Knowing Yourself

Start with a good assessment of who you are. This includes exploring your interests, values, skills, goals, and personality. There are many tools you can use to help with this process, such as TypeFocus, Strong Interest Inventory, MBTI, and StrengthsQuest.

The CSUSM Career Center offers a variety of the above tools and assessments. Career counseling appointments that will take you deeper into these areas of personal assessment are also available. They will help match you with careers that fit your interests and help you narrow down your choices for a major. You can find out more about their services at the Virtual Career Center.

If you are a first year student, we highly recommend you take GEL 101: The Student, The University and The Community. GEL 101 is a course designed specifically for first year students to help you with your transition to college. Special sections are designed specifically for undeclared students to further explore your self-assessments and career options.

Use the following chart to begin exploring your interests, values and skills:

Knowing Yourself Matrix
What are my INTERESTS?	What are my VALUES?	What SKILLS do I have?
Working with children	Family	Speaking
Being outdoors	Adventure	Working with people
Reading books	Knowledge	Leading
Programming computers	Security	Creating
Meeting people	Power	Lab skills
Building things	Personal Consistency	Athletically inclined
Analyzing systems	Money or Wealth	Artistic
Teaching others	Beauty or Aesthetics	Entertaining
Scientific research	Recognition	Detail oriented
Creating	Leisure	Organized
Helping others	Independence	Outgoing
Selling things	Friendship	Writing
Playing sports	Helping others	Self-motivated
Traveling	Creativity	Programming
Raising money	Variety	Inventing
Talking about politics	Advancement	Managing people
Managing	Authority	Team building
Using a microscope	Personal development	Designing
Socializing	Physical activity	Investigating
Planning events	Stability	Outdoors oriented
Giving advice	Prestige	Teaching
Studying finances	Social interaction	Budgeting
Other interests?	Other values?	Other skills?

Advisor Tip:

Get input from your family, friends, teachers, employers, and mentors. Ask them what they think you would be good at! Use all this information as you research career fields.