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Career Self-Assessment and Your Clifton Strengths

Self-Assessment of Your Strengths

While CliftonStrengths do not tell us what careers we should pursue, they can be used as a tool to help us assess the types of work environments where we might thrive. Use the descriptions and questions below to consider how your Strengths might help you identify and align your interests, values and skills.  

Dynamic Go-Getter

Achiever

You enjoy roles where you can work hard and stay productive. You want to see the end results of your hard work. 

  1. Look for work and education environments that challenge you. Opt for situations where your success is measured each day.
  2. Select experiences (courses, student organizations, research, etc.) with numerous opportunities to excel as an individual. You enjoy staying busy, so don’t be afraid to try many things.
  3. Participate in experiences and courses that align with your skills and allow you to exceed expectations.

  1. What types of tasks do you enjoy most and where will you have the opportunity to do them regularly?
  2. What are my past proudest accomplishments and how can I relate them to major and career options?

Activator

You enjoy environments that prioritize taking action and getting things started. You may prefer project based work that allows you to see results and move to something new in shorter time frames.  thrive in project-oriented environments, ones that have a beginning, middle and end. You may enjoy innovation and the chance to motivate a team.

  1. Identify informal/formal leadership roles within student organizations, work, and classes  that you can step into. 
  2. Look for experiences that allow you to have independence in decision making.
  3. Thoroughly research professions, organizations, and companies to identify the ones that are results-oriented.

  1. Am I rushing my decision on careers/majors?
  2. Why is starting things rewarding to you? How can that be included in education and careers?

Adaptability

You find energy in an environment which innovates and adapts as needs and outcomes shift. You prefer environments that encourage flexibility and provide room to adapt to situations and circumstances. You take things as they come and may not enjoy having to plan far ahead in the future. 

  1. Research occupations that reward those with an ability to live in the moment and don’t require rigid adherence to rules, operating procedures, and time controls.
  2. Interview individuals who work in organizations where the work is experimental or discovery-oriented.
  3. Shadow employees who continually respond to the varied requests of their customers, tourists, guests, and patients.

  1. Have you had jobs or experiences in the past that were a poor fit? Was your adaptability strength seen as an asset or liability in that setting?
  2. What types of change am I comfortable with or find rewarding (ex. answering differing customer questions, making new hypotheses based on results, etc.)
 

Analytical

You excel in roles that require precision, facts, and collecting data. You enjoy being able to fully research an idea. You enjoy environments that emphasize data based decision making and problem solving. You want to gather as much information as you can to inform decisions. 

  1. Gather data about majors and careers you are interested in from multiple outlets including interviewing, volunteering, and using websites. Identify roles where you can use analysis regularly.
  2. Opt for experiences that allow you to make decisions based on your evaluation of facts, data, tangible evidence, circumstantial evidence, and research findings.
  3. Be open to creative fields as well. Analytical thinking is not limited to math and science.

  1. Have I considered my feelings about majors and careers in addition to the “facts”?
  2. What other strengths can I use to make a decision and avoid getting stuck at analysis paralysis.

Organized & Influential Leader

Arranger

You thrive in roles which allow you to tap into your organization genius. Whether it be forming the perfect teams, events, or projects, you shine most when flexing your coordinating muscle. You are talented at organizing. You enjoy being able to put the pieces together for maximum productivity and efficiency. 

  1. Determine how much change and what kinds of changes you are most comfortable handling.
  2. Consider roles that allow you to  be an agent of change and make improvements.
  3. Use your strength to make a plan and determine how you can leverage resources and people you know to gain experience and make decisions efficiently.

    1. What resources do you enjoy orchestrating/arranging the most (people, money, time, etc.)?
    2. How can I prioritize my questions and resources to reach my long term goal of a major or career decision?

  • Belief

    You have strong core values and prefer organizations that are in alignments with yours. You thrive when working with organizations that support your beliefs. thrive in roles and organizations which are in full alignment with your own values. You are motivated to work harder for issues you believe in and companies which support your own ideologies.

    1. Take time to identify and familiarize yourself with your personal and work values. See values checklist for support.
    2. Seek experiences with companies and organizations that have a strong sense of mission.
    3. Research the variety of opportunities in helping professions such as medicine, social work, teaching, etc.
    4. Talk with people who provide services to individuals and ask questions about the work.

    1. What values or beliefs motivate you most and how can they support your decision making?
    2. Have you taken other points of view into account to gain a better understanding of majors/careers you are considering?

  • Command

    You thrive in organizations where there is quick opportunity for leadership. You are able to come in and take charge, lending a sense of calm to even turbulent situations. You enjoy environments where you can have a leadership role and make decisions quickly. 

    1. Investigate careers that offer upward mobility. Understand that you are satisfied with a subordinate position for only a limited time.
    2. Look for experiences in organizations or roles that welcome change and challenge the status quo.

    1. Where and when is my decisiveness most appreciated?
    2. When have I made difficult decisions in the past? Can it be applied to my major and career search?

  • Communication

    You prefer environments that encourage you to connect and speak with others. Sharing thoughts and ideas helps you to think and learn. You thrive in roles where there is ample opportunity to connect and speak with others – either verbally or through the written word. You create alliances and connections through your verbal prowess.

    1. Take time to identify and familiarize yourself with your personal and work values. See values checklist for support.
    2. Seek experiences with companies and organizations that have a strong sense of mission.
    3. Research the variety of opportunities in helping professions such as medicine, social work, teaching, etc.
    4. Talk with people who provide services to individuals and ask questions about the work.

    1. What values or beliefs motivate you most and how can they support your decision making?
    2. Have you taken other points of view into account to gain a better understanding of majors/careers you are considering?
  •  

    Balanced & Strategic Networker

    Competition

    You have a competitive spirit and enjoy work that measures success and encourages progress and personal improvement. You thrive in roles where “winning” is a key motivator. Whether in teams or on your own, having your performance measured for excellence energizes you and keeps your eyes on the prize.

    1. Identify environments that challenge you and measure success with scores, ratings, and rankings. You may dislike environments without specific measurement criteria.
    2. Decide whether you prefer to compete as an individual or as a team member and identify opportunities that match your preference.
    3. Set small goals for yourself in the major and career exploration process to measure your progress including effort as well as outcome.

    1. Do I prefer to compete individually or as part of a team?
    2. What are benchmarks I can set for myself in the major exploration process?

  • Connectedness

    You believe that things happen for a reason and that everything has meaning. For this reason, you enjoy environments that have a larger goal and offer a sense of community. You thrive in environments where there is opportunity to be in community. It’s easy for you to stay motivated when your job is connected to a larger mission that you believe in.

    1. Identify volunteer opportunities that help you to determine the values most important to you.
    2. Reflect on experiences and the meaning you applied to identify skills, personality, etc.

    1. What is my personal set of values and mission and how can that be applied to my education and future work?
    2. Am I taking action steps to make progress or leaving the decision up to fate?

    Consistency

    You appreciate routines and clear expectations. You are your best and most productive in environments where expectations are clearly communicated and measured.  You thrive in areas where clear expectations and set ground rules are required for everyone. Stability and calm are key for you in maximizing your productivity.

    1. Research work in environments that have standard sets of procedures and routines to follow.
    2. Use your appreciation of processes and fairness to compare major and career paths efficiently (ex. Create a ranking system, shadow roles of interest, etc,).

    1. What boundaries are most important to me in a work and educational environment and how can that support my decision making?
    2. How might I balance my need for fairness if I am interested in roles that inherently value customization/individuality?

  • Context

    You understand your current environment by learning about the past and how you got there. You appreciate environments that value history and learning from past decisions. You thrive in roles where you can be the investigator. You enjoy researching the history of projects and opportunities which will propel projects – and people – forward by learning from the past.

    1. Consider your past work and educational experiences to inform next exploration steps.
    2. Research the history of fields you are considering to determine your level of interest in the future of them. You may be drawn to professions that consider the past including archives, museums, anthropology, national parks, etc, but you can bring the strength to any field.
    3. Identify people in career paths you are interested in and talk to them about their history and how they got there.

    1. What topics am I excited to learn about and how can I apply that to a career or educational path?
    2. How can I still be open to change and newness in my major and career exploration?
     

    Thoughtful & Compassionate Nurturer

    Deliberative

    You consider all the angles and anticipate roadblocks when making decisions. You thrive in environments that allow you to evaluate risks and take time to make decisions.  You thrive in roles where you can pair your cautious approach with careful decision making and show those around you how to evaluate risks thoroughly.

    1. Organize what you learn about majors and career paths in a way that helps you assess risk. You may enjoy thinking with a pro/con list etc.
    2. Consider gaining experience with research or analysis in your fields of interest.

    1. What action can I take to feel confident in making a decision instead of afraid I am making a mistake?
    2. What are the obstacles preventing me from choosing a major/career path? How can I address them?

    Developer

    You can see the potential of those around you and have a talent for cultivating it. You appreciate environments that emphasize and celebrate progress in addition to end goals. You thrive in roles where you have the chance to encourage and cultivate the special abilities of those around you. You are able to celebrate each unique step in the journey of others, recognizing that every step is a step forward.

    1. Identify mentorship opportunities in work, extra-curricular, and academic settings where you can support the training and development of those around you.
    2. Consider roles that emphasize teamwork and partnerships. You may be drawn to roles that focus on helping people reach their goals ex. teaching, management, counseling, etc.
    3. Your strength will be an asset to any organization because you help facilitate the development of those around you. Be open to opportunities outside of the helping fields if it aligns with your interests and additional skills.

    1. Have I identified mentors that can support my growth and development the way I do for others?
    2. Have I made progress with my current methods of major and career exploration? Is it time to try something new?
     

    Discipline

    You appreciate routine and structure. You enjoy roles that allow you to organize and value precision. You thrive in environments where structure and routine are the order of the day. You are motivated to keep track of the details and schedules ensuring that everyone stays on task.

    1. Create a routine you can follow for your major and career exploration process.
    2. Consider career paths in which you can maintain order for yourself and others.
    3. Your strength is appreciated in most work settings because of your follow through. You may not be interested in the obviously aligned office management or administrative roles, and that is okay. 

    1. When your schedule is flexible (ex. exploratory major) how do you respond and how can you create structure while you make a decision?
    2. When does chaos frustrate you? Can that help you narrow down your search?
     

    Empathy

    You are able to sense the feelings of others and put yourself in their shoes. You appreciate environments that prioritize the emotional wellbeing of the team. You thrive in roles which allow you to give input on the overall culture, the emotional wellbeing of team members, and have a service-oriented mission.

    1. Look for experiences in which you need to work as part of a team. You will understand team members, support them, and help them work together.
    2. Listening is one of your greatest skills. By listening to the feelings of others, you may also learn more about yourself.

    1. Have you taken time to consider your own feelings regarding majors/careers in addition to the thoughts and feelings of those around you?
    2. What industries and disciplines have the best cultural fit based on your values?
     

    Visionary Innovator

    Focus

    You decide priorities and then take action. You thrive in roles that allow you to turn your single-minded perseverance towards a task and accomplish it. You thrive in environments where there are clear cut objectives and you are able to keep your eye on the target, prioritize your tasks, hit the deadlines, and accomplish the goals.

    1. You will be most satisfied in careers that emphasize identifiable goals, purposes, and objectives. When completing exploration tasks be sure to look for those qualities in classes, shadowing, volunteering, etc.
    2. Set measurable steps for reaching your goals. These will help you track your progress toward your major/career exploration.

    1. Where do you get your sense of satisfaction in education, work, and life?
    2. How much value do I put on autonomy in the workplace?

    Futuristic

    Use your ability to forecast, predict, and imagine to determine who you are as it relates to a career.

    Imagine where you are on graduation day. What career are you about to start? What experiences have you had as an undergraduate? What interests did you pursue through clubs, organizations, and internships? What skills have you honed through your courses?

    1. Is my vision of the future grounded in reality?
    2. When I imagine my future career, what are the aspects that excite me (the mission, the work, the opportunities, etc.)?

    Harmony

    Turn your ability to find consensus and areas of agreement inward. Self assess by bouncing ideas off of trusted friends and mentors.

    Ask those you trust what they think your strongest skills and abilities are. You may value interdependence and rely on those who you see as experts. In your quest to avoid conflict, be careful of pressures from family and friends – don’t let them dictate your choices.

    1. Am I making career decisions to please others or are they my own preferences? 
    2. Are there ways I can use my natural mediation and negotiation skills in a career?

    Ideation

    In order to assess and identify interests, use your ability to explore possibilities without commitment or restraint.

    1. Take time to brainstorm all the possibilities that coincide with your interests.
    2. Consider creative and out of the box paths to achieving your goals; getting involved in student organizations and other campus activities can take you many different places.
    3. Remember to pay attention to emerging career fields and interests!

    1. Where can I gain experience putting my ideas into action? 
    2. When I have ideas about career interests, am I fully allowing myself time to explore them?
     

    Inclusive & Insightful Thinker

    Includer

    Your tendency to accept others and make room for everyone can be helpful in self-assessment. You can join groups and organizations that connect you with others and allow you to explore your interests, skills, and values.

    1. Where can you get involved to meet others and improve your connections?
    2. Join team activities that let you explore your interests.

    1. Although you include everyone, who are the types of people you enjoy working with the most?  
    2. When exploring and self-assessing, are you consulting the experts?

    Individualization

    Your ability to recognize the uniqueness in people could potentially help you recognize what you yourself are best at!

    Recognize the uniqueness in yourself. You are great at figuring out what others do best, so mine for skills, interests, and abilities by turning that talent inward.

    1. What are your own unique skills and abilities and how can those apply to your career?
    2. What situations are you comfortable with the rules being less flexible and where do you require flexibility for all?

    Input

    Collecting and gathering information is a key component of self-assessment, and you can leverage your input strength to do this!

    1. Gather information and resources that will help you assess your skills, interests, and values.
    2. Tap into information you have previously gathered and archived to see if anything might be useful to you now.
    3. Share what you learned with a friend who is in the process of self-assessing, too.

    1. When do I have enough information about a career path? When can I take action on the information I have gathered?  
    2. Are their work environments that include constant information gathering and sharing? 

    Intellection

    Introspection, depth, and wisdom all characterize intellection. Use these tendencies to think deeply about yourself.

    Dig deep and ask yourself about the kinds of things you are most drawn to, what you are best at, and what you value most in life and career.

    1. When you think about career options, which ones are you the most curious about?  
    2. After you have ruminated on your career options, have you shared those with trusted friends and family to get their feedback?
     

    Enthusiastic & Uplifting Collaborator

    Learner

    The process of learning energizes you, so spend some time learning about the different ways to assess interests, skills, and values and how that connects to your career.

    Complete career assessments and inventories and apply the results to researching careers that align.

    1. Does my career exploration have an end goal? Am I getting sidetracked by learning about careers I know I will not pursue? 
    2. What environments put a high value on the process and by-products on constant learning?

    Maximizer

    You have the ability to put the spotlight on your strengths and manage what you don’t do as well in order to achieve. Use this to your advantage when assessing career fit.

    You know what you are good at – continue to cultivate those skills and abilities in the activities you choose as a student. Let your successes lead you to a career.

    1. Am I setting realistic goals for myself? Am I allowing myself room to explore and redirect when needed?
    2. Are there particular industries that constantly look for improvement?

    Positivity

    Your contagious enthusiasm and ability to look on the bright side of things can be helpful in the sometimes overwhelming task of career decision making.

    Take time to visualize a positive outcome. Where do you see yourself after college? In self-assessment and career decision making, you are able to celebrate incremental progress. Take it one step at a time and see each realization as a victory.

    1. Am I avoiding any roadblocks in my career development or am I confronting them?
    2. Who can I share my career plans with? Will they continue to encourage me?

    Relator

    Because you enjoy genuine, deep relationships with others, chances are you have a close circle that knows you very well. Lean on them.

    Leverage existing relationships and ask them what they see in you. What do your friends think are your greatest strengths? Have they recognized areas of interest that you are always talking about or values that you hold particularly important?

    1. Do I have any close relationships with people in a career or industry of interest? Could I do an informational interview with them?
    2. Are there particular work environments that require small group collaboration?

    Confident Problem-Solver

    Responsibility

    Because you take ownership of your commitments, you might be best served to make a career decision making a team project or state your goals to someone else who can hold you accountable.

    Find a career-decision making buddy, set a to-do list, and report back to each other.

    1. When thinking about career exploration, can I set goals for myself in order to validate my progress? 
    2. Are there work environments or industries that highly value commitment and have clear expectations?

    Restorative

    As a natural problem solver, you can view the major and career decision-making process as just one more problem to tackle.

    Consider how you typically like to troubleshoot and solve problems and apply that same method to solving the question of Who am I and what kind of career do I want?

    1. Can I frame my career decisions as a problem to solve?
    2. Are there environments where constant troubleshooting is integral to success?

    Self-Assurance

    You know yourself and are willing to take risks. Choosing a major or career can feel like a big leap for some, but with your strength, you are more comfortable and confident than most.

    1. Trust your internal compass. You know yourself and your interests, skills, and values.
    2. Remember to gather information and listen to others who are experts to make the best decisions.

      1. Is my confidence in my abilities backed up by results?
      2. Are there careers that have immediate, entry-level opportunities for leadership?
     

    Significance 

    Your ability to complete projects of influence, desire to make an impact, and appreciation of an audience can help with self-assessment. 

    Think about what mark you want to leave on the world then work backwards. How can you achieve that legacy? What skills, abilities, and interests do you need to cultivate?

    1. When thinking about my future career, what are the things that you would like to be recognized for?
    2. When thinking about first jobs out of college, would you consider smaller organizations, where your impact could be more immediately felt?

    Influential Strategist

    Strategic

    Looking for connections and patterns among your interests, skills, personality, and values should come easily to you. 

    1. Look for patterns in your interests, skills, and values.
    2. Create multiple options and plans for where those could lead.

    1. When thinking about career decisions, consider how you could make progress towards plans A, B, and C at once. 
    2. Are there work environments that value systems thinking, intuitive thinking, and seeing the big picture?

    Woo

    Your ability to meet new people and break the ice is valuable in career exploration. 

    1. Connect with people who are doing interesting work that you would like to learn more about. These can be people you already know, but as someone with WOO, you may not be afraid to reach out to a stranger.
    2. Seek advice from a variety of people and apply that to your career exploration.

    1. When building my network, and I offering reciprocal help to others, establishing mutually beneficial partnerships?  
    2. Are there work environments that would constantly throw me in the path of new people?