Take tests

Taking personality assessments can help you to understand your strengths, weaknesses, values, interests and skills. This can help you to become more self-aware and understand how you interact with others. The tests listed below are free, unless otherwise stated. You can also look at this video for a brief introduction to self-assessment tools:

Personality tests

• The Big Five
  
• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
  

Skills and career interests tests

• Hollands' Career Hexagon (more info)
  
• Imagine PhD (Social Science and Humanities)
  
• PostdocTraining
  
• SkillScan (cost associated)
  
• myIDP (STEM)
  

Values and strengths tests

• Define Your Values
  
• Strengths Profile (cost associated)
  
• VIA Strengths
  
• Schein's Career Anchors

Seek feedback from others

Asking for feedback from others can be a powerful tool for building self-awareness. Be open to constructive criticism and use it to identify areas for improvement.

Try new experiences

Stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new experiences can help you gain a better understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, and preferences. It can also provide opportunities for personal growth and development.

Practice self-reflection

An alternative to or complementary with quantitative self-assessment, is self-reflection. Set aside time each day to reflect on your thoughts, emotions, and actions. Consider how they align with your values and goals. Identify areas where you can make improvements. Here are some reflective writing prompts you can use:

(With special thanks to Natalie Lundsteen for sharing some of these resources).

Develop a journaling practice

Writing down your thoughts and emotions in a journal can help you become more aware of your patterns of thinking and feeling. It can also help you track your progress in building self-awareness.

See our resources on:

Journaling to increase self-awareness.

Practice mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in the current moment. Mindfulness can help you become more aware of your thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations, allowing you to gain a better understanding of yourself.