Learn how to identify your greatest strengths so you can effectively communicate them to a potential employer!

1. IDENTIFYING
YOUR
STRENGTHS
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2. "It doesn’t matter who you
are, where you come from.
The ability to triumph
begins with you. Always."
- Oprah Winfrey

3. Have you ever tried to do something
over and over again but, no matter how
hard you tried, you just couldn’t get it?
We put so much energy into overcoming
our weaknesses, we often overlook the
importance of cultivating our strengths.

4. “Unfortunately, most of us have little sense of
our talents and strengths. Instead…we become
experts in our weaknesses and spend our lives
trying to repair these flaws, while strengths lie
dormant and neglected.”
Now, Discover Your Strengths
by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clifton

5. What are strengths?
“A particular way of processing
information that your brain is good at.”
“Consistent near-perfect performance in an activity.”
“A part of your brain that’s more
efficient than other parts.” “An activity that makes
you feel strong.”
“A combination of talents, skills and knowledge
that are consistently and productively applied to
achieve a desired result.”

6. If you were to
create a word
cloud to show an
employer your
greatest
strengths, what
would it say?

7. There are 3 raw materials
of strengths:
• Talents
• Knowledge
• Skills

8. A talent is a naturally
recurring pattern of
thought, feeling, or
behavior.
Talents endure because
they were “hardwired” into
your brain.
T
A
L
E
N
T
S

9. Knowledge is a mix of facts
and lessons you’ve
learned.
Factual knowledge won’t
guarantee excellence, but
excellence is impossible
without it.
K
N
O
W
L
E
D
G
E

10. The ability to do
something well.
Skills are generally
developed through a
combination of practice
and aptitude.
S
K
I
L
L
S

11. The key to building your strengths is to
identify your dominant talents and then
refine them with knowledge and skills.
Strengths
Talents
KnowledgeSkills

12. Why is it important to identify your
strengths?
 Sets you apart from everyone else
 Leads to greater personal and professional
development
 Improves effectiveness
 Makes your life more productive and fulfilled
 Helps you experience a feeling of “rightness”

13. How can you identify your
strengths?
1. Questionnaires
2. Self Reflection

14. Questionnaires

15. Questionnaires
 Help you dig into personal insights
 Give a better understanding and
description of your values
 Let you know what kind of work
environment you will enjoy and
excel in
 Show you how you can enhance
your strengths and develop your
weaknesses

16. A sure way to identify your
strengths and talents is
stepping back and watching
yourself for a while.
Self Reflection

17. 1. Spontaneous Reactions
1. How do you react to situations you encounter?
2. Yearnings
1. What strong connections keep calling out to you?
2. What activities do you want to repeat?
3. Rapid Learning
1. What do you learn more quickly than other
people?
2. What do you have a desire to learn more about?
4. Satisfactions
1. What activities do you feel good about?
Self Reflection
4 clues to identify your strengths:

18. Success
 Using your strengths makes you feel successful
Instinct
 Activities you are naturally drawn to
Growth
 Where you learn the most, come up with new
ideas, and have the best insights
Needs
 Where you feel the need to spend the most time
Use the SIGN Method:
Self Reflection

19. Self Reflection
Bonus!
Use others to find your strengths:
 What do others ask for your help with?
 What do others want you to teach them?
 What do you receive compliments for?
 Simple but effective: just ask family, friends,
and coworkers what they think you’re
good at!

20. Don’t ignore your weaknesses…
1. Identify them
2. Outsource them
3. Systematize them
4. Minimize them
5. Improve them
Manage them!

21. “It takes curiosity, courage and a
sense of optimism in order to
determine and acknowledge what
you are good at. But when those
strengths align
with your career
goals…look out!
It’s rocket fuel
for your future
success.”
Alma College

22. Like what you saw?
We hope you found this information helpful. Check us out
at www.miworksmo.org.
• Give us any questions/comments/concerns
• See our workshop schedule
• Learn more about Michigan Works! Muskegon-Oceana

23. Freedom Personal Development
“3 Ways to Identify Your Strengths and 4 Ways
to Handle Your Weaknesses”, June 18, 2009
Leah Simpson
Life Optimizer
“12 Essential Lessons to Maximize Your
Personal Strengths”,
Donald Latumahina
“Discovering Your Strengths”,
Kathy Paauw, Organizing and
Productivity Consultant
January 2004, Issue 47
“Identify Your Strengths”
Alma College – Academic
Advising
Generally Thinking
“How to Identify Your Strengths” and
“How to Manage Your Weaknesses”
Warren Davies
Sources of Insight
“How to Find Your Strengths”
Academic Advising
Sources Cited:
“Go Put Your Strengths to Work: 6
Powerful Steps to Achieve Outstanding
Performance,” Marcus Buckingham