Career Success Map Questionnaire

2

CAREER SUCCESS MAP QUESTIONNAIRE

By C. Brooklyn Derr

Basic talents, values, and motives have an impact when decisions are made about careers. The following survey is designed to help you understand your career orientation. You cannot fail this test; there is no right or wrong answers.

Each item contains two statements. Choose the one you feel most accurately describes you or is truer of you. You must choose one of the statements, even though you may not like either or you may like both of them. Do not skip any pair of statements or circle both alternatives in one set. Circle the letter on the right corresponding to the one sentence you select from (A) or (B) on the left which is most reflective of you. Do not spend a lot of time weighing answers.

Circle one letter in each pair. For example in question 1 circle either “V” or “X”.
1. (A) I like to organize myself and others to win.
(B) I like to do my own thing in an organization.
2. (A) Work must be balanced by time for leisure and the development of significant relationships.
(B) Personal needs must be subordinated for me to get ahead.
3. (A) I would like work in an organization that rewards hard work, loyalty, and dedication.
(B) I like my own goals and accomplishing them at my own pace.
4. (A) I am aggressive and have good analytical and people skills.
(B) I am able to keep a good perspective between the needs of my work and the needs of my family.
5. (A) I want to work independently.
(B) I like being a company person.
6. (A) I enjoy working as a consultant or “trouble shooter” and getting turned on by an exciting project.
(B) I enjoy working in a situation where I am the leader and am responsible for achieving certain objective.
7. (A) My spouse/partner is as important to me as my career.
(B) My spouse/partner takes a back seat to my work when I am in the middle of a very exciting project.
8. The most important thing to me is:
(A)  Freedom.
(B)  Maintaining work/life perspective.
9. (A) I am competent, loyal, trustworthy, and hardworking.
(B)  I am politically skillful, a good leader, and a good administrator.
I can be described as:
10. (A) Self-reliant.
(B) Balanced.
11. (A) One who gets “turned on” by exciting projects.
(B) One who likes to be his/her own boss.
12. (A) In equilibrium but divided.
(B) Imaginative, enthused.
13. (A) Self-reliant, self-sufficient.
(B) Imaginative, enthused.
14. (A) Stable and tenacious.
(B) Independent and self-directed.
15. (A) One who plans and organizes extremely well.
(B) One who analyzes situations and develops creative, new solutions.
16. (A) An expert in my field.
(B) A solid citizen.
17. (A) Able to modify my own goals to accommodate to organizational goals and leaders.
(B) Intent to finding a way to make the organization’s goals and my won “personal” goals converge.
A personal goal is to:
18. (A) Control my own destiny.
(B) Not to let work interfere with the needs of my own personal life.
It is important to:
19. (A) Have a job where there is security and a sense of belonging.
(B) Be able to devour time to family and other personal activities.
I prefer:
20. (A) A career with potential for promotions.
(B) The opportunity to tackle challenging problems or tasks.
21. (A) I like being at the center of influence.
(B) I value long-term employment, acceptance, and being valued by the organization.
22. (A) I view knowing the right people and making the right friends as important to career advancement.
(B) I view being able to develop my career along my own areas of interest as the critical factor.
23. (A) The bottom line for me is gaining a sense of balance between work and private life.
(B) The bottom line for me is stability, appreciation, and having a secure place in the organization.
24. (A) I would like a position with maximum self-control and autonomy.
(B) I would like to be in the inner-circle.
25. (A) The bottom line for me is stability, appreciation, and a secure place in the organization.
(B) The bottom line for me is advancing up the organization.
26. (A) I view financial success and increased power and prestige as important measures of career success.
(B) I view success in my career as having equal time for work, family, and self-development.
I would rather:
27. (A) Excel in my field.
(B) Be considered dependable and loyal.
I prefer:
28. (A) Working with a team on a long-term and steady basis.
(B) Working with a task force or project group on a fast-paced and short-term basis.
29. (A) Professional development and continued training are important for their own sake.
(B) Professional development is important as a means to the end of becoming an expert and gaining more flexibility and independence.
30. (A) The bottom line for me is to seek equilibrium between personal and professional life.
(B) The bottom line for me is excitement and stimulation.
Con’t / V
X
Y
V
W
X
V
Y
X
W
Z
V
Y
Z
X
Y
W
V
X
Y
Z
X
Y
Z
X
Z
W
X
V
Z
Z
W
W
Y
X
Y
W
Y
V
Z
V
W
V
X
Y
W
X
V
W
V
V
Y
Z
W
W
Z
Z
X
Y
Z

SCORING

Once you have completed the test, go back through it, add up the number of times you circled the letter “V.” Then do the same with each of the other letters, writing the number in the space provided below. If you have completed the test accurately up to this point, the grand total will be thirty (V+W+X+Y+Z=30).

SCORE V=A______W=S______X=F______Y=B______Z=H______

Now plot your scores below to connect your scores on the graph.

CSM PROFILE

Intensity

/ 12 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
11 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
10 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
Strong / 9 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
8 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
7 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
Average / 6 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
5 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
4 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
3 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
Weak / 2 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
1 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
0 / ·  / ·  / ·  / ·  / · 
V / W / X / Y / Z

This copy is reproduced by permission from the author as a result of purchasing the audiotape. For questions about copyright please contact Rich Feller at