One of the things employers value in the people they hire is the ability to be self-aware -- to know who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses might be. Why is this so important? If people lack self-awareness, they often read situations and other people incorrectly. At work, your judgment is very important, and you develop that judgment by looking at yourself as objectively as possible. Here's how:

Make a List

List your strengths, your talents and your positive qualities on the left side of a piece of paper. On the right side, make a list of your weaknesses. If your left-hand column is much longer than your right, you may want to focus more on the areas where you could use improvement. If your right-hand list is longer than the one on the left, then you may be too self-critical and not recognizing or finding your personal strengths. You should ideally have an equal number of strengths and weaknesses listed, so you can acknowledge your positive qualities while targeting other areas for growth and improvement.