Self assessment
To be able to plan your study for success in your career, you need to start with yourself. You have probably at some time taken a personal quiz in a magazine, done some personal assessment at school or considered elements of your personality in choosing your degree.
For university students, the process is pretty much the same, but you are making decisions about what study pathway to take, the extra-curricular activities that will add to your degree and ultimately the career path to follow.
The following sections are designed to assist you in your decision making by offering you more detailed and informative self assessment.
Your personality
Take some time to reflect on yourself. Not all students in the one degree are suited to the same job, or the same area of one profession. By understanding yourself you will gain an insight into the type of work culture and job activities which may appeal to you.
Consider all the activities you have chosen to do, or have done in
the past. This could include the sports you play, voluntary work or
activities you take part in outside university. Why do you enjoy these activities?
For example, if you like carpentry, it could be the problem-solving
aspect that appeals, or perhaps you enjoy creating things. Your
enthusiasm to play sport could be because working in a team appeals to
you, or maybe you enjoy the drive and determination required to ensure
win a game.
The value in knowing your own personality type lies in being able to direct your study and your career path towards elements of your profession that best match you.
- My personality worksheet (Word 22kb - opens in a new window). This worksheet contains some questions to answer which will help you to better understand the relationship between your personality type and your career choice.
- Free online personality test
Your values and beliefs
Think about what you value. Your personal values are your core beliefs which motivate you and influence how you behave in any given situation. Values shape who you are and what you want to achieve with your life. They determine the decisions you make and what you accomplish.
In employment you are more likely to experience job satisfaction if there is a match between your values and those of your employer and your workplace. You will also have expectations about working conditions, the type of relationships you have with your boss and co-workers and the purpose and meaning of your work, all of which will be shaped by your values and beliefs.
By fully exploring your values and beliefs you will be in a better position to make informed choices about the focus of your future employment and the type of employer or employment situation you want.
- Career values worksheet (Word 32kb - opens in a new window). This worksheet will help you to clarify your most important values in relation to employment.
Your skills and knowledge
What are your transferrable skills and knowledge? Your UniSA degree will develop your discipline specific skills and knowledge. This is listed as UniSA's first graduate quality. The remaining six Graduate Qualities refer to skills and knowledge that move with you no matter what job you have or degree you study. In making study to career decisions it is these transferrable skills and knowledge that will guide you.
Later on, when you are preparing your resume and participating in employment interviews it will be essential that you have a concise understanding of your strongest skills and areas of knowledge. These strengths represent your points of difference, or competitive advantage over other candidates seeking the same position as you.
Consider your own areas of strength within these:
- A willingness to continue to learn
- Effective problem solving skills
- The ability to work both collaboratively and autonomously
- A strong sense of social responsibility
- Excellent communication skills
- An international perspective
Consider what areas of your profession will best suit your strengths - and how you can improve in other areas.
- Transferrable skills assessment worksheet (Word 52kb - opens in a new window).
- Employability skills assessment worksheet (Word 86kb - opens in a new window).
Your experience
Experience. The difference. UniSA's motto tells you exactly what the university believes a well rounded higher education should be. Incorporating real world experience into academic study is one of the best ways to maximise learning outcomes and enhance career opportunities. You could draw on your current employment, groups or clubs you belong to, and you can take on work experience either through your studies or extracurricular.
Make choices in your study that maximise your learning through experience. Review your progress through the previous sections. What have you learnt about:
- Your personality type
- Your strengths that you can capitalise on
- Your challenges to overcome
- Your areas for improvement
What type of experiences can you apply for and what will be of most help to you?
Top Tip
List the activities that you intend to undertake for each year of your degree that will help you maximise your study time. This may include subscribing to a professional journal, joining a professional body, or taking on tasks at work that you can use in your studies.