I intend to do something in coaching, training and development, but unfortunately i dont have any experientail knowledge in these domains. Id recommend you start by learning more about other areas in your business. From there you might be able to go into a position involving people exclusively. For others, there is a marked contrast, and this is a cause for self-reflection on the sources of happiness and unhappiness. Of course, if youre lazy, heres a link to buy StrengthsFinder 2.0. I am learning more how I excel when I am in charge and bouncing things off other like-minded people. The process helped her understand that, on balance, her current job was the best path for her, but that she would need more free time to find new sources of satisfaction and personal interaction outside of her job. Currently I am working as a part time real estate agent, but even though i liked to meet new people, but for them to always either walked out on me or missed out their appointments with me really drains my energy.So I am thinking of changing to a career but not sure which. Will I enjoy being a school teacher if Im an automaton covering standardized material? 1. You may not think you have time to decide, but you really do. Intellection Im not passionate about it. You can read more about this in my post onStrengthsFinder as a career guide. Its incredibly frustrating to have the pieces of the puzzle, but not know how they fit into the big picture. Youll have some interesting stories, and youll have even more opinions about what you like and what you dont. I am an MBA in sales and marketing as this was the only majors available for selection in the year 2000 when i did my post graduate. I faced this same issue a few years ago. Am 28- at times I feel like I am in the perfect job and on other days I want to run away and do something different. You like to learn, and process new info. The important takeaway is thatthere simply is no one-to-one relationship between your strengths and a particular job or set of jobs. I want to tell you a secret from (older) adulthood: nobody knows what their career path should be. I know interviewing may feel like a slow process, but it will take way less time than spending 6 months at a job you dont like. All you know is that you invested a lot time getting where you are, that you earn a comfortable living, and yet, you really dont like where youre going. I also become conflicted when I think about the points the books So Good They Cant Ignore You by Cal Newport makes (he states career happiness factors are: control, freedom, creativity regardless of the job you do) and Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. What are your thoughts on where I am? I believe the bad luck stuff does happen, but I can definitely see a trend on motivation. In another case, a consultant learned from List 2 that she had a more spiritual, people-affirming side. What are your strengths? Attend an accelerated 4.5 day CliftonStrengths training class on StrengthsFinder coaching, called the Gallup Global Strengths Coach Program. I feel like I have a good understanding of myself but really unsure of how to meet my desires. It sounds like you are a people person. After starting as a graphic artist, then staying at home with my kids, I pursued yoga teaching. In other words, StrengthsFinder can tell you what you like and dislike, but its not a career recommendation tool. You like learning, and you like people. You started to do this with your questions in the last paragraph- do you need a flat organization etc. Here's the full list of CliftonStrengths definitions so you can check out your other talents as well. For each incident, decide whether youre running FROM something (fear that you will fail) or TO something (something that will be more fun or more fulfilling). You may not like some of them. Maybe its something more meaningful and purposeful? Are my Strengths Finder results normally associated with any particular fields? I tried to do this and yet I still feel like a square peg in a round hole. These skills came in handy one day, and I was discovered and eventually offered a contract gig at an international contractor doing something closer to what I studied. Each of the 34 StrengthsFinder Talent Themes are categorized under four different domains: Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking. In summary, while there may be no magical career guide or job recommendation table for StrengthsFinder, what it does provide you is information that can help you understand the work you should be pursuing. Ive taken the basic strengths test two times over the course of three years and went from: Developer These five words capture the essence of the Connectedness talent theme. Her strengths: Empathy, Positivity, Input, Developer, Woo. And even now, before I face a new gig, I ask: will this work stimulate me? Its clear I am a people person from my recent rest results but Im not sure if its reflective of my actual strengths or my current feelings towards my job situation, seeing as I work alone. Im just so confused. I dont recommend you go right back to school. Most importantly, ask questions that relate to your strengths. When there are strengths here that are not on List 1, the strengths are often skills that you may have been suppressing, or that have become ingrained in you due to the educational or career path youve chosen. I wonder if my StrengthsFinder theme is actually whats making it hard to choose (Relator, Achiever, Belief, Intellection, Learner)? If I could find out which jobs these strengths match up to, Id feel a lot more confident in which direction to pursue. I recently was encouraged to try the StrengthsFinder test. These are fields your eye and talents may help you easily transition to. I am input/intellection/futuristic/learner/achiever and I am working as a nutrition coach. Also, some qualities, like Relator, have nothing to do a particular job or industry. DONT choose the answers that you think will make you look good its a waste of time and youll get less insight into yourself. Each of the 34 CliftonStrengths sort to one of four domains -- Executing, Influencing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking. My top 5 are Discipline, Consistency, Responsibility, Harmony, Learner. I am a 1.Adaptability 2.Ideation 3.Connectedness 4.Empathy 5.Relator I have been in client based jobs (where I have to network and get my name out there which I hate) they great for my adaptability and ideation but suffer with the connection and relation I need because I work very independently and with different people all the time. I did well in the job but I wasnt excelling and flourishing like I want to be. All of them have found it clarifying if not transformative, and Ive also learned some unusual lessons along the way. Have you considered HR? Building things and fixing things is very enjoyable, but not as a profession. Usually resources are limited, you wear many hats, and demands are high. As a recent college grad, the only thing I could do was temp, which basically meant I got to be a substitute receptionist. 5 Strategic Ultimately, you need to have some basic skills like marketing that allow you to develop the expertise and confidence for you to rise up and mentor others. Ive been very successful in all programsbut with Art/Architecture was scared Id be stuck in the bureaucractic world, with Geography I realized this just wasnt me even though the content was interesting, and with teaching I just wasnt getting interviews. Youll still be young. Strategic One of the key aspects that many people with Connectedness have is the ability to "connect the dots". It is rare for anybody to know what all the possible career options you have are, or how to pursue them you may simply not have the exposure. Gallup Strengthsfinder EXECUTING STRENGTHS Achiever Achiever Arranger Belief Consistency Deliberative Discipline Focus Responsibility Restorative INFLUENCING STRENGTHS Activator Command Communication Competition Maximizer Self-Assurance Self-Assurance Significance Woo RELATING STRENGTHS Adaptable Connectedness Developer I couldnt find the right job at PayPal, so I eventually found my way to Zecco (which has since become a part of Ally), where I eventually became of head of marketing, and now I do lots of marketing consulting. Achiever (Executing)- People exceptionally talented in the Achiever theme work hard and possess a great deal of stamina. On paper, I am successful. My top 5 strengths are Intellection, Input, discipline, Harmony and Responsibility. Then youre a data geek. Connectedness | StrengthsMining 3 Achiever Growing Talent to Strength: Featuring StrengthsFinder 'Connectedness' Things happen for a reason. During my 5 years supporting clients I have seen many go onto long term employment upon their completion of their apprenticeship, but what i have noticed is that most of them find a job in a totally different job sector to what we trained them in. They may accumulate information, ideas, artifacts or even relationships. Gallup Strengths - ProStrengths Id be ok taking a bit of a pay cut to do something I love, but I have no idea what that might be. You probably have a board. Thanks for this great article. So my being a Relator tells you only about the organizational culture I need to look for, not a particular type of job Im suited for. Their world is best described by the order they create. Im in the same general realm with Input/Ideation/Intellection/Activator/Relator and finding creative consulting and sometimes marketing to be working well, but also exploring more in the personal guidance area (like coaching). I Just completed the assessment and book, not in the order you suggested but I love seeing how right on it was for me BUT like Dwayne I find this knowledge hard to implement into a great career for my future. The people were intelligent and collaborative. Thanks for this post. My strengths with the 2.0 test : Its challenging when you dont have held any jobs that have truly inspired you. Lets say you know youre on the wrong career path right now, but you dont know where to go next, or how to make the transition? Although certain themes do appear to be quite consistently dominant within certain professions, it would be wrong to say that a given profession requires dominant talents in certain themes. Is it bad luck, or your motivation? Bu having concrete examples of what its like to work in a field, it may guide her to that next step. If a person has a number of these soft themes, its nearly impossible to say that they should go into a particular career or industry. Again, StrengthsFinder can help you identify what you like and dislike about your particular job, but some careers contain so much variation that again, it would be silly to tell you to leave a career just because you dont feel suited. More often than not, this is the root cause of job dissatisfaction for professionals. Youre 24. But at 54, I have aged out of education all I can get in my part of the country are sub jobs [substandard wage] or temp jobs [tyrannical boss], not teaching directly for a district as Ive yearned for for 10+ years. I decided that it was important for me to focus on marketing with a strong strategic aspect not technology, not product management. Gallup Strengthsfinder EXECUTING STRENGTHS Achiever Achiever Arranger Belief Consistency Deliberative Discipline Focus Responsibility Restorative INFLUENCING STRENGTHS Activator Command Communication Competition Maximizer Self-Assurance Self-Assurance Significance Woo RELATING STRENGTHS Adaptable Connectedness Developer Empathy Harmony Includer Dan, Life isnt a race to beat your peers; it should make you happy and satisfied. After youve tried all that, then look for work outside. Look for flow that feeling when youre lost in a project and excited by it. Or is there a specific job I should choose based on my CliftonStrengths (formerly StrengthsFinder) Top 5? Ive been journaling on those questions, and Im feeling very hopeful about finding a path that is more aligned with my strengths. And the biggest impact we have made in their lives are giving them confidence in themselves and in them being able to build their own career. (By the way, on that note: To quote the Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 Technical Report, "developmental research shows that the 20-second limit resulted in a negligible item non-completion rate." INTELLECTION When people with strong Intellection talents are given time to ponder and process, wisdom and clarity result. Any suggestions on what I can do with this information to explore areas of study that would lead to a career best suited to my strengths? Applying Talents in Career Discovery | Strengths and Wellbeing It also seems like people-related Strengths are important to you, so dont leave those behind. A friend of mine recommended Strengths Finder 2.0. Also, although I still use my design skills, I feel they might be too rusty compare to others to venture back into that world though I miss being creative. You have lots of time to make a career decision, and frankly, even if you do, theres no guarantee that the career you choose will continue to excite you, or even exist, for the next four decades of your working life. Never before in my lifetime, but now, I feel like this decision to change careers, may be my last and feel like I cant make a mistake; really annoying. I was a portrait photographer but Id love something new, something more consistent. I feel like they fit me very well. First, I would say: relax. Free membership, plus you can add one guest! I wasnt happy, and I needed a career change, but I didnt know in which direction. If its motivation, is it about the product, your company, or your role? Since then I have been trying to get into grad school because a bachelors in speech pathology is pretty useless. Your reply was extremely helpful- I cant thank you enough. I have done some soul-searching & have been thinking of going into marketing, go back to school to get an MBA & then work in market research after that! After youve spent so much time digging into a career, its very hard to poke your head out of the hole and get a new perspective on what else you could be doing. Not sure if you still respond to posts on your website but Im crossing my fingers (love your blogs and the material here by the way). Gallup https://www.gallup.com/cliftonstrengths/en/249455/specific-career-best-match-top-cliftonstrengths.aspx Be a substitute teacher. it was part-time while I worked) and am in the throes of an attempted career transition from finance to tech. Intellection - continuous learner; deep researcher; voracious reader. Forty years. Ive done email marketing, market research, account manager for a digital marketing agency, product marketing, content strategy & writer & industry marketing. Do you do research? Leave a comment if you find anything. StrengthsFinder is an online assessment, based on 50 years of research. Look for other jobs at your bank, or even a different kind of job in a different industry. I realize you wrote this two years ago, and you may be in a totally different place right now, but in the case that you are still considering changes for your future, this is what I have to offer. I came across the book Managing Oneself, and did a self assessment as Drucker suggests. Positive answers to these questions will give you a sense if its the right job for you. Learner, 5. Read books about how to start up a company. PDF Full Theme Descriptions - Wisconsin Balance of State Continuum of Care Some say Im too nice. Im 46 and have been working as a project manager in the construction industry for over 10 years. But Im not sure what other careers would give me that satisfaction. Again, do this BEFORE taking the online test. Plus it looks like your skills are ones that are suitable for an entrepreneur or people manager. People with Connectedness in their top 5 StrengthsFinder results believe that they are part of something larger. The second time it was restorative, individualization, responsibility, harmony, and relator. I have been searching for something that fits my strengths better but this test (although great insight) left me at a stand still because I would love to start interviewing and begin a new career that encompassed more of my strengths. Quantitative and problem-solving skills are valuable if not essential in some areas, such as digital marketing or market research. 1 talent theme, Communication. In 2001, Gallup released the first edition of Strengths-Finder in a book titled Now, Discover Your Strengths (Buckingham & Clifton, 2001). Its a long time, and you will continue to grow and explore in your life and career during that whole period. Our natural tendency is to have high emotional attachment to anything weve invested in, so if youve spent a lot of time training for a particular job, it is very hard to shift gears and imagine what else you could do. And the idea of backing out of the hole and starting anew is not only unappealing, its confusing. Context, 2. Discounted Personal Training options! If you have an opportunity to try sales, try it! Learner They are good at figuring out what is wrong and resolving it. Competition Single mom w/a teenage son to raise/support. I feel like Im bottled up at times, but I enjoy a completed sale and a loyal customers. Ask them about their lives: What do they do? This might be a little long. Could you give me some advice? I loved the people I worked with and felt really energized. However, Im having a hard time getting accepted anywhere (its a competitive field) and currently trying to figure out Plan B career paths. 1 is Achiever, and yet the type of work you do never really seems to have a clear point of completion -- no boxes ever get checked off of your list. ], math enrichment, PETS [critical thinking prgm for all K-2nd graders]]. ; Maximize Your Strengths features interviews and discussion on developing your strengths. +1 202.715.3030. As Im trying to step into journalism, Im also finding Im aged out employers are expecting a blog [have never done this], video/audio portfolio, etc. Deliberative Your questions will help me move closer, but tell me, how did you arrive at marketing? Finally..here are my questions: 1) Do you think speech pathology is a good fit for me? Any insight you have, as an unbiased source would be appreciated. Research is fundamental to Hope Squad's mission and plays an important role in the ongoing development and delivery of the program. I was always unhappy with the subject when in school, and I am still dissatisfied working in the field. They anticipate obstacles. I took the 5 strengths assessment and found that I clicked neutral on many an answer because I believed in both answers. Luckily, it sounds like youre already managing people! Nevertheless, its clear that there are a bunch of things she should NOT do, like accounting, say. Thank you! 1) Focus on weaknesses - Individuals with the CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Restorative talent theme enjoy the challenge of analysing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong and finding the solution - using their own capabilities. I think it will be more illuminating to you. If I cant know what my idea career is, Id at least be happy to understand the best major to pursue. Sorry I am French and I do not speak English so I use a translator. At work, I have the opportunity to take an online grad program to become a BCBA (board certified behavioral analyst) if I am absolutely desperate and can do anything else, however, I already dislike the working conditions. It may feel really bad to say that, especially because Im sure you get many plaudits for taking on this role. You can always go back to what you know later. 2) Read the introduction and quickly flip through the book, but DONT take the online test yet. I dont feel like coaching is a natural fit for me, and Ive struggled to see why until I completed StrengthsFinder. Achiever Jul 1997 - Feb 20024 years 8 months. Over time this data could yield some insights; albeit to be taken with a grain of salt. i have a bachelor degree in business and finance. I know the best is to try but I do not want to jump from jobs to others in every future years. During our research, we discovered many individuals who were excelling in the same profession but who had very different top five themes.. You may consider marketing those kinds of job usually have a fixed salary. You also have a competitive streak that you may not get to indulge at your current job. I tried to get to the point. You hit the nail on the head with the emotional attachment piece. Since then the company reorganized, some people have left and my position changed to a fundraising. Thank you for the wonderful post and sharing your interesting story. Read more about it at the official Gallup page. Deliberative I took the test but didnt follow this advice. I work in software sales and know it is not the right profession for me, but what to do? Intellection, 4. I dont know how to utilize my top 5 strengths for my unknown future career. The only thing I can think of is to move away to an area of the country where teachers are in such demand that districts wont mind paying me what the union pay scale says Im worth, and starting a blog and submitting articles in my free time, to update my writing skills. Does a Specific Career Best Match My CliftonStrengths Results? If youre doing a BA, go to your career center. Its seems the harder I work at this, the further from an answer I get. Each strength has applicability in so many different fields that I think it would be reductive and inappropriate to guide people into a particular career just because of just a handful of strength themes. What you do right now? Do you have any suggestions for finding peace with this decision? Right now I work in the court system as a court reporter but feel like marketing or sales (which I have done prior to and loved) is more right for me. Plus, the thought of shifting to something new, uncertain, and maybe less lucrative fills people will fear and dread, regardless of the imagined benefits. I am 29 years old and feel like I am at a cross roads where decisions I make right now will have a major effect on my family and future career trajectory. Ugh! First, Id like to echo a lot of the other commenters and thank you for continuing to respond to comments. Just like everything, it has a ripple effect. Texas. Plus, the skills you mention might be good for an accounting career, but they might also be just as good for a marketing career. I have the spirit of an entrepreneur & I am strategically-minded (four out of my five strengths fall into the strategic domain!) Ask for help! They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has meaning. Great Article! StrengthsFinder Definition - Connectedness Often people will ask us, "What does it mean to have the Connectedness Strength?" First, know that StrengthsFinder will help you figure out your potential. Any insights to how I could analyze this, or do you have any direct suggestions? aligning your talents with what you do every day, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. See what they like and dislike does it sound like something youd like, or wouldnt? It sounds like youre a very people-oriented person that is, you get the most energy from collaborating with others and working to help them achieve their best. I have a mortgage and a family, so career bouncing is not an option. Wait, shes been in school 18 months and hasnt figured out what she wants to do for the rest of her life? Sorry I am French and I do not speak English so I use a translator. Can you train or coach others in your organization? I think in the end Ill still have to do my due diligence and probably shadow someone in the field to make sure what the reality of the job is and what the description of the job on paper are the same and would be a good fit for my personality. Theme addicts is a series created by UnleashStrengths to highlight the massive impact the StrengthsFinder assessment through interviews and discussions. We share a lot of the same strengths themes, but I was just thinking this morning how much Developer would benefit me in the role of social worker. Or think about a possible career area and get a Dummies book about it. Any insight based on my strengths or suggestions of where I can look at career opportunities based on these strengths? But Im also an Input themed person, so I find it boring to work on just one online marketing channel. Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Finding Your Career with StrengthsFinder 2.0. Building on this i would like to support our clients more in understanding their strengths, passion with good information on careers options so that they can see the fit. In college, I majored in fashion design. :0). Any suggestions on careers to pursue that would allow her to build those talents into strengths thus moving her towards a job that will suit her? Their natural ability to be in the moment can help others see the way forward. StrengthsFinder is designed to help you find the right path by clearly identifying what skills you like to use in your work and how you like to relate to your colleagues. PDF Strengths Quick Reference Guide - Medical School This has been very helpful, even the comments and replies to comments. One or a combination can lead you in different directions. People with the Strength of Connectedness have a unique way of seeing events, people, and the world. It seems that from my strengths it will be a little difficult for me to enjoy sales. Thank you for this article. Also, I found your responses to the comments even more helpful and thought I should submit mine as well, even if just to thank you for writing this up! Gallup Strengths: Input, Intellection, Connectedness . Ella Henricksen - Team Lead, Student Writer - LinkedIn You are likely capitalizing on your natural talents to get them done. Was it the subject area? 5. List 1, the self-selected list, is your list of Ideal Strengths. 3. A guide to understanding the CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Connectedness talent theme Gallup's StrengthsFinder identifies the innate strengths of individuals. It felt stifling. Restorative Ive worked in roles from product development, to market development, to now heading up a testing lab (leading people as well as doing technical work). Make a list of these tasks. Thank you. I took StrengthsFinder last year and received Empathy, Individualization, Developer, Restorative, Harmony. People with high Adaptability find ways to keep moving forward when the unexpected happens. Resumes, CVs, and career development conversations are filled with lists of skills and job titles that show "what" you can do. (Easily, some would say.) What are your strengths? Take some tests. If you dont feel the attraction, dont take the job. Ive tried a few different jobs out, so I have a general idea of what I like, dont like, and what my strengths and weaknesses are, but that only narrows things down so much.