| There is an old Chinese proverb from Lao Tzu | | | | doing more of what they do best innately |
| that says "Give a man a fish and you feed him | | | | interesting and stimulating. The ACI Perceptual |
| for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him | | | | Style assessment reveals which of the six basic |
| for a lifetime." My version would read "Give a man | | | | skills clusters is most natural to you. Using that |
| most vocational inventories and it will tell him to | | | | information as a starting point, and working with a |
| become a forest ranger. Give him the | | | | coach, it is possible to narrow down and |
| assessments and it will reveal the natural skills | | | | personalize the list so that it reflects your unique |
| that a job must have for him to be occupationally | | | | skills and talents. Those skills, in turn, become a |
| fulfilled." | | | | checklist against which you can evaluate potential |
| A person who knows themselves and their | | | | employment to determine whether or not the job |
| natural skills is served far better in terms of | | | | responsibilities match your natural abilities. |
| finding meaningful work than one who is told their | | | | For example, if you have the skill "builds networks |
| interests are similar to people who... (you fill in the | | | | of loyal friends with whom you maintain contact |
| blank). | | | | on a daily basis" on your list, and the job you are |
| Historically career inventories have measured the | | | | interviewing for is one that has very little people |
| extent to which your interests are similar to the | | | | interaction, it is highly likely that you will not find |
| interests of people in a particular career or | | | | the work required satisfying or meaningful. Using |
| profession. The rationale was that people with | | | | the list in this manner allows you to evaluate a |
| similar interests would seek employment in similar | | | | wider range of employment possibilities by looking |
| fields and that if, for example, you had the same | | | | at the job responsibilities and required behaviors |
| interests as someone in the construction industry | | | | rather than limiting yourself to job titles or |
| then you would enjoy work in the construction | | | | industries. |
| industry. The problem is that while you may have | | | | There may be a little more work initially learning |
| similar interests as those in the construction | | | | how to fish rather than accepting one as a gift |
| industry, you may have little or no desire to do | | | | but the long-term rewards are worth the effort. |
| what someone in the construction industry does | | | | The former frees you to pursue your life |
| when performing their job. Perhaps more | | | | anywhere because you have developed the ability |
| importantly, interest is not a measure of skill or | | | | to feed yourself. The latter keeps you tied to the |
| talent. | | | | goodwill of others in order to survive. The same |
| You have one of six basic Perceptual Styles and | | | | is true in selecting employment. Using skills-based |
| that style supports an innate set of natural | | | | coaching to discover what you do naturally well |
| potentials that can be developed into usable skills | | | | will free you to explore many jobs for which you |
| and talents. We have found that career selection | | | | have aptitude while the interest-matching |
| is most effectively made from a foundation of | | | | approach will limit you to one or two job titles or |
| these natural skills and talents, and that you will | | | | industries that may or may not fit you. After all |
| have a far greater chance of finding meaning and | | | | there are only so many forest ranger jobs |
| satisfaction in employment that draws on the use | | | | available. |
| of these natural skills. In addition, most people find | | | | |