April 15, 2003

Who are you, anyway?
Posted by deisenhart@bostonworks.com">Douglas Eisenhart at 9:36 AM -

The ancient Greek philosopher Socrates is reputed to have exhorted each of his students to "Know thyself." Well, not bad advice today, either. All good career decisions should be based on accurate self-knowledge, a clear understanding of who you are, what your talents are, what you can do, and just as importantly what you want to do. But how many of us know the answers to all these questions?

Fortunately for us in the modern era, psychologists have developed ways to get at these answers, through tests and assessments. In their language, you need to develop your personal profile across multiple dimensions, including personality type, abilities, skills, knowledge, values, and interests. This article from the Charlotte Observer points out that as the economy has dipped down and more people are out of work, there has been a rise in interest in such tests:

The tests, which come in many styles, attempt to measure what you love to do and who you are. The tests have been around for decades, but some in the employment and career counseling fields say they're increasingly popular. Recruiters use them to assess candidates; managers use them to understand employees.

And in a troubled economy, job seekers use them to shape a search for work.

To find out more about such tests - and perhaps take a step to finding out more about yourself - read the article.

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