2 Looking at Your Strengths and Values: Self Reflection
Lynn Meade
Your portfolio is as unique as you are. When considering what to include, you should always think about your purpose and your audience. Whether you crafting your portfolio to use as part of a graduate school admission packet, for your career packet, or as a way to showcase your skills for an unknown future audience, you will likely want to talk about your strengths and values and also share any high impact learning opportunities you have had.
Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.
Oscar Wilde
Highlight Your Strengths and Values
You should start the portfolio process by brainstorming. List what you believe to be your top strengths, ask your friends and family what they consider to be your top strengths, and take some online assessments that will tell you more about your strengths and values. Take the time to brainstorm fully before you begin writing.
Step One: Take Self Assessments
Take Assessments to Find Out More About Your Strengths and Values
1. The High Five Test 120 questions
2. Myers Briggs -Jung Typology 60 questions
3. Personal Values Assessment (10-15 minutes)
4.The Big Five OCEAN -60 questions
5. The Enneagram 105 questions
6. DISC Personality Test 54 questions
Clifton Strengths Finder: This one requires a fee or institutional membership. Check with your school to see if they have an account.
There is a lot of debate about which of these is the most accurate and which ones should be used for career applications. There is also debate about how much meaning we should give the results. I am avoiding this discussion altogether by suggesting that you use these tests as a brainstorming tool to get started thinking about and writing about yourself. Once you get your results, you can agree or disagree with them entirely, but at least you now have some ideas to consider.
Step Two: Ask Others to Evaluate You
Ask Others to Evaluate You
Ask three different people to complete these questions about you. The results are much richer if you pick people from different groups: friends, teachers, co-workers, coaches, and parents. Copy this quick questionnaire into an email or paste it into a document so that you can print it and then distribute it to a variety of people.
Please rate me on a scale of 1 -5 for each of these attributes.
1= Not at all and 5 = Extremely
- Self Confident
- Cooperative
- Problem-solver
- Defiant
- Open to new ideas
- Reliable
- Agreeable
- Imaginative
- Creative
- Organized
- Hard Worker
- Flexible
- Team-Oriented
- Leadership Material
What one word best describes me?
What story could I tell to a potential employer that really defines my character?
What are three main strengths I possess that would interest an employer?
What are three weaknesses that I need to work on overcoming?
Adapted from an activity in Communicate by Communication Research Association
Step Three: Write Down Thoughts About Yourself
Exercises: Brainstorming to Help You Think About Your Strengths
I see myself as a ____________________
People describe me as _____________________
What sets me apart is____________________
Most people would say my strengths are____
People often comment on my ability to _____
If I were to be a part of this career/graduate program, I would contribute by adding my______
If someone were telling a potential client about me, they would say_____
Step Four: Look at Ways that Others Have Highlighted Their Strengths
Examine Ways That Others Highlighted Their Strengths and Values in a Portfolio
Look at these portfolios and see how each highlighted their strengths and values in a way that was unique to them and their audience.
Kennedie Hudson highlights her character strengths.
Sam Beskind highlights his values
Step Five: Make a List of the Types of Things that an Employer or Graduate School Want to See
Once you determine your strengths and values, you should think about your target audience and then try to use examples that might interest them. Make a list of keywords that you think an employer or graduate school will be looking for in your portfolio. You can do that by looking at the job descriptions for a particular type of job or you can research the industry to see the types of things that they value. For example, I am very creative and do painting, I make mosaics, and I write creative pieces. These are not relevant to many of the jobs that I would apply for so I would not use them as examples. Rather, when I talk about creativity as a trait of mine, I want to use examples such as creative fundraising campaigns that I led if I am applying to a not-for-profit organization or I might talk about creative assignments that I have created when writing to academic audiences.
Where Will You Use The Information?
Your strengths and values will be sprinkled throughout your portfolio. They will be on your About Me page as you write important things about who you are, they will be part of your career competencies, and may even decide to make separate pages to highlight particular strengths. By emphasizing your strengths, you are not only acknowledging your unique capabilities but also presenting a distinct narrative that can set you apart
Conclusion
The journey of creating and curating your portfolio is a powerful exploration of self-awareness and is one of the first steps toward personal branding. Taking the time to do a deep dive into your strengths by looking inward, taking a strengths assessment, and asking for feedback from others will provide you with rich ideas that you can use when building your professional portfolio. As you navigate the exciting paths ahead, find ways to showcase your strengths in ways that are meaningful to your audience.
Key Takeaways
- The process of portfolio building begins with self-reflection.
- Take strengths and personality assessments to give you ideas for personal strengths you might want to highlight in your portfolio.
- Looking at the portfolios of others can be helpful to help you brainstorm ways to write about your strengths.
- Ask others to assess you as part of the reflection process.
- Consider the expectations of the audience and be willing to match your strengths accordingly.
