This guide will help you make better career decisions based on your interests and your unique strengths, no matter where you’re at on your career journey.
First, review your top strengths and the insights from your CliftonStrengths® report — it will help you along the way.
Step 1: Begin with Self-Assessment
Before taking the next (or first) step in your career path, use these reflective questions to help you better understand yourself and what you want (or need) from a career.
What is most important to you in a job?
e.g., salary, work-life balance, job security, social impact
What kind of work environment do you thrive in?
e.g., collaborative, independent, structured, flexible
What do people consistently depend on you for?
e.g., facilitating teamwork, timeliness, creating buy-in, generating ideas
Step 2: How You Work Best
Now that you’ve thought about the bigger picture, ask yourself these questions about how your strengths express themselves at work.
Select the statement that best describes you for each question.
Step 3: Review your results
You may have noticed a theme — each answer correlates with one of the four CliftonStrengths domains. The four domains are the natural groupings of CliftonStrengths based on how strengths help people work together to accomplish goals.
Here's what your dominant domain(s) says about, how you work best, and what questions will help you determine if a job is right for you.
Mostly 1s: Relationship Building
How you work best: High-performing teams rely on people with strong Relationship Building themes to bring individuals together and make the team greater than the sum of its parts. When your team needs to become stronger and more cohesive, look to people with Relationship Building themes. They can unite the group and galvanize them to achieve shared success. They are the bond that holds great teams together.
Questions to ask in an interview:
- What is the culture like?
- Can you describe the onboarding process for new employees and how it helps them integrate into the team and build relationships?
- How does the company support employee wellbeing and work-life balance?
- What does communication and feedback look like within the workplace?
Mostly 2s: Influencing
How you work best: High-performing teams rely on people with strong Influencing themes because they take charge, speak up and make sure others are heard. When your team needs to sell its ideas and persuade others, look to people with Influencing themes. They can help your team reach a much broader audience and convince others to aid in accomplishing your goals.
Questions to ask in an interview:
- What resources are available for employees who want to enhance their leadership skills or pursue leadership training?
- What opportunities are there for employees to lead or contribute to cross-functional projects or initiatives?
- How have employees been able to lead positive change within the organization?
- How are leadership roles assigned and developed here?
- Can you describe the leadership style within the company?
Mostly 3s: Strategic Thinking
How you work best: High-performing teams rely on people with strong Strategic Thinking themes to absorb and analyze information that informs better decisions. When your team needs to become more creative and innovative, look to people with Strategic Thinking themes. They can stretch the team’s thinking for the future and inspire new ideas that can lead to high performance.
Questions to ask in an interview:
- What metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs) does the company use to measure the success of its strategic initiatives?
- Can you provide examples of recent strategic projects or decisions that have had a significant impact on the company’s success?
- What support or resources are available for employees who want to enhance their strategic thinking skills?
- How does the company adapt its strategy in response to changes in the market or industry?
Mostly 4s: Executing
How you work best: High-performing teams rely on people with strong Executing themes because they make things happen. When your team needs to get things done, look to people with Executing themes. They can take an idea and make it a reality. And they’ll work tirelessly to accomplish the goal.
Questions to ask in an interview:
- What project management methodologies or frameworks does the company use, and how are they applied in practice?
- What support or resources are available to project teams to help them overcome obstacles and ensure successful project delivery?
- How does the company measure the success of its projects, and what lessons are learned from both successes and failures?
- How does the company foster a culture of accountability and ownership among project team members?
Step 5: Reflect
Now that you’ve thought about what’s important to you, how you work best and what roles fit your strengths, take some time to note what you’ve learned about yourself and what you’re looking for in your career.
Copyright © 2024, Gallup, Inc. Gallup® and CliftonStrengths® are trademarks of Gallup, Inc.
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