Know Thyself: Specific Assessment Exercise – Previous Work Experiences

Have you ever had a job that made you completely miserable? Have you ever dreaded the thought of going to sleep at night because you knew that the sooner you fell asleep, the sooner you'd have wake up and face another day at work? Perhaps you had a problem boss that made life at work intolerable. Maybe the tasks you had to perform were excruciatingly tedious.

On the other hand, maybe you've had a job that you really enjoyed. You worked with vibrant and dynamic people who excited you and inspired you to perform at your best. The tasks you performed were interesting and invigorating. Your job gave you a sense of purpose.

In reality, most jobs are not entirely positive or entirely negative. Regardless of the amount of pleasure or torture that you derived from it, examining your previous work experiences will help you identify what features you like or dislike in a job.

What the Assessment Entails

Look back at all or several of the jobs you have held and for each write down:

• What drew you to the job (e.g., salary/need for money, location, learning opportunities)?

• What you liked about the job (e.g., pay, boss, colleagues, location, hours, routine, benefits, autonomy, ability to teach, ability to learn, ability to supervise, fast/slow pace)?

• What you disliked about the job (e.g., pay, boss, colleagues, hours, routine, lack of autonomy, location, feeling out of control, lack of opportunity for advancement, fast/slow pace, lack of resources)?

• What you learned regarding work/career factors (e.g., how to deal with difficult people, how to perform a new procedure/test, budgeting, how to use a new computer system/piece of equipment)? Was what you learned useful for subsequent jobs?

• What you learned regarding your personality (e.g., only want to work nights/days, want to have autonomy, want variety, want to work with kids/adults/elderly/disabled population, want/don't want to be a supervisor, want to work in a non-traditional setting)? Was what you learned useful for subsequent jobs?

In reviewing your answers, highlight the features you repeatedly liked/dislike. Try to identify what kind of job will maximize what you liked, and minimize (or avoid) what you disliked.

How Assessment Can Be Useful

This assessment allows you to see patterns in your previous work experience. It also allows you to see where you have changed over time. For example, maybe when you started your career, you were focused on career advancement. You were willing to work long hours and you often accepted tasks that others were unwilling to perform. Now you find yourself a little older and a little less focused on getting ahead. Perhaps you've started a family and have taken on a mortgage. Your focus is now on stability. You enjoy working regular hours and travelling less or not at all. Your career is still important to you, but you aren't as willing to sacrifice other aspects of your life for it.

This article is one of a series about self assessment exercises. See also: getting started, personality testing, self assessment tips, early life/ideal childhood job, goals, motivations, skills, values, work at home, and work environments.

Know Thyself: Specific Assessment Exercise – Previous Work Experiences

What the Assessment Entails

How Assessment Can Be Useful

Discuss This Article

Find a Job

Things To Do

About the Author

Cynthia M Piccolo

Link to This Article