Career exploration is a lifelong process for most people, and that journey takes place through both reflection and action. The reflective aspect is known as “self-assessment,” in which you take some time to consider yourself and your career preferences. Having done that, it will be easier for you to research career options and take action.
Self Assessment Activities
Areas of Interest
Identifying your interests can help you generate ideas of possible majors and career areas to further explore. Below are activities to help you identify and clarify your areas of interest:
Skills
Skills and abilities are tasks that you do well. These include natural capabilities you’ve always had, in addition to specific knowledge and skills you’ve acquired through experience and training.
Having a clear understanding of your strongest skill sets and how you’d like to use them in your work will allow you to choose majors, jobs, internships, and career fields that best utilize your strengths. Knowing your skills will also help you write resumes and prepare for interviews. Below are resources and activities that can help you identify and communicate your skills:
Values
Knowing your values will help you develop a clearer sense of what’s most important to you in life. A value is a belief and a priority that is meaningful to you and that influences both your actions and reactions. Values can serve as your guiding force, especially when making decisions and pursuing options that lead to happiness, including career options.
Below is an activity that can help you identify and communicate your values:
Personality and Preferences
Knowing your personality and preferences help you understand more about what motivates you, what brings you satisfaction, and what informs the choices you make both personally and professionally.
Below is an activity that can help you identify and communicate your values:
Putting it All Together
Reflection, synthesis and confirmation are integral parts of self-assessment. Once you have identified and prioritized your interests, skills, values and personality preferences, it is important to “put it all together” to identify themes and general career areas that you’d like to explore further. Below are activities that are designed to help you do just that: