Unlock Your Strengths, Unlock Your Future: A Guide to choosing a Career that fits you.

 Hi, there! Welcome back from the not-so-long break we took from our specially curated Career Guidance content - curated to make the crooked paths straight for you.

So far, The Prime Project academic mentorship team has laid foundations by vividly describing what a "career" is and why it is relevant to you. We also had a comprehensive overview of possible career paths one can pursue in this age, and debunked several myths; wrong perceptions that can hold one back.

To enjoy the premium content already released, check out the previous articles, beginning with this.

Now, we will focus on practically guiding you in choosing a career path. And we'll start with a crucial step - understanding and discovering your strengths. Let's dive in!

We all know we have our strengths and weaknesses. But more importantly, do you know your own strengths? This knowledge is important because, "good knowledge of your strengths = sound career choices", and vice versa!

According to the Cambridge dictionary, strength is “the ability to do things that need a lot of physical or mental effort.” It means your strength isn't just about what you can do easily without stress. It is something that even though it requires a lot of physical and mental effort, you're still able to do it really well - this is crucial to success! Everyone, including you, is created with a strength, or multiple strengths, that he/she can develop! Isn't that encouraging?

Now you might ask, "How can I know what my strength is? is my strength just a skill I'm really good at?" No, not exactly. We'll come to discovering your strength later. But first let's clearly understand what a "strength" is.

Your strength is a natural capacity, talent, or trait, but when you intentionally train and practice that natural capacity, you can then call it a skill because you have become really good at it.

A lot of students find it hard to choose which career they want to pursue after school, but when you understand your strengths, choosing a career path can become much easier.

Here's a theory on “strength” that's full of big grammar, but I want you to read through it carefully. And we’ll break it down afterwards.

According to positive psychologist Alex Liney (2008), a strength is “a pre-existing capacity for a particular way of behaving, thinking, or feeling that is authentic and energizing to the user, and enables optimal functioning, development and performance.”

From this definition, let's note a couple of salient points: 

A.“Pre-existing capacity” means that the strength already exists in you. It doesn't matter if you know it yet or have started to use it. 

Many students today have lots of strengths within them but they've never recognized them before, neither have they used these strengths. 

For example, your strength might be the ability to speak clearly and present sound arguments but you might never know until you probably find yourself in a debate competition and realize that you can argue your case every well. So, do not let fear keep your strength hidden from you!

B. Strengths may come from your behaviour, thinking pattern, or emotions.

This means that your natural strength comes from three major sources (and you can look at these areas in your life do you can find out what your strengths are).

1. The way you think; that unique way your mind works.

2. The way you feel; your ability to pass along, express and manage your emotions well.

3. How you act; that unique way you do things that makes all the difference.

(Continued in the next article.)