Home About Our Blog The Value of SELF AWARENESS in your job search success.

 

Have you ever struggled with the classic interview question;

 

 

An almost unavoidable query in any interview setting, it is important as an interviewee to have a confident grasp on your response to such a question to ensure success in your hunt for that dream role! Whilst in any regular setting it would be unnatural to boast our greatest skills and comfortably highlight our biggest weaknesses your response to this harrowing question could be the difference between progressing toward your dream job and getting a cross through your name on the list of applicants.

 

While, “I’m great at telling jokes”  or “I have completed the Rubix Cube” may seem like viable and impressive responses at the time, they may not entirely be the desired response of your interviewer when discussing your strengths (unless applying for a position in the local talent quest of course).  Equally, while some of us may be great at identifying what it is we are good at, it isn’t always as easy to highlight our weaknesses (or vice versa). This is where a specific and valuable tool comes in to use and I implore you all to make this one of your biggest strengths next time you are asked that tricky question.

 

What I introduce to you in this article is the powerful tool that is self awareness. Unlike many other strengths, this unique and intangible tool manifests itself through an individuals conscious knowledge of their personality, character, feelings, motives, strengths and weaknesses.

 

Deeply rooted in the skill of introspection, self-awareness plays the ultimate part in strategic decision making when it comes to long term decisions such as career choice and must not be ignored. An important lesson when applying self-awareness is that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for everyone and the key to self-awareness in job search success is understanding what it is you have to offer. The skill however, is learning how to find it!

 

Arguably the single greatest preparation tool, self-awareness should be utilised when your thoughts turn to finding a new job, re-entering the workforce, starting up a new business or re-thinking your long term career goals for example.

 

 

1. Create an extensive list of your strengths

 

2. Create an extensive list of your weaknesses

 

3. Create an extensive list of what you enjoy / what industry you would like to work in.

 

Calling upon the opinion of your family and close peers is a great way of collating the necessary information about yourself. When making long term career decisions it is equally important to consider things you love doing, things you are good at and things you need improving on. By cross-referencing the information you have now gathered on yourself the likelihood of setting your target on a realistic and attainable job that you will succeed in is heightened! In the words of successful entrepreneur and investor Gary Vaynerchuk, “The moment you decide to accept your shortcomings and bet entirely on your strengths, things will change!”