Self Assessment

Self-assessment is a process through which an individual evaluates themselves so as to discover their interests, dislikes, likes, values, strengths, weaknesses, wants and needs. Self assessment is usually the first part in the process of career management. It is always recommended that before one chooses their career, they first discover who they are and this is done through self-assessment.

Self assessment includes: one someone’s interests, interests are the things an individual enjoys doing most. Interests are very valuable because they can give a clue on the career path someone should follow. For example interests in working with computers, cooking and fixing things can easily be turned into a career.

Second is personality; each individual is unique in terms of emotion combination and behavioral characteristics. Different careers fit different personalities. A person who is outgoing and social can fit best in a sales career or custom relations.

While assessing oneself, people should also consider their skills. Skills are divided into three. One is the functional skills. These are skills that can be carried along from one job to another without any difficulty. Second are the adaptive skills; these skills are developed through experience as one grows due to exposure to different life factors.  If someone knows their adaptive skills they can know which careers or occupation can best suit them. Third are the technical skills; these are trained skills, so if someone knows themselves better it is easy for them to decide which technical skills they can learn and implement.

Self assessment also includes assessing one’s abilities which include natural talent and potentials. By assessing ourselves we are able to determine the fields that interest us hence we avoid making career mistakes. Personal needs for job satisfaction vary among individuals, it is due to this reason that someone has to examine their values before they choose a career. The other step is assessing personal lifestyle and financial considerations. This is because by assessing one’s lifestyle someone is able to make wise career decisions.

Self assessment is really important in our daily lives. When we live a life that is not examined we become prone to mistakes and life becomes worthless when we don’t know our worth. Self assessment helps us to maintain a personal brand that identifies our character. Self assessment is beneficial since it helps us appreciate who we are. It builds our self esteem and self respect. When we assess ourselves properly we can not give in to pressure when we differ with other people.

Self assessment will help us identify and establish our personality. By constantly assessing ourselves, it means that we are in touch with our subconscious mind. Self assessment will help us maximize on our strengths and put more effort on areas we think we can perform better. If we assess ourselves from time to time, it becomes easy for us to realize mistakes we commit unconsciously, we are able to gain from the experience and move on.

Self assessment is beneficial to everyone be it a parent or a child, teacher or student, employer or employee, since it helps us discover our inner selves, our greatest fears and hopes. Self assessment helps us pursue life from a better angle because we are aware of what we want.