Self-Awareness

It is important to know what you like (and don’t like), what you are good at, and how you can add value to an employer’s organization. You learn this through things like your education, work experience, and leisure activities. It is logical to think that if you find a job where you can perform well and enjoy the environment, individual tasks, and overall mission, you will find professional fulfillment.

According to leadership expert Matt Tenney, author of Serve to Be Great, the one trait all great leaders share is self-awareness. That makes a lot of sense. In order to thrive as a leader it is important to understand yourself, your talents and abilities, and how you are unique from others. Sometimes you need to dig deep and follow a few detours to figure it out. Don’t just scratch the surface, go the extra mile. This will allow you to identify career options that can be a great fit despite not being obvious choices. If you do the work now, your career can turn out exponentially more satisfying!

Self-awareness Elements

What you need to know:

Self-awareness is entrenched in your identity that is made up of your interests, skills, values, experiences, goals, and vision. These things combined are the foundation of your life.

Once you establish this self-awareness, either on your own or with professional help, take it a step further and connect it to your experiences and vision. Through this you will be able to map out your future as it relates to career opportunities. Career decision making involves increasing self awareness, exploring career options, and acquiring knowledge, skills, and experience to help implement your career choices.

Where to start – ask yourself the following:

  • Likes and Dislikes – What do you like to do? What do you not like to do? (this may be even more important)
  • Aptitudes, Talents and Skills – What are you good at? What comes easy to you?
  • SWOT analysis – What are your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats?
  • Passions – What drives you? What do you really care about? What would you fight for?
  • Values and Priorities – How do you live your life? What is most important to you?
  • Goals and Vision – What do you want to accomplish, both now and in the future?

Ways to gain self-awareness:

  1. Introspection – explore these things on your own
  2. Feedback from others – friends and family, mentors, classes, performance reviews, peer and supervisor feedback
  3. Professional support – advisors, career counselors, college/university career services
  4. Assessments – formal assessments such as MBTI, Self Directed Search, and Strong Interest
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