After taking our communication/personality tests, I found the results where consistent with how I’d describe myself. To begin, my communication skills result came back above average which makes sense because it’s my major. Over the last four years, I’ve been able to refine how I talk to others and practice what’s most effective in different environments. Within the last year, I have grown so much and find myself practicing and advocating for clearer discussions in my personal life. I find it interesting that what I’m currently learning correlates so closely with my personal life and interactions.
For my growth mindset, the results were strong. The explanation claims I embrace challenges, appreciate feedback, acknowledge my weaknesses, and train my brain (aka put in effort). I would strongly agree with all of these attributes, and within the last year, I feel I have really grown into the adaptive person I am today. It takes courage to recognise and admit to your weaknesses, for me it’s being honest with my capabilities and asking for help when I need it. This also reflects how feedback is critical for me; not only does it reinforce what I am succeeding in but provides me an opportunity to improve and clarify where I’m lacking. When it comes to training my brain, I was taught not to do things without effort. Putting effort into my daily tasks means I care for the work I’m doing, there is value in my actions and in return I will gain something from it whether it’s a learning experience, money, or moving my toward my future/career. While my test results were accurate, it’s important to mention the time and growth it took to reach these positive attributes. I still find the unfamiliar very uncomfortable and occasionally do avoid it, I pick my battles when facing challenges, and at times, I can be close-minded especially if I’m set with my product.
However, the positives outweigh the negatives, and give me a range of skills and benchmarks that overlap in various abilities that jobs are looking for. In my professional materials, I can tailor my attributes to my audience to be more clear with my message. I am continuously working on ‘training my brain’ and as I do, my tolerance for the things that make me uneasy will increase. Even now, as I look into future jobs and reflect on my skills, it’s reassuring to have confidence in my skills and be able to check off some of those boxes. I can confidently say I am skilled in media production for various social platforms, adaptable to work environments and collaborating, and more than willing to learn. As I wrap up my undergraduate experience, I still have time to hone my skills and learn new techniques, but it’s build on a strong foundation of my last three years studying communications.
