THE HAB AND ME
People like Diane are intelligent and motivated enough to do any job well, but their job satisfaction is often greatly reduced by the effort it costs to work against their natural abilities and interests. With educational costs on the rapid rise, students today often don't have the luxury to try out different majors and career paths. The burden of college and graduate school loans can keep aspiring young adults locked into professions that sometimes feel like a mistake. Putting in the work today to discover who you are--what your abilities, interests, and values are--can save you time and money, not to mention frustration and wasted potential, down the road.
Each person takes something different away from their HAB results. Some students discover for the first time what their best learning channels are and see their grades improve as they make changes to how they study. Others find their time frame orientation to be eye-opening, realizing that the longer their time frame, the more important it is to set long term goals that motivate their daily tasks. Still others reset their entire educational or career paths based on strong abilities they did not know they possessed. The HAB will give you a lot of information about how you are wired to work. Information, of course, is only as useful as you make it.
THE MODEL OF FIT
The graphic below illustrates the simple idea that to find the right fit between yourself and your work, you need to know both yourself and the job. As simple as the concept is, the practice of it requires your best efforts. The HAB and our interest questionnaire are just the starting point. Armed with this self-knowledge, your next step will be to interview and survey the career possibilities before you. For example, if you decide, based on your ability profile, interests, and values, that law and journalism are career paths that you want to explore, summer or part-time jobs are highly advisable before committing to the expense of graduate school. Interviewing as many people as possible who work as lawyers and journalists would also be a logical step. The variety of jobs and roles within any given field means it's not enough to just decide on medicine, for instance. From EMT to nurse practitioner to physician, from pathologist to opthomologist to orthopedic surgeon, the sheer breadth of choices and opportunities means that you have to understand the differences in each specialty. Likewise every company has its own particular culture and vision. Knowing yourself in terms of your concrete abilities and personal style will not only enable you to put your best self forward in an interview with a future employer, but you will be better able to interview the job to discern whether it is the right fit for you. Know yourself. Know the job. Find your fit.
