Talent can introduce a person to aptitude, but skill surpasses the birth given abilities. After taking the Gallup test, I found my current top 5 strengths to be Positivity, Maximizer, Empathy, Woo, and Adaptability. Listed from most to least prominent, my strengths represent me as a relatively emotional person. My positivity enlists happiness for myself and everyone around me! Being a maximizer, I employ the best out of all my team members and never leave work less than perfect. My empathetic attitude, allows me to know an outward perspective for others, like Pocahontas ‘knows every rock and tree and creature – has a life, spirit, and name’. (Schwartz, 1995) Woo, or Winning Others Over, represents my strive for approval by all parties, personally I see this as a weakness (I shouldn’t care what others think of me), but I might discover, later, the usefulness of this strength. Finally, my adaptive nature keeps my mind focused on the task at hand, rather than stressing about the unpredictable future to come. Overall I believe my strengths are a decent indication of the man I am today.
With a spotlight on my academics, these strengths are leading me to a successful college career thus far. My adaptability plays heavy while preparing for a quiz, allowing most of my focus to the subject that is most important at the moment. To sprinkle some “positivity” on my Woo strength, the later pushes me to be fairly acquainted with my professors and TAs, which is academically and professionally a positive trait, along with my classmates, which always helps when studying for even the tiniest matters. My empathy works its magic in many ways: in outward classes like ‘Asian Philosophies’, I can set aside my beliefs to further understand the reality of other religions and principles. Not so similarly, when a fellow student is struggling, I long to help them, not only do I feel wholesome for aiding others, but the extra explanation is great practice for me as well. Being a maximizer, I am never settled with my homework/studying until I have done everything I can. This trait is an enormous motivator which sets my learning apart from that of other students. My positivity always comes in handy during a high-pressure exam such a midterm or final; while every other student is nibbling on their fingertips or cursing the world, I am smiling and cheering everyone on, usually with some upward finger-guns and the occasional “Midterm Turn-up!”. With my strengths, school is a challenging, but doable, walk in the park.
As I plan on becoming an actuary after graduation, I see my strengths really helping out in the future. Along with a strong mathematics education background, good communication skills are required to help explain complex ideas to not-so familiar individuals. Woo will help with that, as I have no fear of meeting new people and walking them through my work or just consulting with them to see what they are looking for from me. Especially if I enter a career of consulting, my work will always involve constant interaction with clients. Adaptability should enhance my ability to focus on work in the moment. To keep integrity, which is required in a position where I am given a lot of knowledge and responsibility, my empathy will retain me from mistreating my accountabilities. Being an accountant is all about details, on the other-hand, when you ask an actuary what 2+2 equals, she/he will say “what do you want it to equal?”. Some jokes aside, missing data in analysis is a serious problem and can critically disrupt models, being a maximizer, I won’t stop till my work is one hundred percent kosher. I can’t wait to see how my strengths grow and lead me to future success.