Before you start contacting employers, before you write your resume, before you start looking for that "perfect" job, it is important to ask yourself several questions. These questions concern your interests, needs, skills and background. The answers to these questions will help you decide which jobs to apply for and how best to apply for those positions.

Keep an open mind and don't limit yourself at this stage. No one else will see your self-assessment notes. And remember, you can always change your mind about the "perfect" job. Later, you will compare your assessment to field research, measuring what you want against what is likely to be offered.

What Are My Interests?

Whether choosing a career or picking a job, it is important to consider the individual, family and social values that reflect who you are. Be honest about what is important to you. Some things to consider:

• Would you rather work alone or with others?
• Are you motivated more by competition or by teamwork?
• Would you rather make decisions for yourself or follow an established set of directions/procedures?
• Is variety or stability more important to you?
• Which is more important to you, financial reward or intrinsic reward?
• Do you like to work with the public?
• Are you interested in project (i.e., short term) work?
• Would you rather work for someone else or for yourself?

Think about, and write down, detailed descriptions of activities that you have completed or are currently doing. These activities may be work- or school-related, or even hobbies. Think about your motivation, energy level and accomplishments in each activity. You also should consider activities that you do not enjoy or at which you do not excell. Descriptions of these activities will be used later when you begin developing your application tools (e.g., resume, cover letter, portfolio, etc.)
 

What Kinds of Work Interest Me?

Work Setting:

• What kinds of products or services interest you?
• What kinds of clients or customers would you like to work with?
• Would you rather work for a large company or a small company?
• Are you more interested in group projects or individual work?
• Would you like to work in an office setting? A factory/manufacturing setting? Outdoors? Other?

What do you require and/or desire from a job? You should probably do a needs assessment to determine your minimum requirements for salary and benefits. Don't forget to include costs for tools, training, relocation, professional wardrobe, etc.

Geography:

• Where (physically) would you like to work - what part of town, the state, the country?
• Do you have travel considerations (i.e., commuting needs, bus service requirements, willingness to travel on the job, parking issues)?
• What are your relocation interests and needs?

What Are My Skills?

Abilities and Talents:

These are the things at which you "naturally" excel. Maybe you're good with numbers, or good with machines, or good with words. These abilities are important to employers, but you have to prove your ability by showing how your talent was applied. Describing projects at school or at work is a good way to do this. A portfolio or samples of work are another good approach.

Training:

Of course, formal education is a focus here. But, depending on your career field, you may have other training opportunities that you want employers to know about. OJT (On-the-job-training), special certification, conferences and workshops, and even learning on your own may be worth noting. Your field research will help you determine what parts of your training are worth including in your job search materials.

Experience:

Experience is often the most important quality of a candidate for the employer. But, remember, there are many different kinds of experiences that demonstrate your skills:

• Related Employment
• Co-op or Internships
• Part-time or Summer Jobs
• Unrelated Employment (which shows general or transferable skills)
• School Activities (like student government, group projects, involvement in clubs, etc.)

A realistic assessment of your strengths and weaknesses is vital to a successful career choice and job search. You will need to be honest about what you do well and do not do as well. You will also need to determine where you need additional training or practice to be successful in your chosen field. Again, this is the information the employer will be looking for in your job application materials and in the interview.
 

Assessment Tools

Of course, you do not need to use any formal tool to assess your interests and aptitudes. Review your personal achievements, successful roles and not-so-successful roles. Think about your "toolbox", the set of skills, knowledge and abilities you possess right now. Talk to your family and friends to get an outside view of your strengths and weaknesses. Write down your interests and goals, and return to the list on an on-going basis to review changes in your perspective. Remember that the person who knows you best is you.

Finally, begin to write down a list of your hard skills, transferable skills, tools and knowledge sets. These are the things that employers really look for, as they show what you can do. Full job descriptions on past jobs, details on projects in school, complete listings of tools you can use, all will help you put together your application materials. You will need to show the employer what you know and can do by describing you background and accomplishments.
 

Last Modified: July 29, 1999. Send comments or suggestions regarding these pages to: Webmaster