How would you describe yourself? How would others describe you? Sometimes, our personality traits and characteristics can give us great insight into the types of careers in which we can be happy. While I have met some joke-telling, backslapping accountants, there are a few more people like that in the field of sales. Some career counselors, like John Holland, who developed the "The Self-Directed Search" assessment device, believe that people with certain personality types are more often found in certain career fields. Take a look at the following traits and characteristics, and circle the ones that seem to describe you best.
| Abstract | Disloyal | Methodical |
| Adventurous | Domineering | Orderly |
| Ambitious | Driven | Practical |
| Analytical | Easygoing | Quick learner |
| Artistic | Extroverted | Risk-taking |
| Assertive | Focused | Self-confident |
| Businesslike | Goal-directed | Self-starter |
| Cautious | Honest | Sense of humor |
| Compassionate | Humble | Sensitive |
| Complacent | Idealistic | Shy |
| Concrete | Impulsive | Strong work ethic |
| Conformist | Insensitive | Supportive |
| Creative | Introverted | Tactful |
| Critical | Intuitive | Team player |
| Curious | Kind | Trusting |
| Dedicated | Loyal | Upbeat |
| Discreet |
Once again, the value of this exercise will be far greater if you can ask one or two people to look over your list. You may even want to make photocopies of the sheet and ask them to critique you independently and anonymously. Compare your self-perceptions to the perceptions held by others. Sometimes you will see conflicts, but other times you may find near-universal agreement. When you have finished this exercise, move on to the next section on values.
Identify Your Values
Just as it is important for you to think about who you are and what you have to
offer, it is also important that you spend some time thinking about what you are
looking for. A big part of this involves deciding what you value. To complete this
exercise, write each of the following values down on index cards. Then pick up
two cards and decide: "Which of these two things is more important to me?" Take
the card that finished in second place and start a pile. Pick up another card and
"run it against" the first card. Continue to do this until you have one card that
"beats" all of the others. Then continue this for second place, etc. You should end
up with a ranking of the values from the following list.
| Challenge | Money |
| Creativity | Opportunity for advancement |
| Direction from others | Power |
| Fringe benefits | Recognition |
| Helping people | Routine |
| Independence | Security |
| Leisure (vacation, etc.) | Variety |
You now have a better picture of who you are. You have reminded yourself of and recorded your past triumphs and challenges. You have painted a picture of yourself that includes those experiences, as well as the strengths and weaknesses you possess. You have given thought to your values, and to what you really need and want from a job. You have also given some thought as to how your disability may impact your career choice.
Hopefully, these self-evaluation exercises have helped to illustrate a point: Your disability is but one stone in the mosaic of who you are. How many of your weaknesses are direct results of your disability? Probably not many. Most people have myriad strengths and weaknesses. They may excel at certain types of tasks, yet they may struggle with others. This fact is true regardless of whether or not they have a disability. For most people, the key is to know what those strengths and weaknesses are, and then to apply for jobs that require the skills that they have, and to avoid applying for jobs that require skills that they do not possess.