By Mariela Dabbah   www.marieladabbah.com

So, how do you go about bringing value? I always tell people they should focus more on their passion.

Actually, on the intersection between their passion and their talents. If you discover what you are passionate about and you are able to match that with your abilities, you found gold. Your career takes off like it never did before when you were working at something that you were good at, but not passionate about.

Now, many people have asked me: “How do you discover what you are passionate about?” and that’s a fair question, one that I had to answer myself in the past, and even now, whenever I become distracted by too many interests.

Ask yourself: When are you the happiest? Doing what? With who? Where? The answer may entail a hobby, a specific task at work, or a particular activity you do when you help in your community. It could be anything. My answer was, that I was happiest talking to people and helping them achieve their dreams.

Once you are able to identify your passion, you’ll have to look into your talents. What do you do best? What special abilities do you have? What can you do that nobody else can? (This may involve something as simple as your approach to a topic or a different perspective than anybody else around you). In my case, I knew I could write and speak in an approachable way that would enable people to connect with my message and apply the practical information to their lives. I knew I could connect with all kinds of audiences regardless of gender, age, ethnic background or socio-economic level. That’s how my writing and speaking career took- off overnight. (The truth is, though, that it took me almost fifteen years to prepare for that “overnight” flight!)

In addition to discovering your passion and identifying your talents, you have to keep in mind some aspects of yourself that, as a Latina , you also bring to the table. Of course these characteristics may not all be true for everyone, but they generally apply to people with your background. They involve:

• Your communication style — Spanish is a beautiful language and whether you speak it or not, having been raised by people who speak Spanish has an impact on your style. It’s a very versatile language and it requires a lot more words than English does, to say the same thing. It tends to make for a softer, less direct and assertive communication, which will help you when you try to establish relationships or to mediate between people. You’ll have to work harder at saying “no” than others and to learn to manage conflict, as your tendency is to please others and avoid confrontation. So, think about how good you could be as a negotiator, for example.
• Your great adaptability —Coming from an area with a great level of unpredictability, where you never know what will happen tomorrow, it’s very likely that you learned to have several plans prepared in case “plan A” failed. You tend to be a good trouble-shooter and not to get easily discouraged when things don’t go as expected. You probably handle several different roles with equal competency, which enables you to move from one area of the business to another with no problem. Use this trait to your advantage to take the risks required to change roles or careers if you discover your passion lies elsewhere. Also, it’s a great asset to have in times of change, because you could easily fit in a different role if the company needs to reassign you. Always make sure you don’t stay in a certain position too long, because it feels comfortable even if it’s not what you love to do.

• The ease with which you establish relationships —Due to how the system works in Latin America , personal relationships are extremely valuable, as it’s almost impossible to reach any goals without the support of your family and friends. Therefore, it’s usually very easy for Latinos to establish and maintain their personal relationships. You may just need to develop the ability to do the same in the professional realm. Think about how great you would be as a director of your company’s employee network, as a fund- raiser for the non-profit organization your company supports or as the organizer of special functions where high-level executives participate. These are all activities that would make you stand out.
• Your loyalty —Latinos are known for being loyal to their friends and family. This is a critical value to bring to today’s professional world where companies fight over hiring and keeping the best talent. Your loyalty is a wonderful asset to your employer. Just make sure you don’t miss out on opportunities available to you, because you wish to remain loyal to your boss, your teammates, etc. Show your loyalty by helping to develop businesses for your company, whether you do it by sharing ideas, generating sales or recommending key people for job openings.

You see, the best way to bring value to be workplace is by connecting your passion your talents and certain cultural traits that only you bring to the table.

Mariela Dabbah is the co-author of The Latino Advantage in the Workplace and the author of How to Get a Job in the U.S, Guide for Latinos; Help your Children Succeed in School, guide for Latino Parents; and Help your Children Succeed in High School and Go to College, guide for Latino Parents.

Network with Mariela: Visit her site www.marieladabbah.com or email her at  mariela@marieladabbah.com.