UNDERSTANDING AND ACTING ON OUR CORE VALUES
Last month, we introduced the idea of having a personal brand and why it is important for our careers. This month, we start to explore the elements of a personal brand by looking at how to identify and act upon our core values. Our core values reflect what we see as most important in our lives – for example, being well-educated, financial independence, family, and our faith. Our core values guide the important decisions that we make in our lives.
Know your Core Values, Show your Core Values
Knowing what your core values are requires that you be aware of what is most important to you. The University of Utah suggests the following steps for figuring out your core values:
- Think of times you felt happy.
- Think of times you felt proud of yourself.
- Think of times you felt fulfilled.
- Based on 1, 2, and 3, write down the values that made you feel happy/proud/fulfilled. Use the University of Utah list of values as a guide.
- From the list that you created, which are the most important to you?
- Make sure your top values reflect how you see yourself and want others to see you.
Remember that your values may change as you learn and grow. Periodically, do this exercise again to see if your list has changed.
Showing your core values means aligning your actions with them.
We can demonstrate specific behaviors that communicate our values in school, work, volunteering, and other activities. For example, supporting others on a project can show that we value teamwork, or asking questions can show that we value curiosity and inclusivity. Big decisions we make, such as which organization we work with, can show our values, too. If we value helping others or a healthy lifestyle, for example, working for an organization known for one of those values will reflect on us. Also, having a job that aligns with your core values can mean the difference between loving your job and not loving it.
Knowing and showing your core values ensures that you are intentional about building your personal brand and that your personal and professional connections know who you are and what you stand for. Being authentic and consistent in your core values can create the trust that is important as you build your personal network.
Summer jobs have started …
At Youth.Work.Connect, we are big proponents of using reflection to build self awareness about their strengths and areas for improvement. Using their reflections, high schoolers can develop personally and professionally.
Employers can help their high school students reflect on their strengths and development needs by identifying which hard and soft skills they will use or develop on the job and allocating time to discuss during scheduled one-on-one meetings.
As a start, if there is a job description for the student’s position, their manager can ask the student to make a table of the skills listed in the job description. Every week, before a scheduled meeting with their manager, the student can reflect on how they are progressing and share their reflection with their manager.
We recommend a reflection table such as this:
| SKILLS | REFLECTION | EXPLANATION FOR REFLECTION | FUTURE DEVELOPMENT GOALS |
| Hard Skills For example, Computer skills such as Word, Excel, and Outlook), Social Media Management, Basic Accounting or Bookkeeping | |||
| Soft Skills For example, Communication (speaking clearly, active listening), Teamwork, Problem Solving, and Self Initiative |
Reflection Key Code: 0 = I did not use the skill this week | 1 = I used the skill but feel I did not develop further | 2 = I used the skill and feel that I strengthened my ability
How Managers can help their students reflect
Not everyone is comfortable making reflections. Managers can help their student employees by offering prompts to start the process. Prompts such as the following can lead to thoughtful reflections and discussions:
- “Can you share something you felt went particularly well this week?
- “What is one challenge you encountered this week and how did you handle it?”
- “Were there any skills you listed that you have not used much, but would like to practice next week?”
- “Did you have any opportunities this week to work collaboratively or as part of a team? How did it make you feel?
Remember to offer positive feedback as well as constructive suggestions to student employees and share your own reflections and learning moments that they might be able to relate to and learn from.
Discussing student employees’ reflections is a good way for managers to gauge their performance, increase productivity, and identify future talent. Weekly reflections based on job descriptions can be a win-win for both the employer and the student.
LET’S STAY CONNECTED
We would appreciate your thoughts on our initiative and welcome opportunities to collaborate. You can reach us at info@youthworkconnect.org and we look forward to staying connected.
