As a first gen student, there are many qualities that you can leverage as you move forward in your career planning. Yet, taking inventory of your strengths may be a challenge for several reasons.
The busyness of life. As you juggle classes, part-time jobs, extracurriculars (and likely more), self-reflection doesn’t seem like a priority. Nevertheless, it’s important to be intentional about setting time aside to reflect on your experiences. As you do, you can make note of how you made a positive impact and see what themes emerge as indicators of your strengths.
The lack of awareness. You may not even recognize a quality or achievement as pointing to a strength because it comes so naturally to you. In other words, you just do what you do. Fortunately, others can see strengths in you that you do not notice. Pay attention to positive feedback from your mentors, professors, supervisors, classmates and friends.
The awkwardness of sharing. It may feel odd to say good things about yourself or you may feel like doing so comes across as bragging. However, as you engage in career conversations, networking contacts are curious about your experiences and how they inform your career interests. Likewise, recruiters really do want to hear how your strengths and accomplishments demonstrate your qualifications for the job you are pursuing.
With all of this in mind, the Shine Sheet is a fillable, downloadable resource that is designed to help you identify, embrace and share your strengths. Set aside some time to complete it and feel free to bring it to a career advising appointment for further discussion.
