PTT: Strengthen Your Career

Professional Tip Tuesday

My sophomore year of college, I was a Resident Assistant in the biggest dorm at the university. It was a lot of fun - but for an entire year I lived and worked in the same building as the 21 other people that made up my staff. And as you can probably imagine, with a group that size we had just about every type of personality.

In the spirit of team building, we had training on ice breakers, fighting fictitious fires, and learning about our strengths.

I loved it all. I couldn't get enough of it.  And the strengths part really hit home for me. Have you ever taken a personality assessment? We took one called StrengthsQuest that gives you your "Top 5". My Top 5 Strengths were: Empathy, Communication, Harmony, Positivity, and WOO (Winning Others Over). 

Today's Professional Tip Tuesday is:

How to take advantage of your strengths in your career.

If you ever get the opportunity through an organization or work to take a personality assessment - do it! They can be sort of silly but it's also kind of fun to read your results.

Below are my 3 tips to using your strengths to further you career:

1. Know what you're working with. 

• Whether you have taken a personality assessment or not, even just thinking through your attributes can be a really awesome way to gain perspective on your personal style. 
• Being aware of what you're good at will help you understand what value you add to a team. 

2. Play to your strengths. 

• It's not just about recognizing those strengths, it's about knowing how to use them. Based on my Top 5, I am a relational girl. That's where my skills really come in handy. 
• When you start thinking about the different skills each person is contributing, it can help you to figure out where you fit in.

A bunch of characters that made up an awesome team.

3. Embrace 'em. 

• Take pride in what you have to offer. Help others see what you are bringing to the table!
• It can also be to your advantage to bring them up during a job interview. By saying, "My strengths are X", you're not only pointing out your best features - but you are also telling them that you are confident and self-aware. 

So those are my big 3 tips. How have you used your strengths to your advantage? Comment below!