Hello Emersonians!
It’s July already. We hope that through vacations, staycations, long weekends and summer holidays, you are getting in down time. For those of you using that time to think about your next career choice, this month for Tip Tuesday, we’re focusing on assessments.
Remember that first personality test you ever took, or when someone determined your personality, work and relationship style based on your astrological sign? Well, we’re going to get more specific this month (don’t worry, no astrological chart readings) and focus on assessments for career. You may have heard of them: the Myers Briggs personality test, Skill Scan, and the Strong Interest Inventory. While they don’t provide future predictions for your next job, they do however:
- Provide more insight into how you work
- Shed light on why certain projects appeal to you
- Give newfound confidence by focusing on your strengths, not your weaknesses
This month, Kellie Fuller, Learning and Engagement Specialist at Emerson, provides wonderful information about the latest assessment tool out there, CliftonStrengths. Read on for insights and links to get you focused on those strengths, and what it means for your career and job choices.
Do you know what your strengths are? CliftonStrengths, that is. The CliftonStrengths assessment measures one’s natural patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving and categorizes them into 34 CliftonStrengths “themes.”
Once a person knows their top 5, 10, or the rank of all 34 of their Strengths, they can learn how their strengths help (and sometimes hinder) them in their professional and personal lives. Immediately after completing the CliftonStrengths assessment, you receive your results in a report featuring customized descriptions of your rank-ordered dominant strengths. These materials explain what you naturally do best and how you can develop and use your talents to live your strongest life possible.
Because CliftonStrengths focuses on your greatest opportunities for development and success (rather than on your weaknesses), you can use your reports to tackle things like your career, working on teams and your personal relationships.
It isn’t about just taking the assessment and saying “Oh, I’ve done Strengths.” It is a journey. The assessment is the starting point and from there you create what that journey looks like. By reading your reports you may find that something you have done since you were a child shows up.
For example: Were you the “why” kid who was told they ask too many questions? Now that may look like Analytical, Deliberative, Context, Responsibility, and Restorative. How does your question asking help you clarify a problem or solution when others may think they already have it figured out? We all need that team member!
CliftonStrengths not only unlocks the uniqueness within ourselves but also fosters an appreciation for those who think differently than us. The CliftonStrengths assessment is for individuals, teams, groups, partnerships…. basically everyone.
Have you Taken the CliftonStrengths Assessment?
- YES: Many Emerson students and staff have taken the assessment. If you took the assessment while you were at Emerson, you can still access those results! Email Kellie Fuller and she’ll try to dig up your past results.
- NO: Assessment codes can be purchased directly through Gallup’s website electronically. You can also find assessment codes when you purchase books such as “Strengths Finder 2.0” and “Strengths-Based Leadership”. However, Kellie can purchase codes on your behalf using her discount code. Just reach out to her and ask!
Resources to Explore
- Podcasts, articles, and interviews galore can be found on Gallup’s website. You can search by topics such as career, wellbeing, team building, performance and more!
- Get a brief description of the 34 CliftonStrengths themes
