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Chapter 7 Learning About Yourself
The Importance of Knowing
Yourself
What career path will you follow? In Chapter 4 of
this text, you learned how to explore the various career
options available to you. The choices you face may seem
overwhelming. Choosing a satisfying career requires knowing
about careers, but that’s only half the search. The other half is
knowing yourself.
In this chapter, you will learn how to better understand
yourself. Only then will you be able to choose a career that
suits you.
Examining the Real You
Most of us know ourselves better than anyone else does.
However, we are not always honest with ourselves. “You are
only kidding yourself” is a common saying. Being honest with
yourself is important for knowing the real you and choosing a
satisfying career path.
Understanding yourself begins by understanding your
resources. A resource is anything a person can use to help
reach his or her goals. Money is a resource you can get. Time
is a resource everyone has. The desire to do well is a resource
within you. (You will learn more about resources in Chapter 10,
“Making a Career Plan.”)
The resources within you are important to choosing a
career you will like. Your resources include your personality,
self-concept, interests, attitude, aptitudes, abilities, and
values. Each of these can affect the career choice you make.
Understanding these characteristics about yourself may be as
important to career success as your academic preparation.
Your Personality
Everyone has a one-of-a-kind personality. Personality
is the group of traits that makes each person unique. Some
of these traits may be intelligence, enthusiasm, and honesty.
Others are listed in Chart 7-1.
Have you ever described someone as having a good
personality? You probably meant the person was friendly,
Your
Reading
How does knowing
what your resources are
help you to choose a
career path?
resource
Anything a person can use to
help reach his or her goals.
personality
The group of traits that makes
each person unique.