Finding Your Calling in the Marketplace White Paper

Here is an insightful paper written by IDAK founder John Bradley, DHL, written especially for those desiring to have their passion make a meaningful difference in their world and culture.  Download it for free.

Job Satisfaction Survey

Instantly measure your current job satisfaction in four vital areas: job values, job duties, work relationships and personal and professional growth.

Finding Your Calling in Ministry White Paper

Here’s an insightful paper written by IDAK founder John Bradley M.Div written especially for those desiring to have their faith make a meaningful impact in their world and culture. Download it for free.

Free Consultation

When it comes to the big decisions in life, it often helps to talk to an expert. If you’ve plateaued in your current position, experiencing burnout or just sensing that there could be more to your career or ministry service life, then give us a call at 800.245.1108.

One of our highly experienced counselors will give you 30 minutes of their time, at no charge, to listen to your special needs. You can schedule a phone or in-person session and get a glimpse of how life can be lived in your vocational sweet spot.

Job Hunting Tips

Here are six highly helpful recommendations prepared by IDAK founder and President John Bradley. These tips have been tested and proven for more than 30 years in job hunting and career advancement counseling. They are available for you now. Download for free.

Online Talent Discovery Guide

Everyone has natural inherent talents and abilities. The IDAK Online Talent Discovery Guide is perhaps the most effective resource available to identify and evaluate your natural talents and match them to the ideal job positions. This service is a based upon the talent assessment approach described in IDAK founder, John Bradley’s ground-breaking book, Discovering Your Natural Talents.

The IDAK Online Talent Discovery Guide™ leads you through the highlights of your life to evaluate your most consistent patterns of natural talent behavior. This is a four-step self-assessment exercise which is valuable for personal awareness and as a tool for future career and volunteer service decisions. Plan to spend about 90 minutes performing this assessment.  (It can be completed in multiple sessions.)

Switching Tracks

By John Bradley with Dave & Neta Jackson

For more than 25 years, John Bradley has excelled in helping people discover and engage in their career “sweet spot.”  This latest release, “Switching Tracks” is designed specifically for those who are still on that journey.

Building on his experience as a career counselor, the author suggests that people go through five phases in their careers. Using case histories that are composites from his clients, Bradley illustrates and describes the stages of passionate pursuits (ages 20 to 30), reevaluation (early 30s), confirmation (ages 35 to 45), accelerated performance or devastation (ages 45 to 55), and heightened performance or bitterness (mid-50s and beyond). Three appendices add practical helps for people as they move through these phases.

John and his IDAK team of professionals have helped literally thousands of adults, particularly those seeking a mid-career shift, make the second half of their working life deeply satisfying and fulfilling. Whether you’re just beginning your career journey or are a mid-career adult considering switching tracks, this self-help volume can be a valuable guide.

IDAK Career Match™ Self-Administered Kit

Watch the Video

Your ideal career possibilities revealed. The IDAK Career Match is a computer scored assessment tool which evaluates your career interests and values along with your natural talents. The assessment results then are matched to over 90,000 career options including ministry service, business, industry, government agencies, military departments, education and nonprofit organizations. It even includes an Employer Search Guide to help connect you with career and employment opportunities in cities of your choice.

You receive two detailed printout spreadsheet reports along with an Employer Search Guide to help you locate organizations in your city which match the report results. (It takes approximately 6-8 hours for completion. Allow time to mail in answer booklet for computer scoring).

The printout reports list your aptitude results and list your top 10 recommended career matches. Your interpretation of your spread sheet reports is enhanced by an audio CD step-by-step guide to help you with the interpretation of your results. This tool does not include any counseling or advisement of your results by a counselor. This self service process is very valuable to help discover your full range of career possibilities, particularly at midlife and beyond. It is not recommended for individuals who are attempting to resolve a current job problem (such as stress, boredom or lack of advancement). It is also not recommended for unemployed individuals seeking a new direction for their job search. This self service can be upgraded to either Full Service Options: Mid-Career Advancement Assessment or IDAK Complete Job Search.

IDAK Mid-Career Advancement Assessment

Most individuals over 30 years of age have questions about maximizing their full potential at work as well as resolving job performance, stress or conflict issues.  For those at mid-life and near retirement, there are issues about making a difference, leaving a legacy, and finding a possible ministry service. To help clients better assess their full potential to make their lives more rewarding and impacting, IDAK approaches the assessment with the help of three proven approaches:

• The IDAK Career Match assessment exercises with a large inventory of over 90,000 job options with specific localized opportunities.
• Personality and temperament testing combined with an aptitude assessment interview.
• Personal, individualized counseling is provided over the phone or in our office in two, 90-minute sessions.

This service is helpful for anyone over the age of 25 and has been especially helpful to adults considering a mid-career change or more meaningful service or ministry involvement as they near retirement.

IDAK provides aptitude assessment of natural talents as part of career counseling, career coaching, career advisement and outplacement services. IDAK also provides character, temperament and talent assessment for employment screening, new hire screening and training for employment screening. IDAK assists non profits, closely held businesses, ministry service organizations to maximize individual productivity. IDAK assists colleges, universities and seminaries with student assessment to maximize student career focus, student retention, student placement and alumni relations.

IDAK Complete Job Search Service

This is IDAK’s most comprehensive counselor-guided service.  Each appointment is facilitated one-on-one by a certified counselor (office/phone).   It begins with our extensive Mid-Career Assessment Service. This is followed by eight consecutive weeks of job search coaching including resume preparation, interview training, development of employer contact list, tutoring for cold calling in setting appointments and negotiation offers.  Each appointment focuses on a separate topic which is led by a certified counselor.  Each topic is also supplemented with thorough instructions by use of audio CDs, self-administered exercises, role plays, example interviews and resume how-to’s. Service features include:

Step 1: – Finding Your Calling

(approximately 2 weeks)

In this first step, you receive testing to identify your innate skills, your interests, values, and personality traits. These supplement your education and work experience. You receive the 10 best career options from over 90,000 possibilities, finalized to the top three. This step is the same as the Mid-Career Advancement Assessment.

• IDAK Career Match™ system assessment.
• Autobiographical Interview™ assessment.
• Evaluation of assessment results
• Confirmation of assessment results.
• Coaching of spouse (if applicable)

Step 2: – Finding Your Job – Research

(Step Two – 8 weeks)

We coach you in researching your top recommended career options so that you can select your most preferred organization and job position. If you decide to make a career change, this research preparation is essential to validate your new direction. If you wish to continue in your present occupation, this portion will take less time. Weekly office/telephone sessions are supplemented by audio CD instructional training exercises.

• Research of “new” or unknown options.
• Evaluation of entrance requirements.
• Confirmation of best fit essentials.
• Analysis of industry growth and stability.

Step 3: – Finding Your Job – The Job Hunt

(Continuation of 8 weeks)

We instruct, coach and prepare a personalized job search campaign for your chosen career goal (city/state anywhere in the U.S.). Emphasis is on developing an in-depth search in a chosen career target as well as responding to publicly advertised vacancies. Your training will include two levels of instruction and coaching:  Basic and Advanced. Weekly office/telephone sessions are supplemented by audio CD instructional training exercises.

Basic Job Search Training:

• Competing for posted vacancies
• Developing your Employer Contact List
• Best sources for internet job leads
• Preparing for interview questions
• Getting past the secretary and screening committee
• Developing your resume
• Cold calling employers
• Tailoring your image to the job
• Job offers negotiating
• Networking skills
• Overcoming obstacles
• Assessment of your marketable skills
• Wardrobe recommendations

Advanced Job Search Training:

• Finding hidden, unadvertised jobs
• Developing employer contact lists
• Setting telephone appointments
• Evaluating growing companies
• Negotiating opportunities into offers
• Scanning news sources and internet for information
• Negotiating your offer
• Coaching your friends and acquaintances to give you leads
• Tailoring your image to the job
• Assessment of your marketable skills
• Wardrobe recommendation

IDAK Job Search Services

Some clients contact IDAK with a clear description of their career goal. They ask for help in their job search, how to be more competitive, how to find the hidden jobs. The IDAK Job Search is based upon the client’s individual needs and is facilitated through a one-on-one coaching and training experience. There are no group sessions. Each client receives take-home learning exercises and audio instructional CDs which complement the weekly office sessions. We have both four-week and eight-week instructional sessions.

We guide you to develop a personalized job search campaign for your chosen career target for the city/state of your choice (anywhere in the U.S.).   Emphasis is on developing an in-depth search in a chosen career target as well as responding to publicly advertised vacancies. Your training will include two levels of instruction:  Basic and Advanced.

Basic Job Search Training:

• Networking with friends and acquaintances
• Developing your Employer Contact List
• Best sources for internet job leads
• Responding to vacancy ads
• Preparing for interview questions
• Getting past the secretary and screening committee
• Developing your resume
• Cold calling employers
• Wardrobe analysis
• Job offer negotiating

Advanced Job Search Training:

• How to locate the hidden, unadvertised jobs
• Setting telephone appointments
• Evaluating growing companies
• Negotiating opportunities into offers
• Wardrobe analysis
• Scanning news sources and internet for information
• Coaching your friends and acquaintances to help you

Both the four-week and the eight-week service include the complete take home training materials. The eight-week version provides four additional weeks of service.

The IDAK Ministry Search Assessment

Make the Most of Your Second Half

The IDAK Mid-Career Advancement Assessment can be oriented specifically for adults desiring a transition into greater or full-time ministry service. For many adults, after the responsibilities of raising their families subside, they seek to make a greater impact in people’s lives. This system has helped literally thousands of people of faith take their existing passions, vocational strengths and God-given talents and transfer them to a meaningful ministry in a church or ministry organization application.

Our range of ministry positions exceeds 20,000. We test not only your interests, talents and values, but also your temperament strengths.

Counseling is provided over the phone or in our office in two, 90-minute sessions.

You receive a complete list of your aptitude strengths, your top 10 recommended career options and the IDAK Employer Search Guide. The Employer Search Guide helps you locate ministry organizations, which match the report results, in your city, state or nation. This service is recommended for any individual 45 years of age or older.

• IDAK Career Match™ system assessment
• Autobiographical Interview™ assessment
• Evaluation of assessment results
• Confirmation of assessment results
• Coaching of spouse (if applicable)

Ministry Web Directory

For colleges and seminaries wanting to improve their student placement and to assist alumni with their job search, IDAK recommends the Ministry Web Directory. This new Web software service provides for a campus its own protected database of church and ministry organization listings which can be accessed by students and alumni on line. To inquire, contact the IDAK GROUP.  For a live sample go to www.ministrywebdirectory.com.

IDAK College Course

IDAK provides a range of college course instruction and materials. This range of instructional assistance begins with two class sessions and can expand to a full quarter or semester 2 credit hour course. IDAK can supply a certified instructor as well as train your campus faculty or staff person and license to your campus to use the student notebook materials. IDAK also has training and materials for instructors who teach distance learning courses.

IDAK Mid-Career Advancement Seminar

The IDAK Mid-Career Advancement Seminar is designed for college and university alumni and association members who are seeking to re-evaluate their career future in order to discover their ideal niche. This seminar offers six hours of extensive training in addition to completing a combination of IDAK Career Match and Natural Talents assessment exercises. These exercises are then evaluated and returned to seminar participants along with a detailed interpretation of their results. The seminar training provides instruction on how to effectively utilize their Career Match results.

This seminar has been featured in colleges, universities, government agencies and fortune 500 corporations throughout the U.S. and Canada.

IDAK Individual Manager, Executive or Pastor Assessment

In attempting to advance a TEAM work culture, occasionally there can be personnel conflicts which need resolving.  IDAK provides individual assessments that assist the senior manager in evaluating core issues of a performance problem and can recommend steps for resolving the issue.  In instances where a resolution is unsuccessful, IDAK also can provide outplacement services. (See IDAK Outplacement Services.)

IDAK Outplacement Services

When it appears that a manager or senior contributor does not appear to fit your organization’s vision or goals, IDAK provides a complete, employment transition service to assist that individual to get a new job. Services are pro-rated according to weeks/months of consultation requested.

IDAK Organizational Management Audit

This audit provides an in-depth assessment of each senior manager, department head or key pastoral staff. Audit includes the person’s aptitude strengths as well as job description. Results are provided in a MAX Report for the individual as well as that person’s senior report. Audit focuses on providing a balanced TEAM so that each manager has job duties which match his/her innate natural talent strengths.

Maximizing Team Building 101

This is a two day seminar for senior managers and HR personnel which provides the foundation for employee assessment, determining job fit, interviewing new hires, and managing personnel according to their strengths. This seminar is an overview and can be followed up with Maximizing Team Building 201 and Maximizing Team Building 301. To apply seminar contents, the HR director will become the in-house expert.

Maximizing Team Building 201

This is a core 2 day seminar that provides the basics for employment interviewing according to one’s character, temperament and talent. Participants complete assessment exercises, interview simulations, role play and receive a complete inventory of interview questions. Training can be on location for all managers or hosted by IDAK Group. This seminar goes much more in-depth regarding employment screening than Maximizing Team Building101. This is a popular stand alone training session.

Maximizing Team Building 301

This 2 day seminar focuses on preparing job descriptions which maximize strengths and minimizes performance conflicts. This seminar also provides training for managers on how to coach and develop each employee for maximum performance. Maximizing Team Building 201 is a pre-requisite to this seminar.

MAX Temperament Profiles

These reports provide a quick snapshot of an employee’s or manager’s character and temperament. To receive these profile reports, a series of on-line assessment exercises must be completed. Maximizing Team Building 101 or Maximizing Team Building 201 is a pre-requisite for MAX Temperament Profiles.

Level I/II Training Seminar

An Introduction to the IDAK Career Match System. The IDAK Career Match System has been recognized as the industry’s most comprehensive and accurate career matching resource. Participants are instructed in the design, theory and application of the IDAK Career Match instrument, including in-depth training in the use of IDAK’s Natural Talent assessment resources.

Applications for your practice. Participants are provided with models of how to utilize the Career Match for use with individuals or with a group seminar setting.  Additionally, the training includes recommendations on how to bill for services.  Typical “packages” for individuals range from one to three billable hours, seminar “packages” range from four to eight billable hours.

Participants are introduced to applications IDAK currently has developed for use with colleges and universities, corporations, outplacement services, career guidance services and ministry service organizations.

IDAK Career Advancment Profile Report

The CAP Report (Career Advancement Profile) is an electronic document report format which provides the professional counselor or consultant a simple way to prepare and print a written summary of a client’s assessment results. Included in this format is a license agreement to use IDAK copyrighted talent names and definitions as part of the report. The CAP also includes a MAX Report format which is the organizational counterpart to the CAP. Use of the CAP database and shell formats saves the professional 30 minutes to 1 hour of dictation and typing time to prepare documents for similar applications. This provides a report document to use when giving written feed-back regarding a job performance conflict resolution report, a management audit report or an employment screening report. Purchase of the CAP document database requires Level III certification.

Level III Training Seminar

Autobiographical Interview Training. This is an advanced level of training for the serious career management counselor/consultant who wants to develop his/her own interview assessment in addition to using the IDAK Career Match process. Participants learn how to assess Natural Talents by an autobiographical interview process.

• The Level III Seminar provides participants with five levels of training. These include:
• The theory of autobiographical interview
• Video role playing
• Personal assessment of each seminar participant to provide guidance in their professional practice
• Live role play for each participant
• Closed-circuit live video of participant role plays for enhanced individualized training

Applications for your practice. Participants are given models for structuring billable time: one for career counseling and the other for corporate consulting. Billable time ranges from three to seven hours. All applications of this assessment process are one-on-one services.

Level IV Training Seminar

Counselors, educators and coaches who wish to provide job search and resume preparation services, can purchase training, client notebook, and audio CDs for their client or classroom sessions. From its practical daily client coaching, IDAK has developed a 10 week (and longer if needed) packaged service with the curriculum to give a client/student the tools needed to research their best Career Match options, narrow the best to one, develop an employer contact list in their city, prepare a resume, prepare for interviews, search for hidden jobs, best use websites, social media for networking, how to compete for advertised vacancies, and finally, receive and negotiate a job offer. Over twelve hours of CD audio instruction supplement the notebook materials. The audio CDs are professionally recorded and produced so that they are ready to be distributed to one’s clients or students.The audio instructors include  seven professionals:  a psychologist, head hunter, Human Resource Director, three IDAK counselors, and a moderator. Training includes one complete notebook, CD album and two days of IDAK instruction. The training also includes a license agreement to purchase and use additional notebooks and CDs with clients or students.