University of XYZ: Self-Assessment for Professional Development

This assignment is a comprehensive self-assessment exercise designed to help individuals define their strengths, values, and passions to guide their professional development and career goals. The assignment includes several parts: Part A focuses on identifying personal strengths through self-reflection and feedback. Part B involves identifying and ranking personal values. Part C explores passions and their connection to career aspirations. Part D focuses on defining purpose and integrating it with career goals. Part E combines all elements to show how everything aligns. Part F assesses professional presence through self-evaluation, and Part G prepares the individual for interviews by focusing on storytelling and answering fact-based and behavior-based questions. The assignment encourages self-reflection and the development of a professional persona.

PART A
People with strong brands are clear about who they are. They know and maximize their strengths. Here,
we give you the opportunity to uncover and define your skills and strengths. You’ll be using a three-step
process, Document, Distil and Validate.
To help guide you through this exercise, answer the questions below:
1. What are the strengths that others acknowledge in me?
Analytical, Disciplined, Team oriented, Leadership, Trust Worthy, Flexible
2. When working on a team, what roles do I seek to fulfil?
Achievement of the objectives, involvement and participation
3. When faced with an overwhelming obstacle, what are my “go to” skills to overcome it?
Further research and inquiry
4. What was the most successful project I ever tackled and what made me successful?
Increase in revenue of for the institution I first worked for within the first quarter of employment. My
success can be attributed to encouraging team work and inquiry
5. What was the most important team role I ever fulfilled and why?
Successful Acting team leader. Because I was able to incorporate everyone into the decision making
process

5. Successful acting
team leader.
Incorporated
members in decision
making
4. Revenue increase
within the first
quarter by
Encouraging team
work and inquiry
3. Further
research and
inquiry
2. Achievement of
the objectives,
involvement and
participation
1.Analytical,
Disciplined, Team
oriented, Leadership,
Trust Worthy,
Flexible
ME

PART B
Values
What’s your “north star?”
Your values are like your personal compass—they provide direction for your
choices and behaviours. In this three-step exercise, you’ll work towards
identifying, defining, and aligning your values.
Step 1: Identify your top five values
• Go through the list of values in the table on the next page and eliminate
words that don’t resonate with you.
• Go through the list again and place a check mark next to the values that are
important to you.
• Go through the short list of values you checked and from that list, pick
your top five values.
• Once you’ve identified your top five values, now rank them.

Values
Accessibility Courage Growth Prosperity
Accomplishment Creativity Health Punctuality
Accountability Curiosity Honesty Recognition
Accuracy Dependability Humour Relaxation
Adventure Determination Imagination Reliability
Affection Directness Impact Resourcefulness
Affluence Discipline Independence Respect
Altruism Diversity Integrity Security
Ambition Efficiency Intelligence Sensitivity
Assertiveness Empathy Justice Significance
Balance Enthusiasm Kindness Sincerity
Bravery Excellence Knowledge Speed
Calmness Experience Leadership Spirituality
Celebrity Expertise Learning Spontaneity
Challenge Fairness Love Stability
Charity Faith Loyalty Strength
Clarity Fame Mindfulness Success
Comfort Family Optimism Sympathy
Commitment Fidelity Originality Teamwork
Compassion Flexibility Passion Understanding
Completion Fun Peace Vision
Contentment Generosity Perfection Wealth
Control Grace Power Winning

LEADERSHIP
TEAMWORK
SPIRITUALITY
FAMILY
COURAGE

PART C: Passions
Your passions fuel your actions. When you integrate your passions into what you
do, not only are you more engaged, you create a powerhouse of enthusiasm,
engagement and inspiration for those around you. In this exercise, you’ll have
the opportunity to step back and think about your passions, how you can
integrate them into what you do and how you can connect them with your
career goals.
Document
Begin by entering your responses to the questions below:
1. What would I do with my summer if money weren’t an issue?
Take my family out, Research more on my profession
2. What are my favourite activities?
Studying, Motivational speaking
3. Why did I choose these particular university studies?
To enable me pursue my passion of speaking
4. What type of people am I drawn to?
Moral, respectful, disciplined
5. What volunteer activity do I find compelling?
Visiting the needy

Now, take a look at your responses and ask yourself these
questions:
1. Was there a connection across
responses?
Not all through
2. Am I connecting my passions with my studies and
career goals?
Not really
3. How can I pursue a volunteer activity that’s in line with my
passions?
Participating in motivational forums
Studying
Family
matters
Motivationa
l speaking

PART D: PURPOSE
Capture key ideas and elements
1. What has been important to you?
My family and career
2. Who is on this journey with you?
My wife and kids
3. What you are doing that fuels your passion?
Speaking for free at youth forums
4. What are you working toward/have accomplished that gives you a sense of
purpose?
I have delivered motivational speeches to 2500 congregants
5. Where you are headed next?
I want to deliver motivational speech in any international TV station

My commitment toward achievement of my goals in life requires defined and realistic
strategies and a determination that will prevent my life from being shaped by circumstances.
After thoughtful brainstorming of my previous and current trend, the observations have made
me make commitments towards achieving my goals. I have decided to acquire a professional
diploma in public speaking, attend seminars on motivational talks, offer free motivational
speeches to youth and adult forums to exercise and advance my skills. Additionally, I have
planned to start a blog and share my passion of motivation to others. This will enable me to
research and learn more and widen my scope regarding creating awareness.
My goal is to become an international motivational speaker in-regard to excellence at
work and general life. The accomplishment of this objective is not without obstacle, but
because it is something I enjoy doing, it will be easy to accomplish it and incorporate it into
life. As a way of integrating my passion to career and life, I intend to offer free motivational
talks to the staff during the annual general meeting and occasionally when requested by the
human resource manager. Additionally, I plan to encourage my family regarding their
academics and career life by seeking to ensure that they set realistic goals and strategies with
which to achieve them.
As a result being driven by passion, I will have incorporated passion to the
achievement of my goals. All these will enable me to passionately carry out my career and
enjoy life while at the same time accomplishing both long-term and short-term goals.

PART E: pulling all together
To start a guidance and counselling
organization on both career choice
and development
Offering hope to the hopeless,
counsel on career choice and
development
Working with career choice and
development companies. In
Guidance and counselling
organizations
Studying, Motivational speaking
Teamwork, Commitment,
Reliability, Honesty, respect
Cooperation, Training
Understanding

PART F: PROFESSIONAL PRESENCE
Let’s assess where you are right now. Choose your response. There is no
right or wrong answer.
How comfortable are you with …? (1: Not at
all 5: Very)
Being yourself in all situations? 1 2
3 4 5
Easily and openly expressing your ideas/opinions in a group
conversation? 1
2 3 4 5
Knowing how to dress appropriately for each setting and event you
attend? 1
2 3 4 5
Speaking before a group of people? 1 2
3 4 5
Making eye contact with people you have just met? 1 2
3 4 5
Introducing people in formal settings? 1 2
3 4 5
Starting conversations with people you don’t know well? 1 2
3 4 5
Disagreeing with someone else in a way that doesn’t cause conflict or
angst? 1
2 3 4 5
Apologizing when you’re wrong so that the other person accepts it? 1 2
3 4 5
Accepting responsibility when your efforts fall short? 1 2
3 4 5
How consistent are you at…? (1: Not
at all 5: Very)
Following up and delivering on promises? 1 2
3 4 5
Being prompt for appointments, deadlines, due dates, class, dinner,
meetings? 1
2 3 4 5
Doing what you say you will do, when you say you will do it, at the
quality to which you commit? 1 2
3 4 5
Keeping track of details, calendar events and commitments? 1 2
3 4 5

Keeping confidences? 1
2 3 4 5
Not repeating, encouraging or engaging in gossip? 1 2
3 4 5
Conveying positivity in your interactions? 1 2
3 4 5
Entering a room with confidence? 1 2
3 4 5

How consistent are you at…? (1:
Never
5: All the
time)
Prepare your thoughts in advance of a discussion? 1
2
3 4
5
Practice how you will articulate your thoughts? 1 2 3 4 5
Write your goals? 1 2 3 4 5
Evaluate your goals? 1 2 3 4 5
Seek out a mentor or coach as a sounding board? 1 2 3 4 5
Be aware of your body language? 1 2 3 4 5
Do you…? (1: Not at
all 5: Absolutely)
Have an email address that projects a professional
image?
1 2 3 4 5
Re-read email before you hit “send?” 1 2 3 4 5
Have a Facebook page that you would show to your
prospective
employer, clergy or parents?
Have a voicemail greeting that conveys your best self?
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
5
Take notes when making commitments, listening in
meetings or gathering details? 1 2 3 4 5
Have a great handshake? 1 2 3 4 5
Have a professional and memorable self-introduction? 1 2 3 4 5
Focus on your grooming and professional appearance? 1 2 3 4 5
Improvement item 3 Practice opportunities
Initiating conversation with strangers 1.Great Strangers at work, or gatherings
2. Can intentionally ask directions from strangers
3. Attending parties of my friends and
introducing myself to attendants and my
services
Email address with projecting professional
image 1.Create an email address depicting the services
2. Make business cards and include the email
address
3.Use and Read my mails more often

PART G: INTERVIEWING
Successful interviewing is built on effective storytelling. You must clearly
express your story so that the interviewer can experience the essence of who
you are and remember your exceptional promise of value. When you tell your
story, you reveal your strengths, values, passions in a way that keeps your
interviewer’s interest. Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to engage
others and help them remember what you have told them.
Document
Prepare for your interview
It is likely that in every interview you will be asked two kinds of questions:
fact-based and behaviour-based (see examples below). It’s important to be
articulate and to convey to the interviewer that you have been introspective
and have adequately prepared for your conversation.
Consider how you will give winning answers to interview questions. Use the four
following questions to think through and document how you’ll illustrate your
story. These are the types of questions you will likely be asked.
Fact-based interview questions:
What do you know about [potential employer] and why have you chosen to interview with
us?
I know the organization as a world class leading organization in offering career choice and
development related services. Your company have worn awards as the most professional service
provider in career choice. With my passion of motivational speaking and Diploma in guidance
and counseling I believe this is the righ organization to offer my expertise and grow my career
What is a typical week for you? What do you do outside of school?
I wake up at 4:30 am on weekdays and carry out school work including lecture attendance,
studying and then sleep at 10pm. On Saturday I attend church the whole day and mingle with
likeminded people and occasionally deliver encouragement speeches to the youth. On Sundays I
listen and watch international speakers and read the most memorable speeches in world history.

Behaviour-based interview questions:
Can you give me an example of something you have done that motivated or built
enthusiasm in others?
While at college I used to offer free motivational talks to the district elementary schools. The
objective was to encourage the students to work hard irrespective of the background they came
from and the environment in which they were schooling. Two years later, I met a first year
student at the cafeteria who approached me and told appreciated me for the talks I used to
deliver at their school which challenged him and started working hard until he passed and joined
college to pursue his dream career.
Describe a time when your results on a project or task were not up to your professor’s or
supervisor’s expectations. What happened? What action did you take?
It was when I performed poorly in project work even after the professor issuing out detailed
guidelines on how the task was to be performed. The lecturer was upset with me and promised
me that I had to repeat the following year. I had to find a way of going around this, so I wrote an
email to the professor on the following day and really apologized for my mistakes and promised
not to repeat them in he offered me another opportunity. I also was ready to meet him of which
he scheduled a date and I went into his office and explained the justifiable reasons for my failure
and he was convinced and offered me another opportunity of which I didn’t fail him again

PART H: writing a bio
Jackson Goodyman
Motivational Speaker
Jackson is a fourth-year student at Oregon College pursuing Advanced Diploma in Guidance
and Counselling. Jackson is a native Australian and has accomplished a lot at college and within
the surrounding community. He has offered thrilling motivational talks both to the incoming
first years and to the neighboring district elementary schools. He has also provided
administrative support during college functions. He has therefore developed a strong sense of
devotion for the community service sector, an experience which has earned him a sincere
appreciation for the improvement of the quality of life for the school and the society. Jackson is
the owner of Counsellor Quick, an organization that provides guidance and counseling and
career choice and development services at all levels. He is passionate about encouraging people
and has continuously engaged many institutions. When he is not working in the lines of his
career, Jackson likes to play with his siblings and listening to historical motivational speakers