Whether you're making a career change or starting out to find your ideal work, first get a clear picture of your strengths; work utilizing strengths is fulfilling.

There are many career change assessments available to help you with career change advice. The latest research out of Positive Psychology provides a free career assessment tool based on sound psychological research studies. We'll identify the steps you'll use to catalogue your strengths and find that great, fulfilling career.

Building on Your Strengths is Good Career Advice

Studies show that:

• Those for whom work is a calling have a strong sense of overall life fulfillment.
• There is a strong correlation between happiness and using one's strengths in daily activities.

If you're looking for work that doesn't feel like work, but feels more like a calling and brings you a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction, the following steps will point you in the right direction.

Find Your Unique Strengths

Use these three techniques to identify and clarify your unique strengths. The first two, though highly subjective, are still excellent sources of good information. The third is research based and in combination with the first two, validates and complements your awareness.

1. Make a list of those things you do very well. Combine and narrow the list until you have only five or six of your top strengths. These are qualities that you have used in moments of greatest pride and satisfaction.
2. Ask people who are close to you what qualities they most admire about you.
3. Fill out the VIA questionnaire which provides an assessment of your top five strengths. The VIA research is sponsored by the University of Pennsylvania and has been widely used by people of many cultures.

Signature Strengths

Upon completing the questionnaire you'll receive a list of your strengths and several statistical comparisons to the other million or so people who've completed it. Those are interesting, but what you want to focus on is the designation of your "signature strengths." These are the top five or six strengths that describe you at your very best. Spend a few minutes with the list to confirm these are indeed characteristics of you at your best. Show the list to a significant other or close friend for their concurrence.

Compare the results of the three methods looking for consistency. Your true and unique strengths will resonate with you, giving you a strong gut feeling that they represent you at your best.

Using Strengths to Find Your Career

Once you're comfortable with a list of signature strengths that represents you at your best, it's time to start your career search. But first, remember that research studies indicate a strong correlation between use of your signature strengths and happiness. That is, when we use our strengths we tend to report feeling happy and fulfilled. Isn't that what you're looking for in your career?

A winning strategy for career choice or career change is to maximize your opportunity to use your signature strengths.

Narrow The Choices

Go over potential career choices with your signature strengths in mind. Estimate whether each career provides a natural opportunity for one or more of your signature strengths. This is just an initial estimate, so use a first approximation of just three categories: Low, Medium, and High.

If you don't know enough about a potential career to make the assessment it's time to do some research. You'll want to use the many free resources that describe careers in terms of what people do. But more importantly, talk to some people who are in those careers. If you don't know anyone personally, mention to friends and family that you're considering a certain career field. Often, people you know will know someone who works in that field and can put you in contact with them.

Another source is your phone book. Call a company that is in the business and ask to speak to human resources. Often when you show interest in someone's work they'll fall all over themselves telling you about it.

Put It All Together

Armed with the confidence of knowing your strengths, target specific careers and companies within those career fields. At each step of the process continue to evaluate the opportunity to use your strengths. Work that utilizes your strengths all or nearly all of the time will keep you energized, motivated, and fulfilled. This work feels more like play for pay. Good luck!

More career assessment advice.

Related Article: Strengths for Life Satisfaction