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Self-Assessment for Career Planning Exercise 3 - Charting Your Values & Priorities |
| Assignment
Overview |
Part
of the attraction toward a job or career is the satisfaction that comes
from it. Research has indicated that the most satisfaction we get
from a job is associated with the degree to which our personal values match
those of the other employees that you work with. Your values are
the building blocks that you use to shape your life. They come from
the combined influences of the environment of your personal development
and from forces in your personality. If you were asked to write a
list of your important values right now could you do it? We all have
values, but often we are not very clear about what these values are.
Our attitudes, the decisions we make, and the actions we undertake all
reflect our values. As listed earlier, your values are the building
blocks for your life.
Your values are the things that really matter in your life. They are the strong feelings you have or the ideas that you hold. It is important to think about your values because they are the guidelines for how you will make decisions about your life. Your values are constantly developing, growing, and sometimes changing. When you were a young child, your values probably mirrored those of your family. As you develop, the larger community, your friends, and the media play a greater role in influencing your values. As you mature and become more independent, it is natural to question some of your previous values. Only you can determine what values are right for you. Some values are accepted by most members of a society. For example, most people hold the value that stealing from someone is wrong. Or, it is usually considered wrong to break a confidence that someone has confided in you. At times we all are tested about our values, but usually we do not have a lot of time ahead of time to consider these actions that affect our values. It is then important to consider your values before making a firm career decision. Knowing your values can help you set priorities. They can give you direction. If you remain unaware of your values, you are likely to drift and let things happen to you. That many times means letting others make the value decisions for you. It is important to be clear about what the building blocks of your life before making major career decisions. . |
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| Values Exercise | Part
1, Influences on your values: You hold values that
influence decisions you make? These values are formed in the environment
we grow up in. Think about your environment and respond to the following
influences. Work through the list profiled here by placing a tick in the
appropriate column. Under "Other" add any other influences that have
not been included in this list.
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| Assignment Format | Part
2, Your personal values: Jot down a list
of 5 to 10 things that are important in your life right now. Don't
try to think of "right" answers, just list things that are strong in your
mind at this time. Are all of the things you have written down real
to you? Do they affect your decisions?
You may have listed "follow my passion, making money, healthy living, or spending time with family." Would you decline or accept a job because of these values? Try to complete a list of values that will affect your professional career. After completing the above exercises summarize your values by:
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| Next Assignment: | When you have completed and saved all parts of this assignment you may continue with the fourth exercise in this chapter, Charting Your Interests, or return to the Chapter Index page. |
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provider: Jim Hogan
Date of last review: September 28, 2002 Copyright © 2000 Jim Hogan |