An actual sample journal entry from the career journaling course

Before reviewing this free sample journal entry, be sure and read: Using a Career Journal to Further Your Career Development and Empower Your Job-Search. See also: Quintessential Careers Journaling Course.

Sample Career Journal -- Module 1: Marketing and You

Scott Hent, packaged goods manufacturer sales representative

This was a really good experience for me. I’ve been a sales rep ever since I graduated college a few years ago, but I feel I have so much more I can offer my company -- or some other company or organization. These tests confirmed some of my beliefs and gave me some interesting things to think about in the short-term and long-term.

In describing myself in marketing terms, I would have to say that I am a product that has many in demand features and benefits. I have many natural skills that have been polished through years of sales experience and education. While my price is fairly high, the returns employers receive from my actions easily warrant the higher price -- and easily distinguish me from competing products. While I have natural sales skills, and can easily sell myself in interviews, my one big area of weakness is in distribution. All of my previous employment situations were the result of being in the right place as the right time; I feel as though I don't have much time to network, and I have never really learned to really job-hunt. Once I learn how to expand my distribution techniques, I feel as though I will be able to really have my choice of top sales positions.

Ansir’s 3 Sides of You

Dominant Style of Thinking: Diligent. Born competent and capable, Diligents harbor executive excellence and are the backbone of the business world. For these cerebral beings, reality conforms to the bounds and strictures of logic. Diligents play with ideas and make sport of problems. Diligent hates being wrong.

Dominant Style of Working: Sentinel. Sentinels solve problems in linear order and meet deadlines conscientiously. They pay attention to details, so their conclusions are usually above reproach or dispute. They are team players who respect prescribed procedure, and are more comfortable when job objectives and expectations are clearly spelled out. Responsibly, Sentinels don't say they can or they will unless they're qualified and capable, not just of doing but of doing well. For instance, in sales Sentinel ranks among the top achievers. With their unique sense-ability for reading between the lines, they're able to deliver what clients want more often than others.

Dominant Style of Emoting: Realist. They have supple, well-developed physiques and seem particularly comfortable in their skin. Their characteristic and identifiable walk is purposeful. Their posture is tall, their back straight, and there is a hint of noblesse mixed with vanity in their stride and strut. When physically fit, they epitomize and personify the miracle, perfection, and potent of the human form. They see the human body as both tool and joy. They revel in its practicality and marvel at its pleasure-ability. Realists are the most sexually assertive, experimental, and aggressive of all.

Keirsey Temperament Sorter

Your Temperament is: Guardian (SJ)

All Guardians (SJs) share the following core characteristics:

• Guardians pride themselves on being dependable, helpful, and hard-working.
• Guardians make loyal mates, responsible parents, and stabilizing leaders.
• Guardians tend to be dutiful, cautious, humble, and focused on credentials and traditions.
• Guardians are concerned citizens who trust authority, join groups, seek security, prize gratitude, and dream of meting out justice.

Guardians are the cornerstone of society, for they are the temperament given to serving and preserving our most important social institutions. Guardians have natural talent in managing goods and services--from supervision to maintenance and supply--and they use all their skills to keep things running smoothly in their families, communities, schools, churches, hospitals, and businesses.

Guardians make up as much as 40 to 45 percent of the population.

Reaction

I’m currently a sales rep for a major consumer foods corporation, so these two assessments, Ansir’s and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, both confirm to me that I am in the right profession. I love sales -- I love the challenge of reaching and surpassing sales quota, I enjoy the problem-solving issues related to both management and clients, and I thrive on knowing that I am good in my job. I do have some aspirations to move into sales management and these tests also confirm, to me, that I have talents and skills in that area, and that when the time is right, I should do well in management.

I have some personal issues with relationships, especially with women my own age, and I can see by these results that I have some maturing or growing to do in order to better prepare myself for a longer-lasting relationship than short flings.

Workplace Values Assessment

My 10 Most Important Values:

• creating/building things
• intellectual status, an acknowledged "expert" in a given field
• rewarding loyalty and dependability
• having self-respect and pride in work
• strong financial compensation and financial rewards
• being recognized for quality of work in a visible/public way
• having a positive impact on others and society
• using creativity, imagination; being innovative
• making decisions, having power to decide courses of action
• respect, recognition, being valued

My 5 Most Important Values:

• being recognized for quality of work in a visible/public way
• having a positive impact on others and society
• using creativity, imagination; being innovative
• making decisions, having power to decide courses of action
• respect, recognition, being valued

Reaction

My biggest problem with my job -- and even my career -- is that while I love sales, and while I have been very successful in sales at a young age, that I want more. I really value the idea of making a difference in society . . . and I don’t see being in sales, especially as a sales representative for a consumer goods manufacturer, as leading me to achieve that goal. I am looking into the possibility of moving to pharmaceutical sales -- but only for a company I believe is working for the better of society, not just the betterment of stockholders. Other options could be to become a teacher or professor and teach marketing or sales -- to make a difference in young minds.

For now, I am getting many of my other values, I am successful in what I do, and am happy with my current status. However, as I look into develop a five-year plan, I see I am going to need to make some decision, make some changes. . .

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