Know Yourself

To develop a fulfilling career, you need to be attuned to your core interests and values—and be savvy
about the skills you bring to market.

Why self-knowledge is important

To manage your career effectively, you need to know yourself well. When you are self-aware, you
can ask for the opportunities, supports, and rewards you need.

You will deliver your best effort for your company when you know:

 Your core interests

 Your values
 Your strongest skills

Understanding your interests, values, and skills allows you to determine:

 Which job activities give you the most meaning

 What things motivate you most
 What kinds of environments you prefer to work in
 What abilities you possess and which you need to develop

It’s important to stop and periodically assess your career priorities. It’s easy to mistake a job you do
well for one that satisfies you. If you’re not engaged, you may eventually become burned out.
Discover core interests

When you make career decisions, look to satisfy your core interests first.

Why? Research shows that a strong "interests match" with a job generates the greatest likelihood of
satisfaction. You can usually learn needed skills; it’s harder to build a sense of connection to work
that doesn’t interest you. A job that addresses your deep-seated interests will keep you engaged and
resilient.

What are core interests? Core interests reflect how you engage with the world. For instance, you may
have a core interest in quantitative analysis, and spend your free time tracking the statistics of all
your favorite teams. You may love to influence people through language and ideas—and run a
personal blog.

Researchers have identified eight common core interests. You may be motivated by more than one of
these.
Identify values

Your career will be most satisfying when it is consistent with your work values. Work values are the
rewards that motivate you most on the job.
People are motivated to some degree by many values. There are no “wrong” values. Candidly
identify which values are most important to you, and seek career opportunities accordingly.

If your current job doesn’t provide rewards that match your values, discuss your concerns with your
manager. Propose an adjustment. For instance, you may be highly compensated, but one of your
strongest values is lifestyle flexibility. The answer might be to take a salary or bonus reduction in
exchange for a four-day workweek. On the other hand, if financial reward is a major motivator for
you, perhaps your boss could create monetary performance incentives for you.

Assess your skills

No matter where you are in your career, it’s important to assess your skills. This helps you set “next
step” developmental goals. Being able to articulate your skills also helps you make the case to your
manager or sponsor that you’re ready for a bigger project or greater role.

Brainstorm a list of your skills. These might include:

After you’ve reviewed your skills, ask yourself:

 Do I have any skills that are overlooked or underused in my current job? If so, how can I
harness them?

 Do I have any significant gaps between my current skill set and the skills I’ll need to grow?

 What skills would be logical for me to develop next?

Deepen self-awareness
Interests, values, and skills create a powerful guide for what kinds of jobs will satisfy and allow you
to excel.

It may be easy to recognize some of your interests, values, and skills. For instance, you might
think: “I know I have always loved being in charge—it makes sense that enterprise control is a core
interest” or “I value collegiality—I have a hard time staying motivated if I don’t feel connection with
my coworkers.” But there may be aspects of your interests and values of which you are less aware.
To develop a more complete picture of your interests, values, and skills, gather input from several
sources.
Cultivate your personal brand

What do you stand for in your workplace? Perhaps you’re known as an agile contributor who handles
pressure well. Or perhaps you’re a manager who excels in spotting and developing talent. Positive
views such as these indicate that you’ve cultivated a personal brand.

A personal brand is a shorthand expression of your strengths and skills. It’s the publicly
acknowledged value you contribute. When it comes to career growth, a positive personal brand is
crucial. Leaders consider employees’ personal brands when they decide who to appoint to a
committee, tap for a role, or trust with a major account.

To cultivate your personal brand, make sure to:

 Match your work ethic to your brand. Are you someone who leaves at 5 p.m. because
you’re efficient and a good role model for work/life balance? Are you someone who is known
for investing extra hours to make a tight deadline?

 Communicate your value to leaders. What capabilities have you built through experience?
What can you deliver that others can’t?
  Develop distinctive skills and experiences that support your brand. For instance, do you
have the communication skills to translate what the software engineers have developed to the
sales team who has to sell it? Are you the only executive in the property management group
with an architecture degree?

Read more :

- 6 Body Language Mistakes You Don’t Know You’re Making

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/dailymuse/2015/01/27/
6-body-language-mistakes-you-dont-know-youre-making/&refURL=&referrer=

- 5 Steps to Build Your Personal Brand

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/250924