Assessment should identify personal
- interests (areas in which a person wants to spend time and energy)
- talents (natural, inborn aptitudes)
- abilities (skills in performing mental and/or physical tasks)
- values (principles or priorities that are important to the individual)
- personality traits (e.g., strengths and weaknesses, people skills).
Process/Skill Questions:
- What are the benefits and risks of identifying one’s personal strengths and limitations?
- Does one’s self-analysis of personal strengths and limitations generally match what others say about one? Why, or why not?
- What might happen if a person’s view of himself or herself is different from the image projected to others?
- Why is self-assessment important prior to making career choices?
- What factors might cause a person’s interests, abilities, or attitudes to change over time? How might this affect a person’s career?
- What are the distinctions among a skill, a personality trait, and an aptitude? Why is it important to analyze all three when conducting a self-assessment?
- Why is it important to consider current and future career demand when applying self-assessment results in career planning?
- How might personal values relate to career choice?