So, tell me…what are your strengths?

My goodness, I hate this question in job interviews!  It’s the one question that I know is coming and I never feel like I can give that perfect answer.  Surprisingly, even though I like to talk and tend to be an “open book” when it comes to my life (come on, I have a blog ;)), I have a really difficult time coming up with my “strengths” because I tend to be EXTREMELY critical when it comes to myself.  I usually say something like, “I give 110% to anything I do” or that “I enjoy researching and problem-solving” and pray that those answers are the perfect blend of confidence and modesty.

However, thanks to my motivation and emotion in education class, I will have the perfect answers AND I can back it up :)  For class, our professor had us read this book called Strengths Finder 2.0

 Picture is linked to the title on Amazon.

Basically, this book does exactly what it says:  help you find your strengths.  Here is the description from Amazon (I think it sums it up better than I ever could! ;))

DO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHAT YOU DO BEST EVERY DAY?
Chances are, you don't. All too often, our natural talents go untapped. From the cradle to the cubicle, we devote more time to fixing our shortcomings than to developing our strengths.
To help people uncover their talents, Gallup introduced the first version of its online assessment, StrengthsFinder, in the 2001 management book Now, Discover Your Strengths. The book spent more than five years on the bestseller lists and ignited a global conversation, while StrengthsFinder helped millions to discover their top five talents.
In its latest national bestseller, StrengthsFinder 2.0, Gallup unveils the new and improved version of its popular assessment, language of 34 themes, and much more (see below for details). While you can read this book in one sitting, you'll use it as a reference for decades.
Loaded with hundreds of strategies for applying your strengths, this new book and accompanying website will change the way you look at yourself -- and the world around you -- forever.

Anyway, it has an online “quiz” that you take to help you find your strengths.  The quiz gives you statement and you give it a rating according to your own experience.  It asks questions like “I have a hard time getting motivated to do work” or “I enjoy being around a group of people”.  Anyway, it only gives you 20 seconds per question to make sure you’re giving your “gut reaction”.

After you answer the questions, you receive your themes based on your answers.  Along with the themes, you are also given examples of how you can utilize your strengths in your life.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with my results, but I have to say, the descriptions were eerily pretty accurate (there are more detailed descriptions, but I’m giving you the one-liners at the top :))

My themes were:

1. Learner – Learners have a great desire to learn and continuously improve.  In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excite them.
2. Achiever – Achievers have a great deal of stamina and work hard.  They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.
3. Input – People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more.  Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.
4. Focus – People who are especially talented in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary to stay on track.  They prioritize, then act.
5. Individualization - People who are especially talented in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They have a gift for figuring out how people who are
   different can work together productively.

These five things pretty much describe me to a tee!  I, of course, love to learn (I mean, who else is crazy enough to keep going back to school after you graduate…twice!) and a bit of a perfectionist (achiever and focus). 

Not only do the descriptions match, but the action items (how to integrate them into your life) are right along with my career goals.  For example, under the “Learner” theme, it told me to shift my career toward a field of technology because it was constantly changing and I would enjoy the challenge of keeping up (glad to know I’m getting a degree in the right field! :)) and of course to go back to school to get other degrees/certificates.

The most scary part is that it said “Because you are not threatened by unfamiliar information, you would excel in a consulting role”…which I have totally been considering as a career.  Creepy!!

Anyway, it was really neat to see what they thought my strengths were and I’m still sorting through the vast amount of resources that they give to help you utilize these strengths :)

This is a great book so no matter what field you’re in (it is used most often for businesses, but will work for anyone), it is a great resource to have.  Now, when I get asked the question “So, what are you strengths?” I can confidently give an answer and have data to back it up :)