Get a Job After a Divorce
Let’s Meet Rebecca.
Rebecca has not worked for 10 years. After she married she and her husband had two children, Jason, 9, and Jennifer, 7. When she did work she was an Administrative Assistant to a manager.
She got a job right out of high school in a large corporation. She enjoyed her job. The people were nice, and she felt like she did a really good job.
Her friend Tiffany recently got a divorce and needed to go back to work. She got a Personality Strengths Assessments (PSA)© to see what her personality strengths are. Then she looked for a job that fit her personality strengths. Tiffany really likes her new job. Rebecca decided to get her Personality Strengths Assessments (PSA)©, too.
First she is taking her PSA to her attorney so that he can use it to work with her as she gets her divorce. Then she will use it as she looks for a job. What do you see that tells you that Rebecca will do good work at a job?
Three of Rebecca’s personality strengths show why she will do good work. Her highest personality strength (Achievement higher than 95% of us) shows that she sets high standards for whatever work she does. Her Thoughtfulness/Reflectiveness (higher than for 75% of us) shows that she is careful in carrying out any task that she is given. A problem-solving ability that also helps her to do good work is her Theoretical Value (at 70%). This shows that she will consider all reasonable options to a problem, narrow down the options to the best 3 or 4, and then select the best one. Her Achievement strength will keep her working on the solution until she has solved the problem.
What else do you see that will make Rebecca a good employee?
Print out a copy of Rebecca’s test results. Now you can look at them while you learn more about how she applies her personality strengths to find a job after her divorce.
Open the test results for Rebecca
Now look at Rebecca’s people skills: 2. (Sensitivity to Feelings at 95%), 3. (Religious Value at 90%) 4. (Affiliation at 85%) and 6. (Cooperativeness at 75%) all show how considerate she will tend to be to her boss and co-workers.
Everyone makes mistakes in a new job. What does Rebecca do when she makes mistakes? Ability to Ask for Help (at 70%) and Change (at 80%) tell you what she will do. When Rebecca makes mistakes, she will ask for help, think carefully about why she may have made them and make the changes necessary to do the task right.
So – where does she start in looking for work? With people who already know her skills.
HEY – The company that Tiffany works for is hiring. She and Tiffany worked together in the Parent and Teachers Association (PTA) and as Brownie Leaders.
Rebecca thinks, “She will remember that I was very reliable in both of these responsibilities. She and I were Co-Chairs of the PTA Field Day. We organized all of those activities and got other parents to volunteer for booths. Then we were Cub Scout Leaders together. Corralling all of those boys was really a job – but we used team work and did that well. She knows that I am responsible, and she can tell people at her company that. She can recommend me, and I think that she will. Wouldn’t it be fun to work with Tiffany at a job that I got paid to do. Imagine that!”
She’s gonna’ do fine in her new job – wherever she finds it. Since she knows what her personality strengths are she can intentionally apply them to accomplish whatever work her new requires that she do. YAY!
Let’s meet Grace.
She has not worked fulltime in a company for 25 years. However, she has done a lot of volunteer work where she had important responsibilities. And she has raised children.
She got a part time job through someone that she knows at her church. She liked it. She knows a lot of people. She got the word out that she will be going back to work. She knows other people who did important volunteer work that shows that they can do a good job. She will start her search talking with people that she knows in her church who own businesses.
As you look at Grace’s PSA© you will see that she has a lot of people skills. What else do you see below that will help her in a job?
Print out a copy of Grace’s test results. Now you can look at them while you learn more about ho©w she applies her personality strengths to find a job after her divorce.
Open the test results for Grace.
On Grace’s PSA©: Check her personality strengths that you think will make her a real asset at work. Write down any thoughts that come to you. Then scan it, make a Folder called “Personality Strengths and Selecting a Career.”
Recently Grace was at a social gathering at her church. A couple of people there gave her names and phone numbers of people to contact who own business and are always looking for good people to hire and train.
Grace will do fine. She’s on her way.
Can I use my PSAs© to get my best job?
Sure.
1. If you haven’t already done so: Print out Rebecca’s and Grace’s PSAs©. You can print out this case study, too. Scan them and save them as a document in a folder named “Personality Strengths and Selecting a Career.” After you get your PSAs©: Use them to help you understand how to use your PSAs© to get your best job.
2. If you wish, go back to Contact Us and order your PSA©. When you take your tests: Think of yourself as you are when you are at your very best.
3. After you get your PSAs©: Write up what your personality strengths tell you about what kind of job would be best for you – just like Rebecca did.
4. The more you think together about your strengths the more you will see how they work together…and you get to see how they tell you what kind of job will be the best one for you…..You can do this!
