Self-Assessment – Informal Evaluation

Formal testing is not the only way to learn about yourself. Here are some other ways you can self-assess through informal assignments:

• List your favorite classes in school and your least favorite.
• List your favorite jobs and least favorite jobs and ask yourself why they were your
  favorite or least favorite.
• Ask yourself, “What would a close relative or friend say if asked what major or
  career you should choose? And why?”
• Think of a famous person whose job you’d like to have and ask yourself why
  you’d like to have his/her job.
• Think of someone you know whose job you’d like to have and ask yourself why
  you’d like to have his/her job.
• If you could only subscribe to ONE magazine for the rest of your life, what
  would it be and why? What would be your second and third choices?
• Go through the newspaper classifieds or other job listings and keep a scrapbook
  of jobs you would like to have if you were job-searching tomorrow. If you do this for a month or more, look for similarities in the jobs you selected. What is the common theme? What is the primary career field and what college majors do they relate to? What are the repeating job titles? (This is an excellent exercise for “older” or “more experienced” adults who are trying to choose a major in graduate school, or for someone who is about to graduate in a particular field and wants to choose a specialty area.)
• Finish the following statement:
  “If I could turn my favorite pastime (or hobby, or leisure activity) into a high paying job or career, my new job/career would be_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _”
  
  Another way of thinking about this is:
  “If I could get paid for doing what I love doing best, or what gives me the greatest pleasure, my new job/career would be _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _”
  
  (Examples: walking the neighbors dogs, sampling and selecting ice cream flavors, dancing,
  photography, playing tennis, etc.)

These assignments should give you additional insight into what type of person you are and what your interests are. Compare your answers to the results of your formal career self-assessments and meet with your career counselor in Career Planning to discuss the results and comparisons.