Chapter 3 | Defining your direction BEFORE you write anything

Do not try to write from memory in a blank document, you need to gather information first; at this stage, you are not writing polished content, you are collecting raw material.

Pull together your old CV(s) if you have one(any), download your LinkedIn profile content to PDF (go to your profile, click ‘resources’, then ‘Save to PDF’), job descriptions for current and previous roles, performance review notes, appraisals, objectives, promotion papers, project summaries, presentations, awards, recognition, praise, testimonials, emails thanking you for work done, data or examples that show results, qualifications and training, notes on systems, tools, methodologies, frameworks, and accreditations; literally anything role/career related that is of relevance to your direction going forward (this list is non-exhaustive or does it need to be exact).

Most people underestimate themselves because they rely on memory alone, and memory tends to recall routine, pressure, workload, and responsibilities, so it often misses outcomes, praise, progression, complexity, impact, trust, and influence, plus those moments where you solved something significant.

The evidence is often there, but hidden across years of work, so by creating a working document this makes for an easier gathering process.

Open a Word or Excel document and create sections for:

• Current role

• Previous roles

• Earlier career

• Projects

• Achievements

• Skills

• Qualifications

• Tools/systems

• Key strengths

Do not worry about quality, for now just gather this info in the Workbook.