Take the Quiz: Does Your Job Still Deserve You?

It's December! Most of us are thinking about the upcoming winter holidays, about closing out the year at work or both. December is a crazy month!

At the same time, you'll never have a better chance than you have right now to look back at 2015 and ask yourself "What did the past twelve months do for my career?"

Did you move forward in your career during 2015, or were you stuck in place? 

If you learned new things throughout the year, then you've got new resume fodder to include the next time you update your Human-Voiced Resume -- the year-end break is a great time to do that!

If your job  grew your flame in 2015 by increasing your marketability, visibility inside and outside your organization, credibility and confidence, then your job deserves your talents. The right job gives you a lot more than just a paycheck!

If your job didn't give you valuable resume fodder, grow your credibility and marketability, boost your mojo and move you down your path in 2015, you may have outgrown your job.

It happens to nearly all of us at some point.  Your job may not deserve you any longer!

If you're not growing in your career, you're falling behind -- because time keeps moving forward. Before you invest another year and countless brain and heart cells in  your job in 2016, ask yourself: does this job still deserve me?

Take this short quiz to find out! It's easy -- all you have to do is keep track of the points associated with your answer to each question below, and add up your total points at the end. 

Resume Fodder

Resume fodder is anything you can add to your resume -- anything new that you accumulated during the year that's about to end.

Resume fodder includes new projects you took on, new tools you learned to use, and anything else that you did for the first time at work and that you can point to when you ask yourself the question "What positive things happened in my career in 2015?"

• In 2015, I accumulated a ton of new resume fodder and it's going to take me at least an hour to update my resume when I get around to it (3 points).
• In 2015, I did one or two interesting things that I can add to my resume when I update it (1 point).
• In 2015, I did absolutely nothing new at work - no training, no new accomplishments and nothing that I hadn't already done before (0 points).

Visibility and Credibility

A job that deserves your brilliance for another year is a job that continually grows your visibility inside your organization and outside of it -- for instance, by providing you with  networking opportunities you wouldn't  have in another job.

A job that deserves your talents also grows your credibility as a working person, maybe by giving you public speaking opportunities or projects that let more decision-makers in your organization know what you're capable of.

• My job increased my visibility and credibility in a big way in  2015 - I can tell that I'm moving forward in my career! (3 points).
• My job gave me modest opportunities to grow my visibility and credibility in 2015 - nothing too exciting but better than nothing (1 point).
• My job gave me literally no opportunities to prove my credibility or increase my visibility as a professional in 2015 (0 points).

Recognition

We all run on the same fuel, which is called mojo. Your mojo is your life force and your forward energy. You won't get far without it!

Recognition for your efforts at work is an important mojo-builder. It's nearly impossible to give your best day after day when your hard work isn't recognized. 

• I know that my employer appreciates my work, because they tell me and I've been rewarded in other ways for my contribution, either financially or with time off or other goodies  (3 points).
• I am not really sure that my manager or other people at my job know how much I contribute. I got a small raise and no real recognition for my work (1 point).
• My work isn't acknowledged or recognized in any way (0 points).

Flame

If your job still deserves you, then it's growing your flame in a big way! Your flame is your passion. If you're excited about your work, that's a good reason to stick around at your job for another year. If you're bored and exhausted, your flame is closing to going out!

• I love my work. It's fun and exciting and I feel like I'm part of a team! (3 points).
• I'm so-so about my work. Sometimes it's fairly interesting but a lot of it is not challenging or creative in the least (1 point).
• My work doesn't challenge me, it's monotonous and I'm only here for the money (0 points).

Scoring

Add up your total points.

Nine to twelve points - Rock on! You're in the right place. Don't get complacent about your terrific job situation, though - make a personal plan for your learning, visibility/credibility growth at work and your flame-growing in 2016!

Six to eight points - You're getting some good benefits at your job, but are they enough to keep you from exploring the wide world? If one organization (your current employer) values your talents, then plenty of them will! Why not put a toe in the water and think about what you'd like to do professionally if you weren't working at your okay-but-not-amazing current position?

Three to five points - A lot of your talent is going to waste at your current job.  Why not think about a 2016 job search, beginning with the question "What would I like to do instead of what I'm doing now?"

Zero to four points - Mother Nature is sending you a loud message, and that message is "Your current job doesn't deserve you! Are you going to let this job keep sucking away your mojo for another year? Forget that idea - you're too smart and capable to waste your talent!" 

Not sure you're in the right job now? Here are three virtual courses that will help you figure out what to do next in your career - and then step into your new adventure!

Job-Hunt While You're Working is the mega-popular 12-week virtual course that teaches you how to get a new job while you're still working at the old job! Starts December 5th, or opt to get all 12 lessons delivered to you right now!

Get the Job You Deserve is our acclaimed flagship how-to-get-a-job course that features Pain Letters, your Human-Voiced Resume and tons more new-millennium job-search wisdom! You can step up to the job you deserve in 2016!

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Reach us with your questions here!