Self-Assessments

Self-assessment is a critical first step for anyone seeking career direction. Self-assessment is a phrase that simply means taking the time to look inward and gain valuable insight about who you are, what preferences you have, what values are top priorities for you, and what skills, interests, and aspirations you have.  Knowing all about yourself is the foundation of a well informed career (or life) decision. During your Mercer experience, take time to pursue the following meaningful assessments/exercises:

• Assess your interests, personality, values, and skills
• Review links between your results, academic majors, and careers
• Explore and analyze occupational paths
• Create an individual career success plan

Career and personality assessments are not designed to tell you what you "should be" or what you "should do.”  They are simply tools to help you clarify your thinking and identify options.

Following are some great assessment tools available to all Mercerians. The CCPD team would be delighted to join you in going over any of the instructions with you and/or debriefing your results together with you.

 

Focus 2 Career Planning System

Focus 2 offers Mercerians a reliable career and education decision making model to guide decision-making and increase confidence in choosing a major, exploring occupations, and creating your career development plan. For more information, visit the our Focus 2 webpage. 

 

TruTalent Assessments 

 

Should I become an entrepreneur? Would I like working in an office or would I enjoy traveling throughout the world? Would I be happier at a non-profit or in a corporate setting? Are there particular majors or minors best suited to my possible career directions? 

If you are struggling with some of the above-mentioned questions, the TruTalent Personality Interest Assessment may help you explore your options, make informed decisions and encourage the pursuit of the career of your dreams.

People are happiest and most successful in work that allows them to use their greatest gifts, and personality is the best way to determine what those gifts are. Personality is the innate way in which people naturally see the world and make decisions.

 

 

Intelligence comes in many forms and can always be developed further. Individuals who know their multiple intelligences and emotional intelligence strengths can leverage that knowledge to be more productive at work and explore a satisfying career path.

The TruTalent Intelligences assessment and results provide a more rounded view of students by looking at the following types of intelligence:: bodily-kinesthetic, existential, interpersonal, intrapersonal, linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, naturalist, spatial. The report also asks students to rate themselves on the traits of emotional intelligence (EI) and provides suggestions to further develop all intelligences.

To take either or both of these TruTalent assessments, you must obtain the Mercer Access Key.

To get the access key, students should login to your Handshake account, click on Career Center in the top left, then click on Resources. Scroll through the resource options list and select the resource entitled "Explore: Personality & Intelligences Assessment." The access key will be listed inside the resource.

If you are a Mercer alumni without access to a  Handshake account and would like to take this assessment, contact the CCPD to request the access key by emailing your full name (used during your Mercer enrollment) to Zelda Hill at hill_zd@mercer.edu. 

Your Results

The TruTalent Personality and Intelligences results are generated in a report that will automatically be sent to your Mercer email inbox upon completion of the assessment. It is helpful to debrief the results with a trained staff member to discuss ways to utlize the results in career decision making. Consider making an appointment with the Center for Career and Professional Development staff to have a conversation about your results.  

 

What Can I Do With this Major

Whether you’re exploring majors or searching for information about your chosen field, this What Can I Do With This Major will help you connect majors to careers. Learn about typical career areas and types of employers that hire people with each major, as well as strategies to make you a more marketable candidate. 

Each major also provides research links within four categories: Professional Associations, Occupational Outlook Handbook, Related Resources, and Employment Opportunities.