Do you know what your abilities are? And do you know just how good you are at certain things? And how do you know if you have an accurate self-assessment? A recent study by Zell & Krizan (2014), found that “people only have a moderate insight into their abilities” (p111). I asked my 4 year old what she was good at and she told me she was good at being nice. She wasn’t sure how she knew that but I’m guessing she took some contextual cues. We often acknowledge her generous and thoughtful nature. In comparison to her peers, she is quick to think of someone else’s need and quick to forgive. Without her peers, we wouldn’t know if her ability to be nice, was anything unique or above or below a norm.
Secondary students are often unsure what they are good at. And on top of this they have to make year 11 & 12 subject choices that will influence their career options. They need to know what are they’re likely to do well in, where their strengths lie, and what they are capable of. There isn’t any sense in someone who thinks they are good at maths but are actually great at communications, pursuing a degree in accounting. Or someone who thinks they are brilliant at writing only to find out that they were only brilliant in their own mind!
If you know students who aren’t sure where their strengths lie, a comprehensive careers test could help them. Our COPSystem online test ranks abilities by peer group using statistical norms and will give a clear picture of where they should be investing their energy and time. If you haven’t tried the COPSystem Careers Test – contact us for a free trial and see for yourself.
Source: Do People Have Insight Into Their Abilities? A Metasynthesis (E Zell, Z Krizan – Perspectives on Psychological Science, 2014 – pps.sagepub.com)