⚡🔎Activity: Put Together Your Assessment Information

Now that you have accumulated valuable details to inform your search, it is important to consolidate this information and look for connections. You could do this using a table format or you might find it useful to use a concept map. Both are described below.

Regardless of the approach you use to review your information, an important result is seeing the connections between the different self-assessment focus areas. For example:

• Connect specific class projects to related volunteer opportunities. For instance, if you're working on a project related to environmental sustainability, you could connect it to volunteer opportunities with local conservation organizations.
• Connect volunteer opportunities to specific skills or experiences that are relevant to your career goals. For example, if you're interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, you could connect volunteer work at a hospital to skills like patient care or medical knowledge.

Activity

Approach One: Create a summary table for your Spark, Skills and Strategy assessments. Review the earlier pages in your workbook and fill out your information in the table provided in your Workbook. Consider all of your information to identify key themes, words or phrases that you can use for your search. Once your summary table is complete, use it as a tool to guide your actions and decision-making.

Approach Two: Create a concept map for your Spark, Skills and Strategy assessments.  This can be an effective way to visually organize your thoughts, ideas, or information and identify important connections.  Once your concept map is complete, use it as a tool to guide your actions and decision-making.

You can create a concept map with pencil and paper, or Word or Google Docs will allow you to this electronically.  Start with your main objective at the center of the concept map.  Create branches radiating out from the center representing the main categories or areas of focus related to your objective.  Expand each main branch with sub-branches representing related information, specific tasks or actions within each category.  The diagram below is an example of how you might do this.

Consider all of your information to identify key themes, words or phrases that you can use for your search.