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Module 1: Self-Assessment

OGL 482: Pro Seminar II

Trista Guzman
March 19, 20204
Jennifer Reyna
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I find the Kuder Career Interests Assessment highly accurate, particularly in its matching

of individuals with suitable professions. According to the assessment, there is a significant

number of people who share similar interests to mine, and interestingly, one such profession is

dental hygiene—coincidentally, my own profession for nearly a decade. Throughout my years as

a dental hygienist, I've noticed a strong camaraderie among colleagues in the field, indicative of

our shared interests. It's unsurprising given that our daily work revolves around the meticulous

cleaning and appreciation of teeth, which we collectively find beautiful.

My Holland Code was SI/E, which accurately reflects my preferences. I scored low in the

realistic category, which I agree with as I don't have much interest in working with tools,

machines, or animals. It was surprising to me that I don't enjoy working with animals,

considering I aspired to be a veterinarian as a child. However, as an adult, it's not something I

would pursue. While I still love animals and have an interest in livestock such as horses and

cows, I don't desire to have dogs or cats as pets. Interestingly, most of the recommended

occupations to explore were all healthcare-related, aligning well with my current profession.

The majors suggested for exploration align closely with fields I've previously considered.

For instance, one recommendation was early childhood education, a path I pondered before

pursuing dental hygiene school. The accuracy of the Kuder Career Interests Assessment is quite

surprising. It's remarkable how a test can effectively pinpoint what suits an individual best, even

though the questions may seem unrelated to career options at first glance.

In Peter F. Drucker's article "Managing Oneself" (2005, January), there was a statement

that caught my attention. It mentioned that people often believe they know their strengths, but in
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reality, they might not. I resonate with this idea because the fear of failure can cloud one's

perception of their abilities. Taking self-assessments offers deeper insight into one's strengths as

it provides an objective evaluation, free from emotional biases in answering the questions.

The assessment accurately provided career recommendations, including my current

profession as a dental hygienist. However, I am now contemplating a change in my career path.

Completing the self-assessments has been invaluable in providing me with additional insights

into potential career paths that might be a better fit than my current profession. One of the

suggestions I've considered is becoming a speech pathologist, which I find intriguing. It's

interesting to note that this option was presented, especially considering my daughter's initial

interest in the field. Despite her initial aspiration to become a speech pathologist, she later found

through her shadowing experiences that it wasn't the right fit for her.

The results of the Kuder Skills Confidence Assessment revealed a Holland Code of I/SE,

mirroring the findings of the Kuder Career Interests Assessment. This similarity was surprising

to me, as I had anticipated different outcomes due to the varying nature of the questions.

Interestingly, the suggested careers to explore and majors to consider were also identical.

Prior to this course, I had previously taken self-assessments for a dental office to ascertain

whether I would be a good fit for their team. Additionally, platforms like Dental Post, a job

posting website, offer self-assessment options. In one instance, I was required to undergo a self-

assessment for a dental office position, but unfortunately, I wasn't offered the job because the

dentist was seeking a candidate with a specific score. I find this situation intriguing because I

don't believe self-assessments alone should determine one's suitability for a job. Despite getting

along well with everyone, I was surprised that I wasn't selected based solely on a score.
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My primary anchor career was security, stability, organizational identity, with

autonomy/independence as my secondary anchor. The autonomy anchor resonates with me and

corresponds well with my current role. In my position, I largely work independently and have the

freedom to prioritize tasks according to my judgment when caring for patients. I prefer to

manage patient flow in the manner I deem most effective, as I believe I am best equipped to

prevent falling behind in my duties.

My primary anchor aligns closely with my personal life as I prioritize maintaining a

strong relationship with my children. Security and stability, as described, entail having strong

roots in a particular region and having family nearby. While I originally hail from Wyoming,

where most of my family resides, I made the decision to relocate to a state where I don't have any

family besides my children. Despite this, I have worked diligently to establish security and

stability for them, and it remains a priority for me to maintain it.

I believe that self-assessments can evolve over time, and what may be accurate today

might not necessarily align with who you are in the future. People are constantly growing and

adapting to the changing world around them. In the past, I have taken the Kolbe assessment and

scored 6816. This assessment measures how individuals approach tasks when there are no

restrictions and they can be themselves, without right or wrong answers. While I find this

assessment to be accurate, I question whether it's a reliable indicator of being a good employee.

My score on the Kolbe assessment closely matched those of other hygienists, indicating

that we shared similar preferences when it came to what we sought in a dental office

environment. For us, enjoyment and fun were paramount, and this statement resonates with me. I

am willing to remain at an office as long as there is a balance between work and play. However,
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if the environment becomes overly stressful or negative, I will leave because it no longer aligns

well with my needs and preferences.

When I took The Big Five Personality Test during a previous course, the results surprised

me. I found myself scoring in the middle for all the categories except for one, where I scored

high: agreeableness. Despite not consciously trying to be agreeable, I realized that I can indeed

be very understanding and tend to see both sides of a situation, which often leads me to agree

with others.

However, I was taken aback by not scoring higher in other categories, particularly in

work ethic. At one point, I have been described as a workaholic, and I currently hold two jobs,

leaving me with very little time for anything else. It feels like my life revolves around work, so I

had expected my work ethic to reflect that dedication more prominently in the test results.

I've previously taken the DISC assessment for a course and also for a job opportunity. I

regret not having retained the results from the first time I took it back in 2016, as I would have

liked to compare them to see if my responses have changed over time. In my most recent

assessment, I scored highest on steadiness and influence. I believe this result accurately reflects

my personality. The dentist I work with perceives me as an influential figure within the team,

and it's true that my colleagues often come to me with questions, particularly regarding their

future career plans.

In reflecting on past self-assessment tests that could aid in my growth as a leader, I find

both the DISC and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to be valuable options. The Myers-Briggs

Type Indicator, in particular, delves into an individual's personality type and psychological
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preferences. In my own assessment, I was classified as a "defender," a designation that resonates

with me due to my friendly, responsible, and reserved nature.

I believe this assessment can provide insight into one's leadership style and offer growth

opportunities. Rather than viewing fitting into different categories as inherently good or bad, it

allows individuals to understand where they stand as leaders and how they can evolve from their

current position. It serves as a tool for self-reflection and development, guiding individuals on a

path toward becoming the leaders they aspire to be.

Throughout my academic journey in organizational leadership, I've discerned the type of

leader I presently am and the one I aspire to become. These courses have offered insights into the

motivations behind my manager's decisions. Initially perplexed by their approach, my studies

have equipped me with a deeper appreciation and comprehension of their leadership style.
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Reference

Drucker, P. F.. (2005, January). Managing oneself. Harvard Business Review. (This
article is an excerpt from Drucker’s seminal work, Management Challenges for the
21st Century, HarperCollins, 1999)
Career Assessment, Pathways Planning System Login: Kuder journey. Kuder Journey®. (n.d.).

https://journey.kuder.com/home/dashboard

The “Big 5” self-assessment :https://www.123test.com/personality-test/ e.

Kolbe A Assessment https://www.kolbe.com/what-is-a-personality-test

The “DiSC” – this one is really interesting and worth a shot if you have never taken it before:

https://www.123test.com/disc-personality-test/