Strength Comes in Many Forms
‘What are your strengths”? When someone asks me this I shudder while thinking back to my last couple of job interviews, but it’s an important question to consider. In our personal lives and in the work place we all have our strengths and being able to identify them can help you achieve goals and feel happier and more fulfilled. But how do you start this process?
Try to take time to sit down and really think about your strengths truthfully and objectively. This can be quite difficult to do by yourself, so consider asking a friend or partner to do this with you. You can even ask a few people who know you well to get a few different perspectives. Remember to try and ask for specific situations of you portraying strengths, instead of being too general.
Reflect on your passions, your accomplishments and times you felt particularly proud of yourself. What are your talents, your skills and knowledges? Remember to be honest and realistic.
Consider how you can utilise your strengths. How can you put your new-found knowledge into action? Consider creating an action plan to help you reach your goals, they can help you stay on track and identify when you’re moving forward. You can also look for personal and professional development opportunities to increase your strengths, such as workshops, networking events or classes.
If you are still having trouble identifying your strengths, try this online assessment tool:
http://www.viacharacter.org/www/Character-Strengths-Survey
Consider this website when looking to connect with others and find workshops:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/
And this website contains online courses, many of which are free to complete:
Knowing your strengths and additionally your weaknesses can really help you when facing problems, managing stress and feeling more confident in work and in life. Plus, if you go for a job interview and they ask the question, you’ll be able to answer effortlessly (always a bonus!).