Center for Student Professional Development
Self Assessment
The first position a student takes after graduation will be the first of many steps taken in an on-going professional development. Often, students do not give enough consideration to what goals they intend to achieve in their first level position.
How does one decide on a particular job, career, or industry? The process begins with gathering information and thinking about how personal values, interests, aptitudes, abilities and traits will match with different work environments, fields of interest, and organizations.
What is a Self-Assessment Instrument?
Assessment instruments help individuals gain more insight into the types of jobs, occupations, and careers in which might be interesting and personally challenging. They can be quite helpful if kept in perspective. However, if one is looking for a more open-ended answer to the question, “What should I do with my life?,” perhaps an assessment instrument is not appropriate.
Things to Keep in Mind About Career Tests
- All tests tend to deal in categories; therefore participants will inevitably be placed in a category with a lot of other people. Do not forget that everyone is an individual! Successful professional development rest on how well and how thoughtfully one intends to contribute to an organization.
- Taking several tests will give a person a much better picture of preferences and profiles, not to mention career ideas.
CSPD Recommended Web Resources