face of adversity chose to be true to himself… no matter if it meant ostracism from his family and colony.  By being true to himself, he not only found the place where he belonged but against all odds became the hero of the story.

Mumble was born to a colony of penguins who believed that each penguin has his or her heart song.  This is not a universal song but one that is housed in each penguin’s heart.  Unfortunately for Mumble, he couldn’t sing a note.  Instead, he literally came out of his egg tap dancing…his way of expressing his heart song.

One day, when the fish supply dwindled the elders blamed Mumble’s dancing for the famine. He was told to learn to sing or leave the colony.  Mumble chose to leave the colony rather than betray his authentic self, the one filled with passion and joy.  Against all odds, he chose to be true to himself and accepted exile over compromising the true Mumble …the one who lived to dance.

So what is the lesson here?  Be true to Your Authentic Self – Have you ever taken a job that was a poor match for your personality, values, skills sets and passions?  If so, how did you feel when you arose on Monday morning?  If you dreaded going to work, it may be a signal the job is out of sync with your authentic self.

So how do you identify and remain true to your authentic self?  You could start with a formal assessment of your strengths, values, personality factors and career orientation.  Another method would be to write the story of your life.  Look for any themes that give you insight into your authentic self.

If you are a regular follower of this blog, you know that I keep emphasizng the importance of remaining true to your authentic self.  Authenticity is hard to fake so recruiters and hiring decision-makers will recognize it when they see it.  Not knowing and remaining loyal to your authentic self can block your plans for a job search or career transition.  If you don’t know who you are and what makes you tick, it will show up loud and clear in correspondence, networking and interviewing.

It takes courage to face your self (warts and all), but it can make all the difference in finding your heart song (or in Mumble’s case his heart dance).

“Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow.”  ~Dan Rather

Stay tuned for further job search and career transitions lessons from the penguins including

• Collegiality
• Multi cultural communications
• Loyalty
• Recognizing that different is just different
• Risk-taking
• Blasting through the barriers that are hindering your success.

Register on my website and receive your free booklet, “Five Essential Secrets of Job Search Success” plus juicy tidbits, free offerings, previews and expert advice on how to achieve life/career success.

Opening Windows to Your Career Success,

Dumont

Dumont Gerken Owen, Ph.D.

Certified Career Management Coach

Career Windows

Careerwindowsonline.com

email hidden; JavaScript is required

216-321-1268