strengths

about two years ago things were really changing with my company. this guy that had basically been my boss, and a guy i felt was always going to be in my way of moving up in the company. he had been there as the lone draftsman for 5 years and all of a sudden i was hired on as a project manager. from the start he basically squashed any chance of me taking on projects by just delegating the crap work to me while taking much of the credit for everything. anyway, he just decided to quit one day. he put in his notice and i was feeling that the moon and stars were finally aligning to cut me some slack. so he did, but that was just the beginning of a long ass drawn out deal where they had meetings about him leaving, him putting in notice and then trying to retract it, it got bad and bridges got burned. so this was just ongoing where nobody knew if he was staying or going. finally i went to my general manager and asked straight up, is he staying or leaving?! finally the decision was made by the big wigs that it was best if he moved on. it started with him putting in notice, and ultimately them pushing him out the door. so anyway...during this time the owner of my company was talking to us individually about our thoughts and feelings about this guy leaving. he said it was a private meeting and so i told him i was ready for him to move on and i wanted my chance to show my stuff. he asked me to make him a list of 10 strengths and get it to him the next day. this is what i ended up handing to him. i dont know if it really helped me much, but i am still employed in a very down time. dunno.

anyway, the list...

Paul’s list of strengths….


1. Very efficient – I am very good and eliminating unnecessary steps in a process to take the most direct approach. This helps me work faster and accomplish more in a shorter amount of time.

2. Quick Study – I can at times suffer from a slight learning curve with things, but I do learn fast. My first attempt on a project may have flaws, but a 2nd pass will always be a much cleaner and professional product in half the time.

3. Excellent computer and application skills – I have been on AutoCAD (or some form of CAD) for over 10 years, and I know the program as well as anyone. I am also very strong with a number of other applications, including Photoshop, Solid works, and Illustrator, just to name a few. All of which were self taught through online tutorials or books (except AutoCAD). I am also very good with computers…how they work, what makes them go, how to troubleshoot them, etc.

4. Positive Attitude – My overall outlook on the world is a positive one, and I try to bring it into all aspects of my life, especially my career; it seems to keep my stress levels on an even playing field and never too far off the charts.

5. Open minded – I don’t feel that I am defined by a job title. I will work on any project or task, as long as I feel it’s beneficial to the company in some way. If running prints on the plotter is what needs to be done to get a job done, then I am on it.

6. Solid, but quiet leader – I have 2 sons, so I feel I have a lot of experience in leading by example. I don’t believe in bullying or aggressive tactics to motivate. Instead, I feel that mutual respect will always net the best results. I also know that not everyone works the same, and that while one way of doing something may work out well for guy #1, it’s not always going to be the case for guys #2 and #3. I think understanding that is very important to being a better team player.

7. Honest and direct – I am very honest and realistic about who I am, and what I want in life. I am also very honest when it comes to me and my job performance. I don’t have an issue with taking criticism and learning from it.

8. Always learning – I am constantly learning. It doesn’t matter if its work related or in my personal time, I am always trying to expand and learn as much as possible to better myself.

9. Illustration and Graphic Design – I am a fairly good artist, and I have a lot of education in graphic design. It helps me when I am focusing on detail, and I generally have a good eye for what looks good and what doesn’t.

10. Healthy lifestyle – This is sort of out there, but I feel it’s important. I am very health conscious about what I eat, and making sure I take care of myself. I am active in my day to day life, and I feel that it helps with my overall attitude towards everything.