Self- Assessment
Part I: Strength Finder
Based on the characteristics identified from the strength finder test, I believe that the results obtained match my personal traits to a great extent. The most prevalent quality from the strengths identified is consistency. I believe I tend to treat people equally because I avoid judging others prematurely. Therefore, everyone, regardless of his status in life should be treated equally because such statuses change. For instance, one who is wealthy may one day be in a disadvantaged position. At the same time, I also believe that I am a harmonious individual because I am often a peace maker between conflicting people. I think that those with whom I have interacted would give the same feedback about me if I desire to review feedbacks from people around me. Moreover, I also believe that I have inclusive tendencies because I tend to look out for those who consider themselves or are considered by others to be outliers in groups, and I reach out to them more often than other people would.
While most of the qualities define being in precision, I do not perceive myself to be too competitive or disciplined. While I desire and strive to be the best in everything I do, I always recognize that no one can be the best at everything because people have different talents and capabilities. Because of this, I often aim to do the best I can and let fate place me in the most favorable position. This implies that I put all my efforts, mind and heart in anything I have the opportunity of doing. I practice excellence in applying my abilities without directly competing with others. In general, my sole drive is never to be better than others but to affirm that everything was done so to reach my personal achieve my personal goals. In terms of discipline, I feel that I am always bored by routine. Although I always want to do things within the confines of logic, rationality and reasonableness, I desire change and a dynamic lifestyle. This at times makes me digress from the disciplinarian tendencies.
Based on my self-perception, I believe that the results could have indicated a slightly different hierarchy. For instance, I am surprised that the results indicated that I am more disciplined and competitive than I am an includer. It may be because the test was taken last year and, I believe, since then, there have been various changes in terms of values and beliefs. I, therefore, believe that were the results to be obtained for my present days, they would have been slightly different. I also think that just like Roberts and others recommend getting feedback from others, compiling that my list of strengths would have been done more accurately based on the feedback received from others (76- 77). This is because the reports given by the test are dependent on my personal information and I may not know myself as much as those who interact with me. However, I also believe that the results depicting my strengths would help me to pursue my life goals and represent my desires in the short and long term perspectives. I think that my level of discipline and competitiveness would lead me to achieve my goals. I, thus, believe that besides being a more or less true reflection of my profile, the test also indicates the exact qualities that I aspire to be vital for the arrangement of the strengths.
Part II: Self Assessments
The human metrics test outcomes described me as an extrovert with the tendencies for feeling, sensing and judging. Although the results match my personal traits and behavioral tendencies to a large extent, I believe that they are not an accurate description of my beliefs and opinions.. For instance, I have a strong intuiting as depicted by the outcomes of this test. However, I usually display very little emotion. Similarly, my reactions to aggression are generally mild, beginning with the desire to find consensus before reprimanding where necessary. Moreover, the results from the strength finder assessment also match my mild tendencies with harmony being my greatest strength. Being an ardent aspirant for harmonious living makes me incapable of responding aggressively to negative impulses. I, thus, desire to find out more about my personal behavioral tendencies in case there is any issue that I may not be aware of.
The four connect assessments helped me to understand my new characteristics that I possess and which I initially considered unimportant. For instance, the human metrics assessment portrayed me as an extravert with strong intuition and feeling capabilities. On the contrary, I thought of myself as an introvert and less likely to display my feelings to others. In the emotional intelligence test, most of the results indicated that I have high emotional intelligence. In my own self-perception, I tend to think that I have a high level of self-awareness and low level of social skills. The results indicate contrats to my expectations since I was awarded a high score for social skills and a lower score for self-awareness. The leadership and conflict management capabilities are, however, represented according to my perceptions. I can, therefore, say that the results for the assessment did surprise me to a certain degree. However, Roberts et al suggest that compiling a personal portrait should depend on the feedbacks received from others rather than on one’s personal perception (77). I, thus, believe the results may be the most relevant description of who I am.
Based on the results obtained from these four connect assessments, I believe that I obtained a significant amount of new information about myself. While I knew I was a good leader and effective at conflict management I did not perceive myself to possess all the strengths that I have seen from the results. At the same time, I also believed that I was an introvert, yet the results shew that I am an extrovert. I, therefore, decide to think that the outcomes from the assessments were correct due to two major reasons. First, Roberts and others (79) report on creating a legit personal traits portrait based on the feedback from others. In this case, I would use the exact words of the test results. Secondly, a case description is given where the described characteristics may not be relevant to a person’s present situation (Roberts and Others 80). I believe that I may have not noticed some of these characteristics because I depended on information developed independently and in the absence of social interactions. For instance, I may have perceived myself as lacking social skills and also as an introvert simply because I have not been in situations where there are high levels of social interactions.
Part III: Personal SWOT Analysis
| Internal | Strengths
· I have a good education and aspire to go further by doing my MBA · I have strong leadership skills, communication skills and conflict management capabilities · I have strong personal skills such as strong values, work ethics, harmony and desire for consensus, good teamwork, self-discipline and desire for innovativeness and creativity · I am optimistic and effective and emotional control · Strong social skills
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Weaknesses
· I may respond aggressively to situations I find stressing · No work experience · Not too competitive
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| External | Opportunities
· Technological advancements in banking fields · Ease of assimilation based on academic qualifications · Businesses desire people with strong inter-personal skills · Unique opportunities in banking |
Threats
· The business world is competitive · Most competitors have sufficient job experience · Some competitors respond less aggressively to stressful situations
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Swot Analysis
Based on the analysis of my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, I found out that my major strength with reference to my job aspiration is my academic capacity. As I am proceeding with my major, I already have plans to pursue an MBA in Harvard University. I consider this as strength since most of the banks in my country value graduates from Harvard University and this will give me an upper hand in gaining employment. Apart from this, I also have strong leadership and communication skills which are required in the banking sector where efficient social interactions are imperative. Personal values and team work are also crucial in the ever-changing field, hence I consider these as strengths. On the other hand, I have no work experience and I believe that banks would prefer others with greater experience in order to reduce training costs. At the same time, I believe in moderation, hence I pursue excellence rather than competition. In a field where there is constant competition, this may place me in a disadvantaged position. I may also lose my restraint in stressful situations which would make me less favorable in a field where stress is a constant factor. The banking sector, however, offers great opportunities due to the constant technological advancements, particularly with regards to the Internet and mobile money platforms which require additional technical skills. I am aware that these changes come with new requirements towards employees. Similarly, people with strong interpersonal skills like me are also desired in the highly interactive industry hence I have a higher chance of being assimilated.
Personal Goals
Short Term Goals
- Being a sophomore, my first short term goal is to get an internship during my summer holidays.
- I also aspire to obtain a high GPA once I graduate to enable me to pursue my long-term goals. This will help me to
- I will also engage in more voluntary community service activities during my holidays to enhance my discipline skills.
Long Term Goals
- After graduation, I intend to apply for and achieve an MBA at Harvard University.
- Based on my leadership skills, I believe I have the capacity to own my own company in the long run.
- In my career development plans, I intend to work towards excellence and being a CEO.
Work Cited
Roberts, Laura, Gretchen Spreitzer, Jane Dutton, Robert Quinn, Emily Heaphy and Brianna Barker. How to Play to your Strengths. Harvard Business Review,