Finding Your Career Fit

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Do you wonder whether you are in the best-fit position or career for who you are? Do you love what you do, where you do it, and who you do it with so much that you lose track of time? Or do you not use most of your strengths and feel disengaged at work?

Do you wonder whether you are in the best-fit position or career for who you are? Do you love what you do, where you do it, and who you do it with so much that you lose track of time? Or do you not use most of your strengths and feel disengaged at work?

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What is “fit” anyway? Companies hire for fit. Does your personality fit the team and the culture? People leave jobs for lack of fit with their managers, position, and organization.

What is “fit” anyway? Companies hire for fit. Does your personality fit the team and the culture? People leave jobs for lack of fit with their managers, position, and organization.

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I believe that fit is the way your personality, strengths, motivators, and values match the position you hold, the manager you work with, and the organization you work for. Let me start by saying I don’t believe in a perfect fit; yet I do believe you can come very close, and there are a variety of ways to find your best fit.

I believe that fit is the way your personality, strengths, motivators, and values match the position you hold, the manager you work with, and the organization you work for. Let me start by saying I don’t believe in a perfect fit; yet I do believe you can come very close, and there are a variety of ways to find your best fit.

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Let’s talk about you first. Take the time to know yourself, reflect, and ask others for feedback to determine your strengths, motivators, and values. Grab a piece of paper right now (no time like the present!) and divide it into three columns.

Let’s talk about you first. Take the time to know yourself, reflect, and ask others for feedback to determine your strengths, motivators, and values. Grab a piece of paper right now (no time like the present!) and divide it into three columns.

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| | | | | | Strengths | Motivators | Values | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |

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Begin listing your strengths—things you are good at doing, things people have complimented you on, and what people continually ask you to do. Think about both work-related strengths and those you demonstrate outside of work. List as many as you can think of. Be honest, and don’t be shy. Some of my strengths are that I am organized, loyal, social, and persuasive.

Begin listing your strengths—things you are good at doing, things people have complimented you on, and what people continually ask you to do. Think about both work-related strengths and those you demonstrate outside of work. List as many as you can think of. Be honest, and don’t be shy. Some of my strengths are that I am organized, loyal, social, and persuasive.

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Begin listing your motivators (or drivers) using the list below. Choose your top three or four, and put them in order of importance to you:

Begin listing your motivators (or drivers) using the list below. Choose your top three or four, and put them in order of importance to you:

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Achievement : opportunity to complete projects, achieve success, be self-motivated

Achievement: opportunity to complete projects, achieve success, be self-motivated

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Advancement : opportunity for promotion and/or growth

Advancement: opportunity for promotion and/or growth

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Affiliation : opportunity to interact and collaborate with others, sense of belonging

Affiliation: opportunity to interact and collaborate with others, sense of belonging

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Altruism : opportunity to contribute to the welfare of others

Altruism: opportunity to contribute to the welfare of others

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Authority : opportunity to influence others, lead, and persuade others

Authority: opportunity to influence others, lead, and persuade others

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Autonomy : freedom and ability to be self-directed, independent

Autonomy: freedom and ability to be self-directed, independent

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Balance : ability to prioritize personal and work matters

Balance: ability to prioritize personal and work matters

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Challenge : drive to overcome obstacles and solve problems

Challenge: drive to overcome obstacles and solve problems

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Discovery : developing understanding for its own sake, learning something new

Discovery: developing understanding for its own sake, learning something new

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Esteem : opportunity to receive praise and recognition

Esteem: opportunity to receive praise and recognition

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Equity : opportunity to be treated fairly

Equity: opportunity to be treated fairly

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Structure : clear goals and responsibilities, little to no ambiguity

Structure: clear goals and responsibilities, little to no ambiguity

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Security : stability and predictability

Security: stability and predictability

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Next, think about your values. These are beliefs that you hold so strongly they guide your actions. From the list below, choose your top three or four values, and put them in order of importance to you:

Next, think about your values. These are beliefs that you hold so strongly they guide your actions. From the list below, choose your top three or four values, and put them in order of importance to you:

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| | | | Wealth | Power | | Justice | Pleasure | | Love | Recognition | | Family | Integrity | | Wisdom | Skill | | Faith | Leisure | | Morality | Loyalty | | Knowledge | Honesty | | Health | Creativity | | Purpose | Education | | Achievement | Community | | Creativity | Freedom | | Friendship | Quality | | Stability | Teamwork |

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|  Wealth |  Power |
|  Justice |  Pleasure |
|  Love |  Recognition |
|  Family |  Integrity |
|  Wisdom |  Skill |
|  Faith |  Leisure |
|  Morality |  Loyalty |
|  Knowledge |  Honesty |
|  Health |  Creativity |
|  Purpose |  Education |
|  Achievement |  Community |
|  Creativity |  Freedom |
|  Friendship |  Quality |
|  Stability |  Teamwork |

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Take time to reflect on what you have written and make any adjustments or additions. Find a few people who know you well from work or outside of work and ask them to share some of your strengths, motivators, and values. Use this information to confirm what you have written—or possibly reveal something new!

Take time to reflect on what you have written and make any adjustments or additions. Find a few people who know you well from work or outside of work and ask them to share some of your strengths, motivators, and values. Use this information to confirm what you have written—or possibly reveal something new!

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With this self-assessment, you can better evaluate how you fit your current position, manager, and organization. You will be most fulfilled when you use most of your strengths in your position. I want to add, however, that I don’t look for my position to completely fulfill me; I have a position that uses most of my strengths and provides a great deal of fulfillment, and I also pursue volunteer and speaking opportunities outside of my position that provide additional fulfillment. Ask yourself: How many and how much of your strengths are utilized at work? Is that fulfilling for you? Are there other ways to maximize your strengths, in your current position or outside your current position, that will provide fulfillment for you?

With this self-assessment, you can better evaluate how you fit your current position, manager, and organization. You will be most fulfilled when you use most of your strengths in your position. I want to add, however, that I don’t look for my position to completely fulfill me; I have a position that uses most of my strengths and provides a great deal of fulfillment, and I also pursue volunteer and speaking opportunities outside of my position that provide additional fulfillment. Ask yourself: How many and how much of your strengths are utilized at work? Is that fulfilling for you? Are there other ways to maximize your strengths, in your current position or outside your current position, that will provide fulfillment for you?

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Share your strengths, motivators, and values with your manager and ask for their feedback to determine if there are ways to better match who you are with your position or adjust your position to better apply your strengths. Don’t be afraid to have a discussion and share ideas you have about applying more of your strengths as well as make sure your manager knows your motivators and values, which can help them be a better manager for you.

Share your strengths, motivators, and values with your manager and ask for their feedback to determine if there are ways to better match who you are with your position or adjust your position to better apply your strengths. Don’t be afraid to have a discussion and share ideas you have about applying more of your strengths as well as make sure your manager knows your motivators and values, which can help them be a better manager for you.

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Think about your strengths, motivators, and values in relation to the organization. Is there a way to use most of your strengths, activate your top motivators, and be in a workplace that supports your values? I think so. All of these are important and relate to your position, your manager, and your organization and being in a place where you fit.

Think about your strengths, motivators, and values in relation to the organization. Is there a way to use most of your strengths, activate your top motivators, and be in a workplace that supports your values? I think so. All of these are important and relate to your position, your manager, and your organization and being in a place where you fit.

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If you are in a position that doesn’t use most of your strengths, doesn’t and can’t provide your motivators, and clashes with your values, my advice is to find another position that matches more fully who you are.

If you are in a position that doesn’t use most of your strengths, doesn’t and can’t provide your motivators, and clashes with your values, my advice is to find another position that matches more fully who you are.

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If you want to dive deeper into this topic, please join me on September 27 at 1 p.m. EDT for an ATD webinar on Finding Your Fit .

If you want to dive deeper into this topic, please join me on September 27 at 1 p.m. EDT for an ATD webinar on Finding Your Fit.