Career Management: Self Assessment

Your definition of a career and how you carry out your career will be a unique story of your experiences and choices. Conduct a self-assessment to recall your story and achievements so far, discover career possibilities and enhance self-understanding to clarify your definition. 

Begin a career awareness journal
Whether you're a new grad just getting started in the post-graduation world of work, a highly experienced professional considering retirement or anywhere in between, this can be a helpful tool. Keep notes on your research, impressions, networking meetings, and ideas. 

Know Your Story
What are your first thoughts about what you do best? Make a list that is a working document, a list you can continue to add to.

List your accomplishments (from your work history to extracurricular activities; for new graduates, write down your leadership positions in college organizations).

List examples of work and note the value of each contribution to current and past organizations, within and beyond the scope of your position. Think of as many examples as possible that you would like prospective employers to know about. If you are a new or recent graduate, consider any on-campus leadership and/or community service experiences that you may still wish to include; for highly experienced professionals, consider what you have done in the last five to eight years as likely the most relevant work examples for your next move. Earlier experience may be summarized. 
Look at the big picture and the details of your career vision. Consider how your story, to this point, contributes to your vision, and what you will be creating in the future. Write an essay, make a list or draw a “mind map” that describes your career to date, and your ideas for the future. Include: 
  • How important the role of work is in your life.
  • What you want to be thinking about in your work, and the types of problems you'd like to solve.
  • The environment in which you'd like to work: the surroundings; what you need in a manager and your colleagues; how you want to contribute to common goals; how you would like to lead; how you would like to follow; how you would like to interact with clients/customers.
  • Your personality strengths that help you succeed and feel satisfied on the job.
  • Details about what you would like to learn in the immediate future and along the way as you move around and/or up in a career path.
  • The rewards you'd like in the immediate future and along the way (some will stay the same while others will change in importance).
  • How much variety, or not, you would like in your work each day.
  • Different types of success you are seeking in your work. 
Think about early career ideas and dreams. 
  • As a child, what did you learn about work, its role in life and its challenges and benefits? 
  • How do those messages influence your current attitudes about work and your career planning? 
  • In what ways do you have a different attitude today? 
  • In college, what were your dreams about career and success? 
  • In what ways has your work life matched your dreams so far? 
  • How big a change are you willing to make? 
  • In what ways have your dreams changed, and what is the first (or very next) step you need to take to move toward a more satisfying career? What will your first action step be? 
Think about your current daydreams about work.
  • What are you doing to make those daydreams real?
  • What is the first (or very next) step you need to take? 
Project yourself five years into the future.
  • What work are you doing?
  • How does your work each day help you reach your professional goals?
  • Who are you working with?
  • In what kind of environment are you working?
  • What new skills have you developed?
  • How did you get to this work?
  • What are you enjoying about this work?
  • What do you see as the next step for the next five-year chapter of your work? 
Will one career be enough? Some people have opportunities for career satisfaction through different roles in one lifelong career. However, in the 21st century, individuals may have several careers and even more jobs! 
  • Do you see one career satisfying your desire to fulfill your interests and values through work? 
  • Will you select more than one path to follow? If so, how will you prioritize which career comes first, and how will you keep involved in other interests?
Add dreams, ideas, and details about multiple career paths to your career awareness journal – write it all down now so they're in one place. Keep adding. Strengthen your focus and design your plan, while you stay on track with your current work and life.
​Career Assessments Online Resources 
To help you understand your strengths, personality, skills, or preferences, here are a few online resources to help you conduct a self-assessment.
Identifying Transferable Skills
Being competitive in any job market includes understanding how your past experience relates to the positions you are currently pursuing and will pursue in the future. Presenting examples of your best work and accomplishments readily helps prospective employers see how you can apply your occupation- and functional-specific skills to meet their needs. Use these prompts to help you recognize and present your skills effectively.

Write about your examples; describe them so that you have a portfolio of stories to select from when applying for specific positions and preparing for interviews.

As you review your stories, which are your favorites? Are you seeing patterns of skills that you used in many, or all, of the examples? These are your motivated skills, skills you use well and also enjoy using. It's in your best interest to have job targets in which you will be able to emphasize your motivated skills, as well as learn new skills. 
For additional guidance in identifying your transferable skills, complete the following steps.
  1. Use the Transferable Skills List (PDF) for help in identifying your strong analytical, communication, organizational, interpersonal and creative skills from your writing and your discussions. Complete the instructions on that page of skills to determine your motivated skills.
  2. Complete the Transferable Skills in Context (PDF) sheet to bring out your professional profile and the breadth of your talents.
  3. Talk with friends, former colleagues, or a career counselor to explore your stories fully and to find help with naming.

Transfer Your Skills Into New Roles
Job postings are excellent sources to compare with your self-assessment of skills. As you look at postings, “try on” the job using your stories and your identified and motivated skills. Begin addressing how you can meet which skills the employer is seeking. Match and transfer your occupational and functional skills to the key qualifications needed in the jobs you are applying for.

Confirm your self-assessment and how your skills and experiences transfer by conducting informational interviews with people who are already doing the kind of work you desire to do.

Update and refine your resume for the job you have targeted; write in new bullet points that match the qualifications, if those updates are necessary.
Adapted from material that originally appeared in the University of Illinois Alumni Association's Virtual Career Center
© 2020, Julie L Bartimus Consulting, Naperville, Illinois