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:
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? |