Assess Yourself Before Applying For a Job

So now you’ve decided that you’re ready to have your very first job. Before you try passing out your resumes to prospective companies, one of the most important things that you need to do is to assess yourself.

This actually begins by having an identification of the different skill sets that you have as an individual. This includes your various interests, experiences, accomplishments and accolades, values, skills and most importantly, goals. You should remember that you need to do this first before you seek out any position, most especially if you are looking for a corporate position. Just ask yourself: how will you be able to seek as well as know what position to apply for if you don’t know what you desire in a job. Another thing to seriously consider is what you will be able to offer prospective employers if and when they do hire you.

The goal of self-assessment is not to simply waste your time listing down qualities that you have, qualities of the job that you want and the qualities of your “ideal employer”. Its ultimate goal is to provide you essential information about yourself in order to advance your career decisions as well as make them much more beneficial and less of a time-wasting activity on your part.

Values

Now we begin with values—your values. You should focus on what particular qualities are important as well as suitable for you. You should always be mindful of the different things regarding a career that will bring you the greatest satisfaction. Here are some values that have been found to be important to professionals. You might want to highlight a few of your own choices either from this list or from yours.

• Job security
• Being a team player
• Working independently with little to no supervision
• Providing a contribution
• Professional status
• Mentally challenging work
• Enjoyable surroundings
• Challenging, stimulating co-workers
• Variety of tasks to accomplish daily
• Financial rewards
• Opportunity to create something
• Capacity to advance

Interests

Interests are mainly the areas in your life that are closely related to your different values which generally trigger skill development. You can identify your different interests by taking a look at the different enduring themes that have been present in your life. You can also look at the choices that you’ve previously made and correlate them in one way or another. Keeping a time-log where you jot down your most memorable events in your life is also another way to have a good grasp of what you are interested in.

Skills

Finally, we come to your skills. A skill is essentially something that you do well. This includes handling problems or tasks. If you are able to communicate the importance of these skills and their usefulness to your prospective employer, then you will most likely be a good candidate for the job. Describe your skills in a very detailed manner. The rule of thumb is, the more detailed your description is, the more likely you’ll be hired.