Self-Exploration I
The first step in Career Planning & Management is to examine who you are and what you like to do. Knowing yourself is one of the most 
important parts of the process. In this lesson we will complete several online assessments which will help you learn more about yourself. Assessments provide us with helpful information or good starting points so that we can then engage in further self exploration. Assessments do not provide us with information in the exacts—for example, an interest inventory will not tell you what you should do or should be.
Define and learn more about your values: What are values?
Your personal code of values are what's important to you; not something you want or would like to have, but something you literally need in your life to be happy. A value is a principle or quality intrinsically valuable or desirable to you. Values are personal. They are your convictions, your beliefs, and your ethics rolled into one. Your personal code of values may be identical to your family's values. Or they may be dramatically different.
The Importance of Value
Living in agreement with one's values is fulfilling. Living in conflict with one's values is stressful and dissatisfying. That's why it is so important to clearly understand your own personal code of values; your happiness depends upon not only knowing your values, but living in accordance with them.
Define your work values by completing Donald Super’s Work Values Inventory. When you have completed the inventory take some time to reflect on the results and then post a summary of your findings and thoughts about your results in the “Self Exploration: Values Discussion Forum.” In addition, respond to at least two of your classmates’ postings.
When you are reflecting on the results of the values inventory, consider the following questions to help you frame your discussion post.
- Can you relate to your findings?
- Did you results define values that you were not aware of but can relate to?
- What are your top values?
- Do you see overlap between your work and personal values?
- Are work and personal values the same or different?