Initial Intake
Background & Goals
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Mission2 ASCEND
Mission2 ASCEND is committed to empowering individuals
impacted by the justice system by bridging the gap between
their unique skills and meaningful employment opportunities.
Our cutting-edge AI-enabled platform bypasses traditional
resumes and job applications, directly matching their
experience and abilities with employers seeking their specific
talents. The program emphasizes personal branding and
custom career pathways, equipping clients with the tools,
resources, and support they need to navigate the job market
confidently and secure sustainable employment that aligns
with their strengths and aspirations.
The ASCEND Collective
The ASCEND Collective is a nonprofit
organization committed to transforming
employment opportunities for individuals
often overlooked in traditional hiring
processes. We harness innovative, AI-
enabled technology to match people with
meaningful job opportunities.
Objectives
Personal Experience Personal Goals
Identify your experiences during civilian life by Define clear, tangible goals that align with both
breaking them down into Knowledge, Skills, and your personal and professional aspirations.
Abilities (KSAs). Reflect on the tasks and roles you’ve Identify key achievements, desired outcomes, and
held, the knowledge you’ve gained, the skills you’ve measurable milestones. Outline the roles or
developed (like leadership or problem-solving), and industries that interest you, specify the skills you
the abilities you’ve demonstrated (such as want to highlight or develop, and set a realistic
adaptability or team management). This breakdown timeline for each step in your career journey. By
will help you craft a strong personal profile that creating a focused plan that leverages your
highlights your strengths and positions you for future unique strengths, you'll be prepared for
career success, opening doors to meaningful meaningful employment and long-term growth.
opportunities.
What is Personal Experience?
Personal experience refers to the unique
events, challenges, and situations individuals
have faced throughout their lives, shaping their
perspectives, skills, values, and character. It
includes both professional and personal
contexts—ranging from work history,
education, and volunteer efforts to hobbies, life
challenges, achievements, and relationships.
Personal experience is highly individualized
and shaped by background, culture, and life
choices. It serves as the foundation for learning
and growth, helping to develop skills and
abilities, and often providing insights that can
guide future decisions and career actions.
Why reflecting on your experience
is an important step
Translating Skills Solving Problems Knowing Your Worth
Reflecting on past experience helps Mission2 Resilience and problem-solving skills are Life experience and lifelong learning make
ASCEND candidates translate their skills into essential in any workplace. Having Mission2 ASCEND candidates highly valued
long-term employment opportunities. navigated personal challenges and high- by employers. You’ve developed the ability
Specialized knowledge, such as logistics, IT, or pressure situations, you can excel in roles to lead teams, motivate others, and
medical expertise, gained through hands-on that require adaptability and quick collaborate effectively. These qualities are
experience, is highly transferable to many decision-making. Employers value these highly sought after by employers looking for
industries. Employers place great value on qualities in candidates who can leaders who can manage team dynamics,
practical experience, as it demonstrates a confidently handle obstacles and inspire productivity, and navigate
candidate’s ability to contribute effectively from maintain focus under pressure, making challenges, making you an ideal fit for new
day one, making them a strong asset to any you a valuable addition to any team. roles and opportunities.
organization.
Translate your Technical Skills
Experiences Mission2 ASCEND candidates possess skilled labor expertise
in trades like carpentry, electrical work, and manufacturing,
making them ideal for roles in construction, maintenance,
Translating your experiences into language and production, offering hands-on experience and precision.
that resonates with employers is essential for Communication Skills
candidates to effectively communicate their Experience with clear communication in high-pressure trade
environments translates into strong verbal and written skills,
value. This involves framing past roles in essential for coordinating projects, collaborating with teams,
terms that align with civilian job and ensuring smooth operations in skilled labor roles.
requirements, such as describing leadership Leadership & Supervisory Skills
Leaders in skilled trades often manage crews, make critical
or decision-making experiences as "project decisions, and ensure productivity under pressure,
management" or "team supervision," and translating into strong team-building, managerial, and
using terms like "operations coordination" conflict-resolution abilities in civilian skilled labor roles.
instead of "task oversight." By aligning Flexibility
The ability to adapt quickly to new environments and
personal achievements with in-demand challenges, honed through diverse experiences, is crucial for
skills, candidates can showcase their roles requiring flexibility, quick learning, and the capacity to
handle change effectively.
adaptability, problem-solving abilities, and
Critical Thinking
leadership, clearly demonstrating how their Justice-involved individuals often develop critical thinking and
unique background directly benefits potential data analysis skills through problem-solving and navigating
complex situations, making them valuable in roles requiring
employers across various industries.
strategic planning, data interpretation, or operational analysis.
Examples of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Adaptibility Technical Proficiency
Ability to quickly adjust to new environments and Knowledge of relevant tools, equipment, or software within
situations, demonstrating resilience in the face of a trade or industry.
challenges.
Problem- Solving Team Collaboration
Strong analytical skills to identify and resolve issues Ability to work effectively within teams, coordinating with
efficiently in high-pressure situations. others to achieve shared objectives.
Leadership Project Management
Experience managing teams, providing guidance, and Experience overseeing tasks, managing resources, and
motivating others to achieve goals. ensuring the timely completion of projects.
Communication Attention to Detail
Clear and effective verbal and written communication Ability to focus on the finer aspects of tasks to ensure
skills, crucial for teamwork and client relations. accuracy and quality.
Time Management Conflict Resolition
Expertise in prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines in Skilled in addressing and resolving disputes, maintaining
fast-paced environments harmony in work environments.
Put it into action
Access your Mission2 ASCEND talent profile and
start identifying your specific Knowledge, Skills,
and Abilities based on your experiences.
Reach out to your mentor if you have any
questions, need clarification, or want to
brainstorm.
Once you’ve completed the initial
questionnaires and filled out the form, you’ll be
ready to move on to setting your goals.
Identify General Barriers
01 Overcoming barriers is essential because it allows us to
identify obstacles that hinder our success, whether they are
internal challenges like self-doubt or external ones like
limited resources. Recognizing these barriers before setting
goals enables us to create a realistic and achievable plan,
ensuring we are prepared to face and overcome challenges
effectively.
Make a Plan
02 Begin by identifying specific barriers that may hinder
progress, such as skills gaps, limited resources, or external
challenges, and prioritize them based on their impact.
Develop targeted strategies for each barrier, such as
acquiring new skills, seeking mentorship, or utilizing available
resources, to address them systematically. Set small,
achievable milestones to track progress, stay motivated,
and adjust strategies as needed to ensure steady
advancement toward your goals.
Achieve your Goals
03 After creating a plan to break down barriers, you can focus
on achieving your goals with renewed clarity and purpose,
using each small victory to build momentum. By
systematically overcoming obstacles, you gain the
confidence, skills, and resilience needed to reach your
ultimate objectives, turning challenges into stepping stones
for success.
Overcoming Barriers
Identify Barriers Seek Support
Clearly define the specific obstacles standing in the Identify and engage with mentors, peers, or resources
way of your progress, whether internal or external. that can provide guidance, advice, or assistance in
overcoming challenges.
Assess Impact Take Action
Evaluate how each barrier affects your Implement your strategies consistently,
goals and prioritize them based on their focusing on one barrier at a time to avoid
level of impact. becoming overwhelmed.
Develop Strategies Evaluate Progress
Create targeted strategies for addressing Regularly assess your progress, noting
each barrier, such as learning new skills, any new challenges or adjustments
networking, or finding alternative resources. needed to keep moving forward.
Set Milestones Adapt and Persist
Break down your strategies into smaller, manageable Stay flexible and ready to adapt your plan as needed,
milestones to track progress and maintain motivation. using each step forward as motivation to continue
overcoming barriers.
Turning Barriers into Goals
Recognize Barriers as Set Goals Aligned with Measure Success
Opportunities Overcoming Barriers Through Barrier Removal
View barriers not as setbacks, but as Transform each identified barrier into Track your progress by measuring how
opportunities for growth and a specific, actionable goal. For effectively you overcome each barrier,
improvement. Each challenge instance, if lack of experience is a using it as a metric for success.
presents a chance to learn new skills, barrier, set a goal to complete a Celebrate each small victory as you
expand your capabilities, or adapt to relevant training course or seek move past challenges, reinforcing the
changing circumstances. By reframing mentorship in that area. This idea that every step forward is an
obstacles this way, you can turn approach ensures that every action achievement in itself, ultimately
potential roadblocks into stepping you take is directly aligned with leading to your larger objectives.
stones toward achieving your goals. eliminating obstacles on your path.
Put it into action
Access the Goals and Barriers Worksheet on
the Mission2 ASCEND portal. Based on what you
have learned in this lesson you should:
Know your barriers
Knowing your barriers helps you understand the specific
challenges you need to overcome to reach your
objectives.
Have an initial plan
Having an initial plan provides a clear roadmap for
tackling these challenges step-by-step, ensuring you
stay focused and proactive.
Set smart goals
Setting SMART goals ensures your objectives are
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-
bound, making them easier to accomplish.
Summary & Conclusion
In this module, you identified your Knowledge,
Skills, and Abilities and created a Talent Profile.
You also identified Goals and made a plan to
achieve them.
Finish all worksheets
Make sure that all of the worksheets in this module are
completed. If you have any questions, please ask!
Reach out to your career coach
Let your career coach know that you are ready to review the
worksheets and discuss what you learned in this module.
Prepare for the next step
In the next lesson, we will discuss Skills Enhancement for the
career you deserve.
Thank You
For Your Attention
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