Examining Our Own Attitudes/Values, Skills and Knowledge

Step 1: Choose three concepts from each category-attitudes/values, skills, and knowledge (nine in all).

Step 2: Describe how each of these concepts is integrated into your own character, personality, and work. Tap into all your past helping experiences as a friend, family member, volunteer, and worker to discuss how these concepts can be seen in your own helping experiences.

Step 3: Suggest ways in which you can work on strengthening or further testing those areas that seem weakest to you. Try to be as specific as you can. General statements such as, "I'll get more experience," are too broad. A better approach would be to state, "I will try to get over my shyness by taking some public speaking courses or joining a club and taking on a leadership role."

Remember that it is always easier to talk about our negative points. Human service workers need to be clear about their strengths as well. It is the strengths that might compensate for the weaker areas.