Self assessment and Work Values

Text 1

The most common question career counselors are asked is this one: "I don't know what I want to do. Is there a test or something that can tell me what career is right for me?" The answer is no. You can't take a test that will, as if by magic, tell you what to do with the rest of your life. You can however use a combination of self assessment tools that will aid you in your decision. This article will demystify the self assessment phase of the career planning process. First I will tell you what self assessment is and then I will give you an overview of the various tools used to help you learn about yourself.

Self assessment is the first step of the career planning process. During a self assessment you gather information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. A self assessment should include a look at the following: values, interests, personality, and skills.

Values: the things that are important to you, like achievement, status, and autonomy

Interests: what you enjoy doing, i.e. playing golf, taking long walks, hanging out with friends

Personality:a person's individual traits, motivational drives, needs, and attitudes

Skills: the activities you are good at, such as writing, computer programming, teaching

Text 2

Throughout your life you acquire a set of values — beliefs and ideas that are important to you. For example you may believe that one should always be honest or that one must always be a loyal friend. You live your life according to this set of values. In order to have a happy, successful and fulfilling life, you must act upon your values, both in your personal life and at work. Taking your values into account when you choose a career could be the most important factor that determines whether you will or won't be satisfied with that aspect of your life.

There are two types of values: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic values are related to the work itself and what it contributes to society. Extrinsic values include external features, such as physical setting and earning potential.

Read the following examples of work values and choose the most important ones for you.

Model: The most important work values for me are ……………….

Autonomy: receiving no or little supervision

Helping Others: providing assistance to individuals or groups

Prestige: having high standing

Job Security: a high probability that one will remain employed

Collaboration: working with others

Helping Society: contributing to the betterment of the world

Recognition: receiving attention for your work

Financial Security (Compensation): receiving adequate pay

Achievement:doing work that yields results

Utilizing Your Skills and Background: using your education and work experience to do your job

Leadership: supervising/managing others

Creativity:using your own ideas

Variety: doing different activities

Challenge: performing tasks that are difficult

Leisure:having adequate time away from work

Artistic Expression: expressing one's artistic talents

Influence: having the ability to affect people's opinions and ideas

Answer the following questions:

Is a high salary important to you?

Is it important for your work to involve interacting with people?

Is it important for your work to make a contribution to society?

Is having a prestigious job important for you?

Task 3

Date: 2016-01-14; view: 998