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Do you possess the look of a professional? Do you look incredibly smart? Are you confident enough to take charge and get the job that you applying for?

Consider the fact that your resume is quite impressive and the employer can’t resist to have the audacity to ask you to come for an interview. But after the all the preparations, your final problem will surely comes up right after you realize and ask yourself ” what should I wear?” These things are actually important for the job hunters; people tend to have a systemic problem nowadays regarding what they should wear on a job interview. Honestly I’m wired toward automatically seeing the person in these kind of situations because I also had the same experienced when I was hunting for a right job. However many take these for granted, with the eloquence of having an “impressive resume” they forgot that applicants will not only be examined based on the job experience and personality but also with how they present themselves professionally.

Here are the top 20 tips in dressing for an interview

1. Research if the company or your potential employer has a specific dress code.
2. If your planning to buy new clothes, get good advice from sales persons.
3. Have the clothes altered to fit and accent your features.
4. Select an outfit that you have worn before and are comfortable wearing
5. Your hair should be clean and neat.
6. Do not wear a strong perfume or cologne, scent must be low key or absent.
7. Cover any tattoo and limit pierced jewelry to ears only.
8. For men – Wear a suit or sports jacket that is color coordinated with your trousers.
9. For men – You should have clothes in Neutral or dark colors such as blue, black or gray.
10. For men – Wear a conservative and low key tie. Avoid ties with flashy patterns.
11. For men – Keep your sneakers away. A clean, polished black leather shoes is highly recommended.
12. For men – Don’t forget to trim and clean your nails.
13. For men – White socks are definitely NO! Use dark socks.
14. For men – Use dark suit and light colored shirt.
15. For women – Wear a classic suit or simple dress paired with a jacket.
16. For women – The appropriate colors are navy blue, black, dark green, dark red, burgundy or gray.
17. For women – Don’t be too provocative or sexy.
18. For women – Trim your fingernails and use a polish that complements your clothes and would not distract the interviewer.
19. For women – Choose a moderate shoes which is clean and with heels that makes you comfortable.
20. For women – Use a tan or light hosiery.

Clothing will play a role in your career so you should continue to pay attention to your wardrobe. Add pieces made of high quality that will match to what you already have. Buy separates that can be mixed and matched. Dressing is not everything but it will definitely add up to your overall impression that you will make on. http://www.careerberg.com

These are some advices and the right tools that I can give to someone on their job hunting, but I have to leave it here. Because as we all end up with reality, applicants must not look good with their own respective dress but might as well have the confidence to make them qualified enough for the job. Job hunters should think first all the requirements before going to an interview, from the resume to his/her diploma. They must be ready to answer the question exquisitely. So if you want to have a job career in the future, you should consider these suggestions for you to succeed.

It’s easy to assume that our feelings determine our behavior, and not the other way around. For example, most of us assume that if a person “acts” very confident it is because that person “feels” very confident. But there’s plenty of new research to prove that it also works the other way around. Many studies have shown that adopting confident body language can actually make you feel more confident!

Another great example of this mind-body connection is a study that showed holding a pencil between your teeth for 15-20 minutes (forcing you to smile) actually makes people feel happier. This is significant because it strongly suggests that changing what you do with your physical body will actually change your emotions too. The implications of this are huge, especially in the area of personal development.

A Confident Posture
Just as “forcing” yourself to smile can actually make you feel happier, forcing yourself to adopt more confident body language can actually make you feel more confident. Keeping that is mind, here’s a quick list of behaviors that you can use to build feelings of confidence: http://www.careerberg.com

1. Stand up straight. This may be an old cliché, but it’s probably the number one behavior associated with confidence. Straighten out the back and push the chest out (within reason of course). Show your full height, no matter what it is and you will appear and feel more confident and powerful.

2. Chin Up! Rise your head, elongate the neck slightly and keep that chin up in the air-don’t worry, you won’t appear arrogant, you’ll appear centered and secure.

3. Smile. As we’ve already mentioned, making yourself smile (regardless of how you feel) actually changes the way you feel. Also, smiling shows confidence and an easy-going manner. If you’re someone who finds it difficult to smile, try the “holding a pencil between your teeth” technique. Do this for about 15 minutes twice a day and you WILL notice a difference in how you feel. You will also be building a new habit of smiling easily, which just broadcasts confidence.

4. Open your eyes! Opening the eyes a little wider than normal expresses openness and a strong social connection. Again, “faking” this behavior can cause you to feel these attributes, so go ahead and “fake it ’til you make it.”

5. Slow it down a bit. Slowing down your motions a little expresses confidence and a peaceful nature. Confident people rarely stress or rush. Moving in a slow, methodical manner tells others (and your subconscious) that you are confident.

You are in complete control of your posture, and by changing your posture you also take control over the way you feel. If you don’t feel like standing up straight (or any of the others), just fake it! Don’t wait to change your behavior after you feel better, change your behavior NOW and more confident feelings will naturally follow.

True passion is one of the most powerful feelings one may feel in their lifetime. One can become so passionate about something that they feel they would die for it (and sometimes do.) It may be one of the most powerful of all human emotions. Passion can be harnessed for good, or for evil. It is when people harness their passions in positive ways that the world is shaped in a beautiful way.

These people are not lazy, unambitious, unmotivated, depressed bags of flesh that mope about all day wallowing in self-pity. They are alive, energetic, proactive and dynamic beings who have come to fully realize the divine potential within their own mind, body, life and soul.

As you’ll learn in many of our products, the people that you surround yourself with have a huge impact on your mind, and thus your life. Therefore, surround yourself with as many positively passionate people as you can, and you will find yourself becoming like them. To help you identify these people, we’ve listed eight broad characteristics below. You can also model yourself after these – and you will find your level of passion increases accordingly. http://www.careerberg.com

Lives life fully
Positively passionate person lives life to its fullest – everyday. They know how to have a great time. They know when to be spontaneous. They see the beauty in everyday living, and in all of creation. They realize that ultimately life isn’t defined by thoughts – it’s defined by the actions that arise from those thoughts. Thus, they master their mind, and simultaneously master their actions. Their actions and feelings which arise as a result of their thoughts are what allow them to lead an amazing, fulfilling life.

Unstoppable
Positively passionate person is unstoppable in all that they do. They are aware of the immeasurable value of perseverance. They never give up on what they have set their mind too – no matter what gets in their way. They realize that they are the only one that can stop themselves. They don’t let the negative feedback of others stand between them and their dreams. They know that good things take time. They never surrender – they always move forward, until they reach their goals.

Takes risks
Positively passionate person takes risks when appropriate – knowing that risks are the only way to grow. Unless they risk something, even if very small, they will not grow. They realize they must step outside of their comfortable current conditions in order to achieve anything. They take wise, informed risks in order to achieve what they desire. http://www.careerberg.com

Assertive
Positively passionate person is assertive in all decisions. They are intuitive, use good judgment, and make good decisions – fast. When confronted with a choice, they draw upon their own past experiences and external information – which they filter with their critical thinking skills – to reach a decision. They trust in themselves, and have confidence in their choice.

Focused
Positively passionate person remains focused at all times. They focus on their dreams and goals until they become a reality. They decide what they want, how they will get it, and then focus on it with all their power until they make it happen. They only allow things to enter their life that will help them achieve what they have set out to do – they develop powerful paradigms and mental filters that only accept positive thoughts in order to bring them closer to their goals.

Creative
Positively passionate person cultivates and utilizes their inner creativity. They create ways to reach their goals and to overcome obstacles placed in their path. They strive for innovation and for new, better, easier ways to do things. They use the power of their mind and their subconscious to show them the way. They utilize techniques such as those taught by our company to find inventive ways to crystallize their dreams.

Self-Evolved
Positively passionate person is self-evolved. They are self-confident, introspective, self-guided, and self-reliant. They have learned how to rely on themselves through the good and the bad. They are the reason that they are where they are, and that they are who they are. They use the lessons of the past to their advantage, and learn from every mistake. They examine their own mind and soul regularly, and learn to understand and control their every thought, feeling, and action. They know where they have been, and they know where they are going. If they do not like something, they change it. They continuously strive to move along the path to their dreams, and fully realize that they are the only vehicle that will take them there.

Mastery of subconscious
Positively passionate person has mastered their own subconscious mind. They realize that every thought and thus every action is a result of what has been put into their mind. They have a powerful, positive belief system and mental filters that allow them to recognize positive things in the world around them that they can use to reach their goals. They have positive habits and a positive self image, and everything produced by their mind conforms to their positive beliefs. They take on the rightful duty of programming their own mind – of eliminating negative programming, and positively affirming and regularly reaffirming every desirable aspect of their own being. They use mental tools and techniques, such as those we offer, to program their mind to receive exactly what they want out of life.

You’ll know a positively passionate person when you see one. They are the ones that stick out above the rest – the successful ones – the happy ones. When you become passionate about something positive and follow it… when you harness your own thoughts to get there… when you master your own mind – you become happy. Negative thoughts cannot dwell in a mind that has no place for them. Being passionate about doing something positive in the world and taking action to make it happen will not only bring happiness in your life, it can also bring happiness to those you help.

We have the tools to allow you to get whatever you want out of life. You have the power to live your dreams. Let us help you along the way. http://www.careerberg.com

Going out into the job market can be a frightening prospect, especially if you are trying to branch out in a different direction than the type of work you are used to doing. It can seem as though employers are only interested in those individuals who have experience with certain techniques or who have performed similar types of work previously; with a bit of research, however, you will quickly find that there are a number of opportunities available to you so long as you are able to present the skills necessary to do the job.  http://www.careerberg.com

Unfortunately, many people sell themselves short when trying to list or describe the skills that they possess. If you can’t be confident in your skill set and understand the skills that are transferable into new markets, then you’ll have a much harder time convincing a potential employer that you’re the right person for the job they’re offering. This is where being able to identify your own skills and interests can help you to bridge the gap and show that you are more than qualified for the positions that you seek.

Identifying Your Developed Skills
First thing that you need to do is start thinking about the different jobs that you’ve had in the past and the various skills that you’ve developed over the years. Even fairly menial jobs can pass on a variety of skills, including those skills which are highly sought after in the corporate world such as time and project management and even customer relations. The skills that you have were developed with time and hard work, so don’t be quick to discount them. List the various skills that you’ve developed through work and other activities, making notes of any areas that you are particularly strong in. Managing a household or home business requires skills. If this is you, identify what skills you possess.

Finding Your Natural Talents and Abilities
Some things just come easier to certain people, and being able to identify Your natural Talents can help you to get ahead when trying to get the job of your dreams. Examine exactly what talents and natural abilities you have, and how long you’ve known that they just come easily to you; many employers are interested in having people with talent and who can do the work that they offer them without struggling to get it completed. Don’t worry that it will sound like you’re bragging to mention these talents and abilities… that’s what interviews and applications are for, to enable employers to evaluate potential employees and determine which ones will be the best for the job. Having natural talent in certain areas and showing documented proof will help to qualify you as being one of the best. http://www.careerberg.com

Following Your Interests
When you begin looking for a job, make sure that you try and find potential employers who fall within some of your areas of interest even if you’ve never had employment in that area before. Often times employers will ask job candidates during an interview exactly why it is that they want to work for the company they’ve applied at; being able to say that you’re genuinely interested in the work that they do and having enough knowledge about the field to back that statement up will help to show them that you’ll likely be a diligent worker and that you won’t become bored with the work and go off seeking another job. If you have developed skills or possess natural talents which support that area of interest, that’s even more of a mark in your favor since you will not only be interested in the work but will also have at least some of the skills and abilities needed to do it. These are qualities that employers are always looking for, and they can help you to land the job even when you thought that you wouldn’t be qualified enough.

Do you have a creative mind and talent? Are you one of those who are looking forward to making a career in the creative field? Do you have a deep inclination or passion towards art? Well, if your answer is “yes” then making a career in the art and design could be the right idea. Carrying a passion towards art or design can actually let you experience or observe the world in whole new dimension. It can further help you present them in unique manner. In fact, having a passion towards art can act as one of the few keys that may help you transform your simple ordinary life to extraordinary ones. It can help you reprogram your attitude, habit or behavior and lead a successful personal and professional life in the field of art and design. http://www.careerberg.com/

Making a career in the art and design largely depends upon your creativity and your creativity cannot flourish until you carry a passion. Your passion and curiosity act as the driving force, and may help you experience some of the best rewards in art and design career. Today there is no career that can claim to be as creative as art and design. No other profession can let you experience a deep sense of satisfaction and attainment when you actually see your ideas come to life in the final finished product. It is one of the few careers that have a critical control on how you look at or enjoy your life. Being ‘artistic’ is something you have initially started as a special interest or pursued as a hobby, but getting paid to do it is something you won’t expect in any other career.

Apart from all this, an art and design background also allow you to work in different variety of careers ranging from Fine Arts in any media including Film and Video, Painting, Advertising, Fashion, Architecture, Three Dimensional Design and Film and Television. It even offers a wide range of work, diverse working environments and different ways to make a earning. You may work for an advertising agency or a design agency as a specialist where your role may revolve around working on a campaign, project or account basis. Adding to this, you could also be self employed or do freelancing assignments, but at times being a self employed can be difficult as it largely depends on the status or recognition you make for yourself.

In terms of salary, it varies greatly in the world of art and design industry. While the art directors can earn a median annual salary of $68,100, fine artists, such as sculptors, painters, and illustrators may enjoy a median annual income of $41,970. Adding to this, the employment scope of different fields in art and design also vary from one another. While artists like art directors, craft artists or animators hold roughly 218,000 jobs, interior designers, which is one of the most preferred careers in art and design holds 72,000 jobs in the United States. Overall, the employment of artists and professionals related to art and design in the United States is expected to boom 16% in the next few years.

Today this creative industry does not lack job opportunities and provides plenty of alternatives. It does not matter whichever field you select, if you have the passion and dedication to make an occupation in art and design, you can enjoy a great professional life. At the end it is your enthusiasm that gives you the energy to be creative and innovative. In addition to this, a well defined professional training will further help you make your existence in this extremely competitive art and design industry. http://www.careerberg.com/

Personality tests are becoming increasingly popular among people entering the workforce and those seeking career transitions. These tests are intended to gather information about the taker’s desires, fears, needs and values and recommend careers best suited for people with those traits. If we pick a career that other people with our personality type tend to enter, and avoid those careers they stay away from, the theory goes, we’re likely to find job satisfaction.

On the surface, this sounds like a good idea. Getting clear on your desires, fears, and so forth, and learning which careers people with those traits tend to prefer, seem at first glance to be helpful career guidance. However, basing one’s career path on personality test results makes an assumption I question. It assumes we should choose only those careers that the test tells us we’re comfortable with, rather than trying to understand and perhaps overcome the discomfort we believe other careers would provoke in us. In other words, it assumes that, if we’re afraid of doing something, we shouldn’t try to come to terms with the fear, but instead select a career where we don’t have to face it.

For example, following this thinking, if you’re extroverted, you should choose a job that mostly involves working in groups. If you’re convinced that you’re not creative, you should select a career that involves structured, rote activity with little need for innovation. If you’re shy, you should stay away from selling and networking. And so on.

At first glance, it may appear that we’ll lead happier lives if we stick to careers—and other activities—that we’re fully comfortable with, and avoid anything that might trigger our anxieties. However, it seems that—no matter how successful we become at what we do—part of us remains dissatisfied when we limit our horizons out of fear.

For instance, I know several highly paid and highly competent lawyers who wanted to be artists of various kinds when they got out of college, but were skittish about the financial instability of the professional artist lifestyle and what their families might think if they made such a choice. However, a few years into their law careers, they regretted their decision and wished they’d been able to overcome their fears.

I believe this happens because we understand, consciously or otherwise, that our fears aren’t part of who we really are at the deepest level. They’re just strategies we developed—often in early childhood—to protect ourselves from perceived threats in the world. I think psychologists John Firman and Ann Gila put it well in Psychosynthesis: A Psychology of the Spirit when they describe our fears, dislikes and discomforts as aspects of our “survival personalities.”

As young children, we’re completely dependent on our parents to meet our needs and ensure our survival. Over time, we learn which behaviors make them more likely to pay attention to us, and which ones seem to make them pull away or punish us. To ensure we get the care we need, we learn to prefer those behaviors to which our parents respond favorably, and shun those they dislike.

If our parents seem to respond positively when we’re quiet and submissive, for instance, we learn to passively bend to others’ will. We learn to avoid aggression, as it upsets our parents and puts us at a perceived risk of abandonment. Over time, we start believing these inclinations and fears are part of who we are—part of what Firman and Gila call our “authentic personality”—but in fact they’re part of an artificial “survival personality” we created to make sure we get our parents’ approval.

Our survival personalities can get us far in the adult world. If we learned to be submissive as children, for example, we may have great success in a workplace that’s rigidly hierarchical and where obedience is highly valued. However, part of us remains aware of when we’re following the rules of our survival personalities rather than doing what we truly desire. This part yearns to get back to being who we really are, and ultimately this yearning becomes so painful and powerful that we fall into despair. As Firman and Gila put it:

“Many of us can live a long while lost in an identification with survival personality, especially if this mode is well-functioning, adaptive, and capable of success in the world. However, in many cases, survival personality sooner or later eventually wears thin, revealing the hidden chasm of nonbeing on which it is built. . . . The pressure from such hidden wounds can and does eventually wreak havoc in our lives and in our world.”

When we avoid the career we want based on discomfort—when we say, for instance, “oh, I could never be an entrepreneur, because I’m afraid of selling things to people” or “I could never be a musician, because I have so much stage fright”—we’re following the dictates of our survival personalities. If we take this approach to life, eventually unease and dissatisfaction with what we’re doing catch up with us.

Taking a personality test to clarify your likes, dislikes, fears and inclinations is certainly interesting, but much of what such a test will show you—particularly in the area of your dislikes and anxieties—is your survival personality, the personality you developed to get the care and attention you needed as a young child. Following your survival personality’s rules in selecting a career may make you a well-liked and productive worker, but in the long term it won’t bring you the happiness you seek.

This isn’t to say that personality tests have no worthwhile purpose. In pinpointing areas where you’re afraid, anxious or blocked, a personality test may help you recognize your opportunities to grow as a person. In other words, it may help you see where your survival personality is artificially limiting your options. It may take some inner work, but overcoming your fears and finding a career in line with your authentic personality—what you genuinely desire and find meaningful—is the best way to achieve lasting satisfaction.

Personality tests are becoming increasingly popular among people entering the workforce and those seeking career transitions. If we choose a career that others with our personality type tend to enter, and avoid those careers they stay away from, the theory goes, we’re likely to find job satisfaction. However, if we select a career based on our current fears and aversions rather than overcoming our hangups, we risk ending up unfulfilled because we aren’t living up to our potential.

What is it that all successful companies have mastered — and what job-seekers looking to advance in their careers need to master? What is it about Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Starbucks, Disney, and McDonald’s? What makes a consumer buy one product over another — and makes one job-seeker much more sought after than others? The answer is marketing, but more specifically it is the power of branding. And branding isn’t just for products anymore.

Branding can be described as many things, but it’s best defined as a promise… a promise of the value of the product… a promise that the product is better than all the competing products… a promise that must be delivered to be successful. Branding is the combination of tangible and intangible characteristics that make a brand unique. Branding is developing an image — with results to match.

Branding (some call it self-branding when talking about individuals) is essential to career advancement because branding helps define who you are, how you are great, and why you should be sought out. Branding is your reputation. Branding is about building a name for yourself, showcasing what sets you apart from others, and describing the added value you bring to a situation.

Most job-seekers are not proactive in establishing and building their career brand, letting their actions speak for them when seeking promotions or new jobs. But why not take the time to master some very basic tactics that can help build your career brand and make you a much more attractive employee or job-seeker? Remember, if you don’t brand yourself, others will for you. And while you may be happy and secure in your job now, you really never know when that will change.

Management guru Tom Peters, writing in his book The Brand You50 (Reinventing Work): Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an “Employee” into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! states: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are the CEOs of our own companies: Me, Inc.” He adds, “You’re not defined by your job title and you’re not confined by your job description.”

This article takes you through five easy tactics for building and strengthening your career brand.

Gain Experience/Track Accomplishments
Building your brand begins with tracking your past accomplishments and gaining strategically important new experiences. Your accomplishments are the foundation of your career brand.

But before you seek out new work, take the time to plan and focus on what you want your brand to stand for — and develop a strategy for gaining experience in areas of your brand in which you are weak.

So, besides doing your job, ask for new and challenging assignments that will build your brand. Consider freelancing or consulting. Use volunteering to gain experience. If you’re a student, seek out multiple internships.

Complete Education/Training
For many careers, a minimum amount of education is necessary, but to excel in your career you may need to complete additional education, training, or certifications. Getting additional education can greatly enhance your career brand.

It may be hard in terms of time and finances, but find a way to do it. Some employers even offer an educational reimbursement benefit.

If you are unsure if you need more education — and you probably do — seek out a mentor, someone highly respected in your field (who has branded himself or herself well), and ask for advice.

Promote Yourself
You can have an amazing brand, but if no one knows about it, you are not going to have much success with your career development. And no one more than you has more reasons to promote your brand.

Throw modesty out the window? There is a fine line between bragging and promoting — and you need to learn it — but it’s always better to err on the side of promoting your brand than not.

One of the oldest tools of promotion for job-seekers is the resume, and you certainly need to start there by listing all your key accomplishments, skills, and education on your resume. You may even have your positioning statement (qualifications summary) on your resume… but don’t stop there.

Begin developing two career portfolios — a print one and an online one. If you don’t have a personal Website, now is the time to buy a domain (such as myname.com) and let the world read all about the benefits of your brand. Your portfolio should include all important brand artifacts: resume(s), mission statement, detailed accomplishments list, samples of work, articles and working papers, speech transcripts, awards and honors, testimonials, and more.

One interesting trend we’ve seen is of employers “Googling” the names of prospective job-seekers — typing each name into one or more Internet search engines — and basing initial candidate screening decisions partly on the number (and quality) of hits for each job-seeker. The lesson? Your brand needs to have a strong online presence.

And finally, don’t forget to promote your brand on the job. Workers often assume the boss knows your accomplishments, but often times s/he does not. Certainly at review time, have a list of all you have achieved since your last review, but also consider finding ways to let the boss know your successes throughout the year.

Become an Expert
Nothing builds credibility in a career brand more than establishing yourself as an expert in your field.

Start by writing articles that showcase your knowledge — and getting them published (ideally) in noteworthy media outlets. Consider self-publishing.

Seek out conferences and meetings where you can give speeches and presentations.

Play up awards and other recognition that can help label you an expert.

Get quoted by offering your thoughts, ideas, and opinions to journalists and reporters.

Consider constructing a professional Website where you can publish all your articles and speeches.

Build Relationships
Nothing in marketing is more powerful than a promotion tool called word-of-mouth, which can be defined as what people say about you.

Thus, nothing is more powerful in building your career brand than what your network of contacts — your friends, colleagues, customers, clients, and former bosses — say about you and your set of skills, education, and accomplishments.

And keeping your network strong involves nothing more than relationship building. Keep in good contact with your network and be sure they know of your most recent successes.

But the best brand-builders don’t stop with their current network; these folks are in constant network-building mode. Search out new professional associations as well as the growing number of online networking communities.

Final Thoughts
Once you identify and build your brand, remember to continue strengthening and protecting it. There will always be competing brands (job-seekers) ready to fill any gap you leave behind. You are indeed founder and CEO of Me, Inc., and the more you do to cultivate your career brand, the more successful you’ll be with your current employer and in the job-search.

A large percentage of companies, including most of the Fortune 500, have corporate mission statements. Mission statements are designed to provide direction and thrust to an organization, an enduring statement of purpose. A mission statement acts as an invisible hand that guides the people in the organization. A mission statement explains the organization’s reason for being, and answers the question, “What business are we in?”

A personal mission statement is a bit different from a company mission statement, but the fundamental principles are the same. Writing a personal mission statement offers the opportunity to establish what’s important and perhaps make a decision to stick to it before we even start a career. Or it enables us to chart a new course when we’re at a career crossroads. Steven Covey (in First Things First) refers to developing a mission statement as “connecting with your own unique purpose and the profound satisfaction that comes from fulfilling it.”

A personal mission statement helps job-seekers identify their core values and beliefs. Michael Goodman (in The Potato Chip Difference: How to Apply Leading Edge Marketing Strategies to Landing the Job You Want) states that a personal mission statement is “an articulation of what you’re all about and what success looks like to you.” A personal mission statement also allows job-seekers to identify companies that have similar values and beliefs and helps them better assess the costs and benefits of any new career opportunity.

The biggest problem most job-seekers face is not in wanting to have a personal mission statement, but actually writing it. So, to help you get started on your personal mission statement, here is a five-step mission-building process. Take as much time on each step as you need — and remember to dig deeply to develop a mission statement that is both authentic and honest. And to help you better see the process, we’ve included an example of one job-seeker’s process in developing her mission statement.

Steps Toward Personal Mission Statement Development

Step 1: Identify Past Successes. 

Spend some time identifying four or five examples where you have had personal success in recent years. These successes could be at work, in your community, at home, etc. Write them down.

Try to identify whether there is a common theme — or themes — to these examples. Write them down.

Step 2: Identify Core Values. 

Develop a list of attributes that you believe identify who you are and what your priorities are. The list can be as long as you need.

Once your list is complete, see if you can narrow your values to five or six most important values.

Finally, see if you can choose the one value that is most important to you.

Step 3: Identify Contributions.

 Make a list of the ways you could make a difference. In an ideal situation, how could you contribute best to:’

• the world in general
• your family
• your employer or future employers
• your friends
• your community

Step 4: Identify Goals.

 Spend some time thinking about your priorities in life and the goals you have for yourself.

Make a list of your personal goals, perhaps in the short-term (up to three years) and the long-term (beyond three years).

Step 5: Write Mission Statement.

 Based on the first four steps and a better understanding of yourself, begin writing your personal mission statement.

Sample Personal Mission Statement Development

1. Past success:

1. developed new product features for stagnant product
2. part of team that developed new positioning statement for product
3. helped child’s school with fundraiser that was wildly successful
4. increased turnout for the opening of a new local theater company

Themes: Successes all relate to creative problem solving and execution of a solution.

2. Core values:

• Hard-working
• Industrious
• Creativity
• Problem-Solving
• Decision-maker
• Friendly
• Outgoing
• Positive
• Family-oriented
• Honest
• Intelligent
• Compassionate
• Spiritual
• Analytical
• Passionate
• Contemplative

Most important values:

• Problem-Solving
• Creativity
• Analytical
• Compassionate
• Decision-maker
• Positive

Most important value:

• Creativity

3. Identify Contributions:

• the world in general: develop products and services that help people achieve what they want in life. To have a lasting impact on the way people live their lives.
• my family: to be a leader in terms of personal outlook, compassion for others, and maintaining an ethical code; to be a good mother and a loving wife; to leave the world a better place for my children and their children.
• my employer or future employers: to lead by example and demonstrate how innovative and problem-solving products can be both successful in terms of solving a problem and successful in terms of profitability and revenue generation for the organization.
• my friends: to always have a hand held out for my friends; for them to know they can always come to me with any problem.
• my community: to use my talents in such a way as to give back to my community.

4. Identify Goals:

Short-term: To continue my career with a progressive employer that allows me to use my skills, talent, and values to achieve success for the firm.

Long-term: To develop other outlets for my talents and develop a longer-term plan for diversifying my life and achieving both professional and personal success.

5. Mission Statement:

To live life completely, honestly, and compassionately, with a healthy dose of realism mixed with the imagination and dreams that all things are possible if one sets their mind to finding an answer.

Final Thoughts 
A personal mission statement, is of course personal… but if you want to truly see whether you have been honest in developing your personal mission statement, I suggest sharing the results of this process with one or more people who are close to you. Ask for their feedback.

Finally, remember that a mission statement is not meant to be written once and blasted into stone. You should set aside some time annually to review your career, job, goals, and mission statement — and make adjustments as necessary.