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As I take another step into preparing for the adult world, I had the opportunity to take the StrengthsFinder Assesement through the College of Liberal Arts. When I took my StrengthsFinder assessment, I was not at all surprised by the results. My five strengths were achiever, focus, harmony, input, and learner. Perhaps the one that I was not expecting was harmony, but after further reflection, I realized that, while I don’t have a problem taking charge, I always look for situations and compromises that everyone will like. The other four qualities are traits that I have recognized in myself, pretty much my entire life. I am proud of these qualities in myself and think they have made me very successful in school so far.

After talking with The Career Development Center about my results, they said it was common for students to not be surprised by the results. The purpose of the assessment is to find strengths that you can capitalize on in the job market, during interviews, or showcase on your resume. However, during this process of learning my strengths, I have begun to look more seriously at law school as an option out of college. Previously, I had been completely set on the Police Academy, but I think I do well in school settings, and I really like to read. I have a very logical approach to things, and I am able to focus on the task at hand. People have encouraged me to look at law school before, but this activity really solidified that, at least as a second option after graduation. Last semester I went to an application info session and toured the Penn State Law campus, and I will be taking the LSAT in the September.

Previously, in interviews, when I was asked what my strengths were, I would give a generic answer, claiming that I was “organized, hardworking, and motivated,” but now I have concrete terms to describe myself and examples of each. I am able to answer that interview question more effectively. Heather gave me a couple worksheets that allow me to relate the terms to different experiences and describe the StrengthsFinder terms in my own words. This was especially helpful, because I wasn’t just spitting information from a piece of paper—I really understand how to market myself more effectively, whether that be for a job at a police department or in my personal statement for law school.