The Process of Self-Discovery
Dina Carrington
Saint Leo University
Dr. V. Rose
February 23, 2014

Abstract
Self-discovery can be a hard task to tackle. Part of self-discovery is determining your values, goals, strengths and weaknesses. Once a person has determined what their values, goals, strengths and weaknesses are, they can set a solid foundation for a rewarding career. A person should have a passion for their career and knowing whom you are and what you want to do is the first part. This paper will describe the process of self-discovery through personal career goals, learning your strengths, improving your weaknesses, what career skills are required and why, as well as, how to identify the components of a career plan and why it is important to determine your path early in life. Some methods used to determine self-discovery are Myers-Biggs Type Indicator (MBTI) instrument by Carl Jung, Career Interest Profiler, General Mental Ability (GMA) introduced by Spearman, and Strength Finders 2.0.

The Process of Self-Discovery
A person’s values are a set of standards or beliefs that are important to them; these basic standards also guide our choices in regards to right and wrong behavior. We derive some of our values from our family, friends and environment. Some values that may be important to you are: being honest, healthy, knowledgeable, respected, or leading. When a person understands their values, they can establish authentic and gratifying goals. We use our values to steer our aspirations. Goals are the desired outcome, or what we are striving for. It is useful to rank your values and goals in order of importance. A person may have short term goals and long term goals, and it is important to know which ones you want to complete first. Some people find it easy to create a list of goals and another list to show what they have to do to achieve that goal; personal goals link to career goals. Some organizations use the acronym SMART denotes “specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound” (Nelson & Quick, 2013, p. 204).
Discovery
First, you have to determine what career path will be. Dr. Joe Pace states, there are four phases to reach your career goals; “Preparation, Performance, Proof and Progress” (Dr. Pace, 2006, p. 21). In the preparation phase, a person has to know what they need to prepare to achieve their goal. A person needs to know what courses to take in school, what skills they need to learn to be effective, what certifications they should obtain, and seeking a mentor in that career industry. He or she needs to set performance goals and aim to reach those. In your career goals, you want to monitor how well you are doing, and that can be a measure by performance evaluations within your organization. You may want to ask yourself questions such as, am I meeting my sales quota? Or, has my customer service percentile improved? A performance evaluation will give a person proof if he is meeting his goal. Performance also deals with attitudes and behaviors at work which, correlates to job satisfaction. A person should be satisfied with their career choice in dimensions of income, advancement, management, and colleague. Proof can be in a form of a diploma or certification or job satisfaction questionnaire. These types of proof show that you are getting closer to your goal by completing them. When a person completes a phase and has proof this shows growth. Progress can be in the form of a raise, new position, or some form of recognition. These four phases help guide you toward achieving your goal. In the preparation phase, a person also learns what their strengths and weakness are. Knowing your strengths increases your skills and abilities. According to General mental ability (GMA) (1904), “It is defined as an individual’s innate cognitive intelligence. In studies both in the United States and abroad, evidence indicates that GMA is the single best predictor of work performance across many occupations” (Spearman, 1904, p. 203). Your skills are something you have learned and are great at doing, and your ability is your talent. Skills can be carried with you from profession to profession this process is referred to as, transferable skills (Dr. Pace, 2006, p. 11). Some of the basic transferable skills are being able to communicate with others, computer skills, writing and being able to organize. Sometimes strengths are easily learned and sometimes these skills have to be developed. There are tests that can be taken to see what skills you are strong in and which ones need work. There are programs like Strength Finders 2.0, I Seek Skills assessment and mindtools.com. Some of these are as simple as answering questions honestly, and others help you create a learning plan to improve your skills. Weaknesses are skills that have not been developed yet. A person that works to improve those weaknesses is creating another building block of skills. Throughout your career, you can develop new strengths. Knowing your strong suit will help you choose the best career path.
Career Choice A person should look at what direction a career can take them. There are many paths a career can lead to and different ladders on that path to climb. For instance, you could work in the information systems technology field and grow from a help desk operator to the Director of IT. For example, a career path in management can have different ladder in management like, finance or accounting. By way of illustration, I have included a small chart that shows the career path Finance and a few career ladders a person in that field may want to climb.

Finance (Dr. Pace, 2006, p. 38)
It is important to do your research for the best career path and ladder that align with your skills and abilities. Whichever career you choose you should develop a career plan to stay on track. After completing college, earning certifications and knowing your strengths, it is time to create a career plan. Business Dictionary.com states that career planning is, “structured exercise undertaken to identify one’s objectives, marketable skills, strengths, and weaknesses as part of one’s career management” (Unknown, Business Dictionary, 2014). Other components of your career plan are writing a resume, promoting you, networking and interviewing. There are many tools to help write a resume. Microsoft word has preinstalled templates and the internet are filled with templates and ideas geared for self-promotion. Basic resume has the same information on it: name, contact information, objectives skills, education and employment history. There are two main types of resumes you can complete, Chronological or Functional. The chronological resume lists past employment and education starting with the most recent. The functional resume, highlights schooling and training experiences. Each resume should be tailored to the job you are applying for using key words and action terms. Your resume will promote you on paper, but you have to promote yourself in person. When a person promotes them they dress well and take pride in their appearance. They also use proper manners, greeting techniques and clear communication. Communication is another form of networking. Networking can be done with co-workers, friends, former employers, or club affiliation. When a person networks with others, they are building a relationship in which each person can help. When searching for work use people in your network they may know of someone who can further assist you in your search. Once you have completed applications and received a call for an interview you should prepare. One of the first steps in preparing for an interview is looking up the business. Finding out what their company values are and if they align with your values. Next, check to see if you meet all of the requirements for the job in which, you are applying. Know what the major duties and responsibilities are. Ask other workers if they like the work environment. Watch to see if employees are happy about being at work. Practice answering questions with a partner. Plan your route to the interview ahead of time to ensure that you are familiar with the location. Driving the route also gives you an idea about how long it will take you to get there. Arrive early! Write down questions you may have and take a pen and paper. These are a few ways to prepare for your interview. When speaking to the person hiring, be confident in your skills and abilities. Interviewing can be stressful yet if you can be confident that can decrease the stress level. (Dr. Pace, 2006, p. 32). After the interview, sending a thank you note to the interviewer has become common. It lets the hiring person know that you appreciated their time, and they are more likely to remember you. The process of defining your personal career is long but important to determine early. Getting the job can be hard, and it may not happen the first time. However, when you do get the career, you have been waiting for it may be useful to use the Career Stage Model. This model breaks down careers into a “series of stages through which individuals pass during their working lives” (Nelson & Quick, 2013, p. 634). First, there is Establishment, in this stage people learn their place and start to fit in at the organization. Advancement is the next stage and people start concentrating on moving up in the business. The third stage is maintenance; in this stage a person is trying to be as productive as possible during which, they assess their career goals. The final stage is withdrawal; a person starts to ask themselves about retirement or changing career paths. It is important to determine these career goals early because the sooner it is done the quicker you can obtain your goals. This process takes time, and there are a lot of steps to cover when doing so.
Results
As previously discussed, there are different types of tests to determine self-discovery. Strengths Finders 2.0 consists of questions that help determine what your strengths are. This test is conducted by Gallup. This test can be taken in different languages and not only that this assessment helps you “discover and describes your talents” (Rath, 2010, p. 24). Another popular test is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Career Report and Strong Interest Inventory. This test can tell you how to make sustaining decisions about your education and career. It gives you the results for General Occupation Themes and highlights which ones your tested the strongest. The themes are Conventional, Enterprising, Social, Investigative, and Realistic. After the themes, it generates your five top interest areas and your areas of least interest. The strong interest inventory profile ends with your top ten strongest occupations and personality style scales. The personality style scales tells you if you like working alone or if you work well with others as well as if you like to lead or be lead. The career report explains your personality style combined with the strong interest results to your occupations. This report can be in excess of 20 pages long depending on your answers. These tests are a great way to help you determine your career path. The tests are time-consuming, but the benefit is worth your time and effort. The process of self-discovery can take some time to complete, and that is why it should be done early in adulthood. We have to learn what our values, beliefs and goals are in order to start the discovery process. They are the building blocks of our determination and success in the career paths we choose. In addition, there are tools that can help you determine whom you are and what career path would be good for you.

References
Dr. Pace, J. (2006). The Workplace: Chart Your Career. Book Four. New York: The McGraw-Hill: Beth Mejia.
Dr. Pace, J. (2006). The Workplace: Personal Skills for Success. Book Three. New York: The McGraw-Hill.
Dr. Pace, J. (2006). The Workplace: Today and Tomorrow. Book One. . New York, NY: The MaGraw-Hill.
Goldman, J. (2000). Webster's new Pocket Dictionary. Cleveland, OH: Wiley Publishing, Inc.
Nelson, L. D., & Quick, C. J. (2013). Oganizational Behavior: Science, The Real World, and You. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage.
Rath, T. (2010). Strength Finders 2.0. New York: Gallup, Inc.
Spearman, C. (1904). Genreal Intelligence: Objectively Determined and Measured. American Journal of Psychology 15, 201-293.
Unknown. (1996-2014, February 20). Career Skills. Retrieved from Mind Tools, LTD: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_CDV.htm
Unknown. (2014, February 22). Business Dictionary. Retrieved from WebFinance, Inc: www.businessdictionary.com/definition/career-planning.html