WHO ARE YOU? You may answer this seemingly simple question by giving your name, or describing yourself as a business studies student or a software programmer.
But have you ever truly explored who you are in depth? Have you identified your talents, your transferable skills, the skills and knowledge you most enjoy using, the values you respect or the impact you wish to make on others?
These are tough questions, but when it comes to the big decisions in life it pays to engage in a little introspection.
Few people get married without first considering if their potential partner will be a good fit in terms of personality, goals and what they want from life.
We should apply the same kind of attention to managing our careers.
Unless we know ourselves inside out, we cannot make informed choices. And without passion, which comes from knowing ourselves and how we want to make a difference, we will not have the consistent drive to succeed.
Self-awareness is a powerful career tool that can be applied throughout your career. We all change over time, so it pays to reconsider your motivations and passions whenever you change direction, assume new responsibilities or make decisions about training and education.
