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Key Terms
resource
personality
self-concept
interest
self-assessment
inventory
SECTION
2.1
Knowing Yourself
Objectives
After studying this section of the chapter, you will be able to:
• Discuss the value of understanding yourself and your resources.
• Explain how personality traits relate to career choices and career success.
• Describe ways to evaluate and improve your self-concept.
• Explain how your interests relate to your career choices and career success.
Examining the Real You
Most people know themselves better than anyone else does.
However, people are not always honest with themselves. “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.
The resources within you are important when choosing a
career you will like. Your resources include your personality, self-
concept, interests, attitudes, aptitudes, abilities, and values. Each of
these can affect the career choices you make. Understanding these
characteristics about yourself may be as important to career success
as your academic preparation.
Personality
Everyone has a one-of-a-kind personality. Personality is the
group of traits that makes each person unique. Some of these traits
are intelligence, enthusiasm, and honesty. Other traits are listed in
Figure 2-1.
Have you ever described someone as having a good
personality? You probably meant the person was friendly,
happy, pleasant, and kind. Such a person is usually popular.
Optional Resources