The purpose of this paper is to assess my personal strengths and weaknesses at work, in my personal life, and in a learning team environment. Throughout my life, I have acquired both positive and negative traits that have either assisted or hindered me in accomplishing my goals. These traits are either the product of past events in my life or little quirks that I probably have had since birth. On the positive side, there are a few characteristics that I consider worthy of consideration. First, I try to be dependable. If I am tasked with a chore, I will do my utmost to see that I accomplish it. This has resulted in huge benefits both at work and in my personal life. My superiors know that any job they place before me is almost guaranteed to be carried out to the best of my ability. If the task is something I cannot accomplish on my own, I will ask for assistance, thereby increasing my chances of doing what has been requested. From the perspective of my personal life, this dependability has ensured that I have life-long friends. I will never knowingly let friends down when they ask me to do something for them.
The second trait that I consider worthy of consideration is my patience. For the last eighteen years, I have worked with children and adults, teaching either the Russian language or basic reading skills, only rarely becoming impatient with any of them. I truly enjoy taking the time to teach and am willing to spend whatever time it takes to ensure that the student fully understands the concept or lesson. On a personal level, this trait ensures that my friends will always come to me when they need a shoulder to cry on. The third trait that I consider commendable is my ability to rephrase things to ensure comprehension. I am fairly sure that this ability is a direct result of my interpreter training. When interpreting, if a person does not know a specific word or concept, he or she must talk around it or rephrase it to ensure comprehension by the audience.
