Talent Tuesday: Input

What do we mean by Input? 

The Clifton StrengthsFinder results describe this talent theme as follows; “You are inquisitive. You collect things. You might collect information — words, facts, books, and quotations — or you might collect tangible objects such as butterflies, baseball cards, porcelain dolls, or sepia photographs. Whatever you collect, you collect it because it interests you. And yours is the kind of mind that finds so many things interesting. The world is exciting precisely because of its infinite variety and complexity. If you read a great deal, it is not necessarily to refine your theories but, rather, to add more information to your archives. If you like to travel, it is because each new location offers novel artifacts and facts. These can be acquired and then stored away. Why are they worth storing? At the time of storing it is often hard to say exactly when or why you might need them, but who knows when they might become useful? With all those possible uses in mind, you really don’t feel comfortable throwing anything away. So you keep acquiring and compiling and filing stuff away. It’s interesting. It keeps your mind fresh. And perhaps one day some of it will prove valuable.”

If the above description describes you, be sure to read below for career tips and tricks tailored to your strengths!

People who are especially talented in the Input theme should continue to always explore and always be curious.

Career Search Tips for Input Talents:

  • Identify your areas of specialization and actively seek more information about them.
  • Make time to read books and articles that stimulate you. Schedule regular time to do this.
  • Deliberately increase your vocabulary. Intentionally collect new words and learn their meanings.
  • You likely enjoy reading the dictionary and the encyclopedia – this might seem strange to some people, but for someone like you it is a good way to strengthen your self-concept.
  • Devise a system to store and easily locate information. This can be as simple as a file for all the articles you have clipped or as sophisticated as a computer database.
  • Identify situations in which you can share the information you have collected with other people.
  • Accept that you will never feel that you know enough.

Below is a video created by the Gallup Strengths Center that goes into more detail about the Input Talent Theme and how it can help you on your path to success!

By Rachel Linehan
Rachel Linehan CareerEdge Manager