Career Guide: Tips to identify your strengths and build a Career around them

By knowing and growing your skills, you'll be doing what you enjoy with your abilities. Whether you're beginning your career or transitioning careers, highlighting your strengths will result in increased success and satisfaction.

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Identifying your strengths is a key component in setting a productive and satisfying career. When you align your passion, interest, and natural talent with your career, you achieve job satisfaction, more productivity, and long-term accomplishment. Below is how to identify your strengths and create a career that is best for you.

Tips to identify your strengths and build a Career around them:

1. Consider Your Natural Ability

Consider responsibilities that you easily do. They are probably a reflection of your strengths. Ask yourself:

What am I naturally inclined to do?

What topics or things always interest me?

What do others usually praise me for?

Learning your God-given talents will steer you towards those careers best suited to your skill set.

2. Take Personality and Strengths Tests

Internet assessments can give you more precise information on your strengths. Some of the most used tests are:

StrengthsFinder: Uncover your greatest skills and talents.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI): Indicates personality types that influence work styles.

Holland Code Career Test: Identifies careers based on interest and preference.

These tests provide structured information on your potential and assist you in finding career paths suitable for your personality.

3. Reflect on Past Successes and Failures

Reflect on your past experience:

What did you find yourself performing well at?

What was easy for you to overcome?

What projects did you enjoy most?

Your past experiences are excellent predictors of what you excel at naturally and have fun with.

4. Ask Others for Feedback

Other people may sometimes notice our strengths better than we realize. Ask friends, co-workers, mentors, or family members:

What do you think I'm naturally good at?

What talents or skills do I see in you?

How have I assisted you in ways that you didn't anticipate?

Honest critique can shine a light on strengths that you might not see.

5. Experiment with Different Roles and Opportunities

If you're still uncertain about your strengths, get hands-on experience by:

Volunteering for new projects at work.

Working side jobs or internships in alternative fields.

Experimenting with different sets of skills through freelance opportunities.

The more you try out, the clearer your strengths will become.

6. Align Your Strengths with Career Options

Having established your key strengths, align them with corresponding careers. For instance:

If you're excellent at problem-solving, consider career opportunities in engineering, consulting, or business strategy.

If you're excellent at communication, consider career opportunities in sales, writing, marketing, or education.

If you're enthusiastic about creativity, design, content development, or innovation-oriented careers could be ideal.

Aligning your strengths with career choices leads to long-term job satisfaction.

7. Keep Developing Your Skills

Your strength must be cultivated and developed over time. In order to advance professionally:

Be enrolling in courses, certifications, or workshops for your area of strength.

Gain mentorship and networking privileges.

Challenge yourself in new projects and assignments to sharpen your skills.

You will be marketable through ongoing learning and further improve your career advancement.