MAISS process

Be the Difference. Remain Curious. Shine.

How to best develop helpful career management skills and easily see every next step

Talking about "career" quickly becomes an overwhelming topic. There are so many aspects to think about. Many people are unhappy in their work, lost their job, or never had one. They all want to move on with their careers. Often the first question is "But where do I start"? 

It is no wonder that job-seekers feel lost and only can improvise, hoping for the best. Career management skills are taught and developed at very few schools. They are life skills that should be developed before they are needed, and they don't build themselves. Amazon has more than 100 thousand books about different topics around “career”, Google finds around 4 billion references for "career advice". Which ones to read? 

Whatever video you watch or whoever you talk to, you get different information. This fuels the career management confusion even further. Most of them address only specific career aspects, seldom is "career" looked at in an end-to-end and practical way.

I want to introduce an easy-to-understand holistic career process that can be used by everybody.

How the substantial Me Application Interview Start Succeed MAISS process helps people in need of a job

I have defined the MAISS process to provide orientation. It serves as a framework to structure career management in a holistic way. It helps to determine where to start and what steps to take to be successful in the long term. In other words, to make professional dreams come true. 

It can be used by jobseekers, but also teachers, parents, career mentors and coaches, and others. I believe the more we know about “career”, the higher our chances to be successful. The MAISS Process can fill the gaps we witness in our schools, families, and society. Wherever people can freely pursue their individual aspirations, they will benefit from understanding and applying it. 

It consists of 5 phases, each of which can be used for whatever job you are looking for and in whatever career stage you are in. 

People will find that this process repeats itself during their active working period. They will go back and forth between the different steps. Or jump between them, and at times steps might be overlapping. 

I have registered the MAISS Process as a trademark.

M - Me

When we talk about career, we always add the word "successful" to it. But what does success mean? There might be a universal definition, what is more important is how individuals defines it for themselves. To be able to do this, we must dig deeper into what motivates us, what is important for us and the like.

In our career choices, we aim for roles which we hope to be successful in and happy with. We could say that we are looking for roles that suit us. But how can we find out if we're not very knowledgeable about ourselves? We need to find answers to the questions below (plus maybe more) to be able to find a suitable job, possibly our dream job.

There is more to success than a paycheck.

Being successful does not start with writing a resume, but with a better understanding of ourselves. It is the foundation of our career and will support us in doing the right thing and taking the right decisions. It all starts with "Me" and how well we know the "Me". 

A - Application

We have developed a good idea about the "Me". We have identified our strengths and weaknesses, our preferences, and our values. It is now time to define which roles in which sector, organization, and the like we want to pursue. 

In the application phase, we are answering the following questions:

After applying for a specific job, you either hear nothing, be rejected, or be invited for a test and/or the first interview.

I – Interview

Your application was successful – you have overcome a big hurdle. You are invited for an interview, and you need to prepare for it. With good preparation, you increase your chances and avoid the many pitfalls. If you succeed, you will be offered a contract. In most cases, there is room for negotiation – and you should use it.


Contract

What to negotiate

S - Start your job

Unless you are without work, you need to quit your current one before you can start your new job.

Then your first day has arrived. Treat this day and the first month as an extension to your interview. You are "the new one" and all eyes are on you. First impressions will be generated that might be hard to change later.

S - Success Long-Term

You have mastered the first months. Things are looking good, you find that the decision to accept that job in that team and organization was the right one. 

Within 5-7 years, you will master your role. This is the time when most people start looking for another role or challenge. What will you do? Do you want to stay or look for other opportunities? How will you decide? 

Once you ask yourself these questions, you have started the MAISS process once again. And maybe you want a career mentor to help you with it.

Made with love and coffee in Brussels

Creé avec de l´amour et du café à Bruxelles

Mit Liebe und Kaffee in Brüssel entstanden