Self Awareness & Career Management

1.The Definition of Self-AwarenessBeagrie (2005) define self-awareness is at the core of professional development. Few people are able to objectively look into a mirror and see themselves as others do. Knowing who you are and what you enjoy doing, and being able to recognise your skills, strengths and weaknesses, as well as your effect on other people, provides a baseline from which to boost your career potential. The more you know, the more effectively you can adapt what you do.

Self-awareness is a broader concept that focuses on the image that an individual has of him/herself. Self-awareness as the individual’s ability to assess other’s evaluations of the self and to incorporate these assessments into one’s self-evaluation, Individual who is self-aware has a deep understanding of his/her emotions, strengths, weaknesses and drives. The definition of managerial self-awareness as the ability to reflect on accurately assesses one’s own behaviours and skills as they are manifested in workplace interactions. Awareness of any discrepancy between how we see ourselves and how others see us enhances self-awareness is a key to maximum performance (McCarthy and Garavan 1999).

2.Assessing of Self-AwarenessBeagrie 2005; McCarthy and Garavan 1999 argue that a cannily chosen mentor can help you attain higher levels of self-awareness by helping you to understand your own emotions. As an onlooker, it will be easier for them to evaluate certain traits that impact on how you behave. Fear is arguably the most significant stumbling block in developing self-awareness, fear of the unknown, fear of failure, of discomfort, of appearing ridiculous or incompetent. Confronting our fears and the role that fear plays in our resistance to change are key to developing potential (Beagrie 2005). Peterson and Hicks (1995) cited by (McCarthy and Garavan 1999) highlight the area of self-awareness as essential for self-development.

To measure the self-awareness by evaluate other individual differences that theoretically should relate to one’s level of self-awareness, by using interview to assess previous incidence of feedback seeking behaviour, capacity for self-criticism, emotional intelligence and awareness of others’ perceptions; by psychometric assessment of personality traits and other individual differences related to self-awareness (Fletcher and Bailey 2003). To start your self-awareness, there are several useful self-assessment tools that can assist with this process. Psychometric questionnaires such as the Myers Briggs personality type indicator (MBTI) and 16PF enables participants to understand their preferred orientation to the world and core mental functions, and helpfully provides a useful template by which to understand others (Beagrie 2005).

3.The Importance of High Self-AwarenessSelf-awareness is an important ability and skill for achieving managerial excellence. Atwater and Yammarino (1992) cited by McCarthy and Garavan (1999); Fletcher and Bailey (2003) found that self-awareness is positively related to work performance. They propose that accurate self-reports can be related to traits associated with effective leadership, including self-esteem, achievement, status and locus of control. Therefore, if an individual has a high level of self-awareness, then he or she should be more effective with regard to his/her work behaviour and performance. Nasby (1989) cited by Fletcher and Bailey (2003) found that individuals with high self-awareness are more able to incorporate comparisons of behaviour into their self-perception, and that their self-perceptions are both more reliable and valid. Conversely, people with low self-awareness are more likely to ignore or discount feedback about them, suffer career derailment and have negative attitudes towards work.

MacDonald and Kathleen (2005) argues that the increased of self-awareness and confidence can enhanced ability to understand and empathize with others, and increased motivation to help others therefore improved employability, post-secondary experience, interpersonal interactions, and overall transition. Moshavi, Brown and Dodd (2003) indicate the relationships between a leader’s self-awareness of their leadership behaviour, attitudes and performance of subordinates were categorized as overestimators, underestimators or in-agreement. Subordinates of underestimators and those in-agreements achieved a significantly higher level of productivity than did subordinates of leaders who overestimated their leadership ability. Self-awareness is at the centre of all learning and development and an important skill needed to manage our own behaviour alongside colleagues in the pursuit of an organisation’s goals, it is at the heart of effective leadership. Increasing self-awareness enables any member of staff to reflect more knowingly on their work performance and identify means of self-improvement (Beagrie 2005).

Goleman (1996, 1998) cited by McCarthy and Garavan (1999) argues that IQ accounts for only about 20 per cent of a person’s success in life but self-awareness is an important contributor to career and managerial success. Beagrie (2005) indicates that individuals who exhibit high levels of emotional intelligence will have greater self-knowledge which includes self-awareness among other traits. Self-awareness is the most important emotional competency of all and the cornerstone for building personal success. Self-awareness can be debilitating both to one’s personal relationships and career, a manager who is unaware of his or her blind spots or of how she or he impacts others is a walking disaster in the workplace, a leader who may lead the troops over the cliff.

It is widely accepted that enhanced self-awareness leads to increased effectiveness. Higher levels of managerial self-awareness are positively related to greater levels of individual effectiveness as rated by supervisors. Human relations or interpersonal skills, is coined by Koen and Crow (1995) cited by (McCarthy and Garavan 1999) as social intelligence can be developed through increase of self-awareness. The 16 Personality Factor Questionnaires, the Social Intelligence Test or the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can improve self-awareness. Enhancement of self-awareness can lead to more effective managers. Self-awareness is an important ability and skill set for achieving managerial excellence.

According to Holley and Scott (2002), the philosophies and values of 16 winners of the Emerson Electric Excellence in Teaching have affected their work in the classroom. Among the most common responses to the questions of values seemed to be the teachers’ love for teaching itself, their love for the students in their classroom, their commitment to professional growth, and their self-awareness about their personal attitudes toward the profession and the act of teaching. Those teachers best able to articulate their philosophy of education especially valued self-awareness as an important component in a teacher’s success. Cashmere and Marie (2001) argue that teachers define efficacy as the measure of one’s performance that informs a teacher’s actions, motivations, and instructional choices. The development of efficacy beliefs is a personal process that acknowledges the importance of self-awareness for growth and development. Furthermore, they acknowledged that before teachers can know their students they must first know themselves, underscoring the importance of efficacy beliefs to teaching.

4.Self-Awareness and Career DevelopmentThe term career has several meanings; it can mean advancement, a profession or a lifelong sequence of jobs. A career is defined as the sequence of positions help by a person during his or her lifetime (Robbins et al 2003, p329). Career development has grown in importance in recent years as organisations seek to establish competitive advantage through human resource development (HRD) investment. The effectiveness of many management and career development activities can be enhanced by paying attention to the issue of managerial self-awareness.

Career development contain of self-awareness issues and related concepts such as self-esteem, self-efficacy and self-actualisation. An important component of an organisation’s career development policy is an explicit emphasis on self-development. Effective self-development will take place as a result of increased self-awareness in the learner. Learner will have a better understanding of his/her abilities by completing professional assessments of personality and skills such as the MBTI, 360-degree survey as an appropriate channel for receiving feedback from peers, direct reports and the learner’s supervisor.

Amundson (1995) cited by McCarthy and Garavan (1999) postulates that there are two key variables that moderate an individual’s career decisions, the first is the level of self-awareness and the second is the individual’s level of self efficacy. He goes on to state that these two components are essential because individuals with high levels of self-awareness and self-efficacy are in a better position to respond proactively to external circumstances and exert more control over long term effects. Therefore, it follows that self-awareness is a central component of both managerial and career development. Career development was conceptualised in terms of individual agency, this view of career highlights that individuals are actively involved in their own career development. Therefore, the concept of self-awareness plays a vital role in the context of career development. It has application for management development activities, self-directed learning, self-development, leadership development and many other areas that fall within the career development process.

Bucher and Richard (2002) argues that the characteristics of successful transition are identified an internal locus of control, self-awareness, personal-mastery, professional support through the transition process, timely re-employment, and a high degree of resilience. The emergent concept is a new understanding, a new psychological contract, whereby the employee assumes control over his or her own career management and development, and the employer provides the arena within which that individual can exercise his or her aspirations. Self-awareness is an essential competence to ensure managerial effectiveness. In career development, managers participating in the career development process should be self-aware.

Knowdell (1996) cited by McCarthy and Garavan (1999) found that at the initial stage of the development process, an individual should assess his or her strengths, weaknesses and work styles. This assessment should lead to enhanced self-awarenessSelf-awareness and appreciation for the need for behaviour change that will make career development interventions more effective, the relationship between self-awareness and managerial performance indicates that the degree to which managerial self-awareness is an inherent trait versus a skill that can be developed. For physicians, finding and securing a job is a process that involves planning such as energy and self-awareness. The more explicitly you can identify what you want in a job such as the location, practice type, compensation, benefits, partnership opportunities, practice culture, and so forth, the greater the likelihood that you’ll find something hat matches you interests, skills and personality (Weiss 2004).

5.The Findings of Advisory InterviewThe advisory of interview that I had done is one of my hometown best friends called Mathew Ng Wei Han. Current, he work in his father’s company called Emerjet Sdn. Bhd, is a rubber wood furniture factory in Muar. He gets this job through family requirement which is his father, David Ng Ah Tua. The first intention for him to choose this job is because this is his family business, additional he is also interesting in rubber wood furniture industries. He indicates that the qualification of requirement of his current job position is attaining a diploma in business studies, and at least 3 to 5 years working experiences in rubber wood furniture industries. But according to Mathew, actually experiences are not an importance key to work for this position because experiences are from hard work and responsibility. He indicates that although you work for several years in this area, but if you are lazy, no responsibility or not always update your skills, you won’t get the useful experiences. The optional requirements of this position are driving license, know how to entertain client. Able to access Internet such as received order from electronic mail, basic computer hardware and software.

Mathew works in Emerjet almost 5 years that is from June 2001 until now. The job position when he enters in Emerjet is marketing executive and his current job position is marketing manager. Mathew take 3 ½ years to promote by his director as the marketing manager that’s from June 2001 to December 2004, his margin income increase from RM800 when he enters to Emerjet and current salary is RM4000, the differences is around 500%. His salary system is based from basic pay and bonus in the end of year, 3 month basic salary will get if the net profit increase in the end of year, conversely if the net profit are in the break even point, he can only get 1 month basic salary. Mathew enjoy the satisfaction when he entertains with buyer and supplier from abroad because can always enjoy clubbing with them or Karaoke. The contributions that he had done for company is sales increase 10% in the end of every year when he joint in Emerjet and the quality of their furniture also have a significant improvement. The high achievement that he attains in the company is the net profit increase 10% more in 2003; therefore, his company rewards him a latest Nissan Cefiro 2.0 in the early of 2004.

The job responsibility and job function for Mathew is sales, production controller, quality controller, debt collector, trainer for his subordinate, sourcing of cheaper material and act as director when the director is not around. Mathew argues that the experience and knowledge that he had learned from this company is leadership ability, strategic management skills and the culture form European. However, Mathew also face some difficulties in the company which cash flow are not smooth, less order cause can’t meet the target and lack of sources such as rubber wood. The company culture affect the way of his work due to he must learn how to find the cheaper raw material such as carton boxes, hardware and rubber wood because the rubber wood furniture industries are very competitive in Malaysia, and therefore he need to use JIT systems and learn how to cut cost.

Mathew feel stress, uncomfortable from buyer and director when he working in Emerjet, he argue that if his company offer another alternative job position for him, he will accept it because he wonder to try the new environment and the ideal position for him is general manager or executive director such as shareholder. Mathew doesn’t face any discrimination because he is the main controller in the company except his director. Therefore, he have the strong authority which is he can fire any employee as he wants, except purchase a luxury product for personal belonging. According to Mathew, sales are more in extrovert, production are more in introvert in his position. Company also has provided the domestic and oversea posting opportunities for him to meet the existing customer and new customer from exhibition such as Malaysia International Furniture Fair. Recently, Emerjet provided several opportunities to expand its employee’s career development such as investment in Indonesia, Medan and Kelantan in Malaysia.

6.Career Development in The FutureRobbins et al (2003), p658 argue that managing a career means making informed decisions about occupational activities to enhance future opportunities. To develop and manage my career as a unique individual in the future, the first thing that I must understand is my self-awareness. Self-awareness can be define as individual those are aware their personality and what they enjoy doing, and being able to recognise their skills, strengths and weaknesses, as well as effect on other people, provides a baseline from which to boost their career potential. Therefore, the more that you aware about yourself; the more effective that you can adapt what you want to do in your career development. However, self-awareness affects many aspects of the career development process, including participation in training and development activities, the initial stage of the career development process are self-development activities and leadership development.

To better understanding of my abilities for my career development, there are some professional assessments of personality and skills such as the MBTI test can help me to enhance my self-awareness. The MBTI is an instrument used to explain the effects that personal preferences have on decision making and problem solving by looking at eight behavioural preferences that all people use to some degree. An individual’s profile will consist of some combination of four of the eight preferences. The four basic preferences are an attitude to the world of extraversion or introversion; a function of gathering information by sensing or intuition; a function of deciding by thinking or feeling; and a style of living in the world by judgement or perception. These four preferences represent the individual’s type. The instrument is particularly useful in aiding individuals to become more self-aware of their preferences and character types (McCarthy and Garavan 1999).

After critically analyze my MBTI type from the MBTI test form which are attached in the following appendix, I am belong to ENTPs which is intuitive perception (N), thinking judgment (T), Extraversion (E) and perceptive attitude (P). Coincidently, Mathew’s MBTI type also same with me when compare with my MBTI type in his office. Our MBTI descriptions are according to Ong (2006), for ENTPs the driving quality in our attention the outer world of possibilities; we are exited by continuous involvement in anything new, whether it is new ideas, new people or new activities. We look for patterns and meaning in the world and we often have a deep need to analyze, to understand and to know the nature of things. ENTPs are typically energetic, enthusiastic people who lead spontaneous and adaptable live. As a result, I and Mathew almost have the same personality. Additional, I also prefer the working environment, style and job position like Mathew, that’s why we are the best friend since from I know him from secondary school and that’s why he is my ideal advisory for me to interview.

To be success of develop the job market, type of organisation and role that I would like to aiming for my future career, there are some skills and opportunities that I need to consider. Networking with the non-stop social gatherings like weddings, graduation parties and barbeques are a great way to expand on my career network. In instance, know at least one person at the party will have to break away from my comfort zone of acquaintances to get started (Lorenz 2006). An informational interview can be a key component in my career toolbox. Conducting informational interviews provides a rare opportunity to gain invaluable, up-to-date knowledge about a specific business, arranging informational interviews with successful professionals can benefit my career in many ways (Lorenz 2006).

Hughes (2006) suggests five things that I can do to help me to expand my career. Send contacts a newspaper/magazine article relating to their business or industry. Offer them contact information for someone they might be able to work with. Ask for their help with a project such as coordinating a speaker, arranging the next meeting location, or holding an office for an organization you’re involved with. To building the relationship after the interview, immediately send an e-mail thanking the person for his or her time. As time goes on, it will continue to strengthen the relationship by keeping my interviewee apprised of developments in my career network (Lorenz 2006).

To analyze the future job that I aiming for, I would like to involve those job are relevant to sales, advertising and service industries. The organization that I aiming for are those have their production manufacture because this will lead me to learn more management skill from their production line because my degree major is Marketing Management. Advertising agency also can help me to explode my creative mind and it’s also a quite interesting ideal job for me. According to Mathew, service industries such as man power supplier also is a quite beneficial industry, and it may be can help me to speedup to fulfil my future career dream. The first role that I aiming for is marketing executive such as Mathew because marketing executive is a lowest position in marketing area. Since I am a new face in the organization, there are lots of thing that I need to learn for my foundation, therefore marketing executive will be the best position for me when first I enter to the job market.

I hope can earn enough money and learn more experiences and knowledge within 3 to 5 year because this can help me to develop my own business as soon as possible, hence I was plan my career networking with my college friend since I enters to my college life. I believe I can move faster on my future career than regular people and this is because of my self-awareness in the competitive society nowadays.

7.References

Beagrie S (2005) “How to… develop your self-awareness,” Personnel Today, May, p31Bucher and Richard J (2002) “Characteristics of successful career transition” Royal Roads University (Canada): Dissertation, April, 127 pagesCashmere and Marie A (2001) “Teaching with soul: A study of beginning teachers’ views of efficacy,” University of Virginia: Dissertation, August, 119 pagesCarroll J (2005) “The 12 skills for success,” CA Magazine, Jan/Feb, Vol.138 (1):p14Fletcher C and Bailey C (2003) “Assessing self-awareness: some issues and methods,” Journal of Managerial Psychology, August, Vol. 18(5):pp395-404Holley and Scott P (2002) “Learning from the best: The philosophies and values of award-winning teachers,” Saint Louis University: Dissertation, 123 pagesHughes B (2006) “Networking Made Easy,” MSN Careers, [online] (cited 17 July 2006) Available from Lorenz K (2006) “5 Ways to Keep Networking During the Summer Months,” Career Builder, [online] (cited 17 July 2006) Available from Lorenz K (2006) “How Does an Informational Interview Work,” Career Builder, [online] (cited 17 July 2006) Available from MacDonald and Kathleen A (2005) “Transferability of conflict resolution and peer mediation education,” Royal Roads University (Canada): Dissertation, 135 pagesMcCarthy A M and Garavan T N (1999) “Developing self-awareness in the managerial career development process: the value of 360-degree feedback and the MBTI,” Journal of European Industrial Training, December, Vol. 23(9):pp437-445Moshavi D, Brown F W and Dodd N G (2003) “Leader self-awareness and its relationship to subordinate attitudes and performance,” Leadership & Organization Development Journal, November, Vol. 24(7):pp407-418Ong V (2006) “MBTI Preferences,” Self-Awareness and Career Management, July, Lesson 7 HandoutsRobbins S P, Bergman R, Stagg I and
Coulter M (2003) Management 3rd Edition, Australia: Prentice-Hall.

Weiss G G (2004) “Finding a job,” Medical Economics, October, Vol.81 (20):p50