Self-Assessment in Career Development
Introduction
Throughout our careers, we are constantly selling something. Whether it be such tangible items as computers and shoes or intangibles such as financial advice and training services, we engage in some level of sales. Our sales targets also vary widely as they may be customers, business partners or someone within the organization such as employees, co-workers, supervisors or company executives.
In other areas of our lives, we also spend much of our time selling. Although our objectives may be different, the end result remains the same. We sell our parents on the benefits of keeping physically fit. We sell our governments on the need for better public services. We sell our children on the value of good education. We sell our repairmen on our need for quick service. And so forth...
Building Product Knowledge
How would you react if your real estate agent was unable to show you viable financing options? Or what if a car salesperson couldn't tell you about the features that come with an automobile? Chances are that you would not be doing business with them. Why not? Because they lack product knowledge. One of the most critical success factors in salesmanship is product knowledge.
In searching for a quality job, you must be, first and foremost, able to represent a quality product - you. Do you know this product well enough to sell it?
Know Yourself
In many career development workshops, I often asked the participants if they know themselves and the majority responded affirmatively. Here are some examples:
- I am good in mechanical work because I maintain all my cars.
- I like to counsel people because I have good communication skills.
- I am good in math and I want to be a computer programmer.
- I enjoy the outdoors and would like to work in the parks and recreation department.
When asked further how do they know for sure, none can respond. So, if you don't know who you are, how can you represent and sell yourself to the employers enthusiastically and with confidence?
Most people know some aspects of themselves. However, few truly understand themselves within the framework of career development. To do that, we need to step outside of our mental self and take inventory of a number of attributes.
Self-Assessment
In the fast-paced society that we live in, we are engaged in a daily rat race. Spare time, if any, is typically taken up by such things as trying to keep pace with personal, social and technological developments. In the workplace, we focus our attention on the job or the people we work with or manage. While knowing how to evaluate, criticize or help others, we have neither the luxury nor the opportunity to look at ourselves. Yet, it is only through a systematic self-assessment where we can truly discover ourselves. And through this process of discovery, we can then be able to identify and secure our job(s) and enjoy our careers.
In contrast to a cursory and piecemeal self-assessment, a systematic approach requires that you take the time to rediscover who you are, to remind yourself of the skills and abilities you possess, and to polish your image. Doing this gives you the personal power to plan for and conduct an effective job search.
Critical Career Factors
The career development process starts with an examination of those factors that influence career choice. They are:
Values
Values refers to the beliefs underlying our existence. What is your philosophy? What is important in your life? What do you expect from a job? These are just some of the values questions you need to answer before beginning the job search.
Interests
Interests refers to the activities and things you like to do. Do you like to work with your mind or your hands? To work alone or with others? To work in doors or outdoors? To manage projects or speak to groups? The more interests match the type of job you choose, the more likely it is that you will succeed and be satisfied.
Motivations
Motivations refers to the activities and things that drive you to higher levels of performance. In every job that you have ever had, there were some tasks that you enjoyed and some that you dreaded. Do you enjoy customer contacts, working with machines, attending meetings, being challenged and working on multiple tasks? How much satisfaction you derive from your work is directly linked to the match-up between your career interests and the scope of a specific job.
Skills and Abilities
Skills and abilities relate to the technical aspects of a job. Are your skills/abilities in the organizational, mechanical or artistic area? Do the skills you now have match those that are needed to do the job you want? After preparing a skills inventory, you should talk with people who hold the jobs that interest you to determine if there is a match.
Professional Experience
Professional experiences are achievements that are made on the job. What industry(s) have you worked in? What have you achieved on the job? What is your track record? Your past achievements give you clues about what you are good at and should consider doing in the future. They are also an excellent way to present yourself to future employers.
Personal Traits
Personal traits are those attributes that define your personality. They are what distinguish you as a unique individual. For example, are you creative or rule abiding? Detail oriented or big picture focused? Laid back or aggressive? By learning how to describe these features about yourself, you could help others get to know you better.
Conclusion
Self-assessment is an essential part of the career development. To be effective, it should be done objectively, comprehensively and systematically so that the process can be repeated in the future as your values, interests, skills, and experience continue to change.
Your first career plan should be based on self-assessment data. This plan can be refined when you add marketplace information and career options analysis. By the end of the process, you should be quite focused about the career direction that is best for you.
Self-assessment will enable you to know what you want from a job. By comparing the results of self-assessment with the opportunities available, you will be able to pursue your career with confidence.
In closing, here is some food for thought: It's all right to hesitate if you then go ahead.
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