My reflections/insights on my personal traits test result

           Recently in my Technopreneurship subject we had our Preliminary Exam. Actually, it wasn’t an exam we usually take thrice a semester. It was a Personality Trait Test as regards with the subject of course. The said test analyzed our personality in terms of Entrepreneurship—of how we deal on different situations we could encounter and are encountering. It consists of 32 items, each has two situations, and we are to choose between them. The situations given were not that hard, just some items somehow made confusions on my part for sometimes both situations are all related or similar and it gave me a difficult time to decide what would be the best answer.

          To my Personality Trait test result, I got 39 out of 48. That was not a pretty good score but I didn’t felt any pity of it. It was just probably the way I responded to the situations in the test and realizing how erratic I am in terms of decisions. I noticed it when our professor advised us to review our answers, and my changes made me three zeros. From that I learned a lesson…if you checked it, you must also double-check it. That’s important in businesses right? A slight mistake would turn to a catastrophic event. Every little detail needed to be verified. Anyways, my result was not that poor enough for it still fell into the same category as the others---SOMEWHAT ENTREPRENEUR. Wow! That was a compliment! At first I never thought of the reason of conducting the test. Then, as I’m moving through the items, I realized its purpose ---to know if I have what it takes to be an Entrepreneur, ( technopreneur). Before our Professor read the interpretations of our results, I got my knees quite shaken. My brain was thinking negatively (well, that was because I know I still don’t have the necessary skills, knowledge and abilities to be on be one of those persons whose names became synonymous with money—hehe…I’m thinking exaggeratedly! But I’m still pointing the same) I thought of having no space in the awesome World of Business. For real, I’m not a Business-minded person and I have to say this to you, I was never thick-skinned growing up. But…to my surprise…yehey!!! I made it! I never thought that somehow I got what it takes to be an Entrepreneur. And of course, my way of development won’t end there. Knowing that I’m capable of making my own business one way or another gave me some sort of confidence. Yes, I must not finish my explorations of knowing myself as a Technopreneur for I know I still have to take too many tests to prove my capability of becoming a successful one.

As I had said, the test attempts to analyze our personality by interpreting our reactions to various situations. I can’t remember exactly the situations given on the test, but I’m pretty sure if I’ll generalize it all, the test discussed about this things:

· If I like challenging myself

        I’m pretty positive that one of the situations there tested my preparedness in everything. Maybe the term ‘preparedness’ might not suit… so let’s say being a risk-taker. Yep! I’m a risk-taker…I believed. I like challenges (but what I don’t like is to know that I can’t surpass the challenge…hehe). To prove to you, I probably won’t be here in IC if I’m scared, right?(Can you put a bullet in my head? Hehe…) Actually, I’m really willing taking risks (calculated risks…that is). For me, taking risk is an important aspect in the business world specifically to technopreneurship. I believe risks must be taken every on this field since there’s a rapid advancements in technology nowadays. What is ‘in’ today might be ‘out’ tomorrow or even seconds after! And besides, the world offers a lot of risks. Those risks might allow you to become better, or worst. Maybe you’ll ask what it is on challenges that excite people who like it. Hmmm… I think, it’s being able to punch to the air and shout “Woohoo!”. But that’s only short lived, so the long term effects of overcoming challenges is you get to constantly improve and better yourself.

· If I’m open to other peoples ideas

Hell yes! I'll readily admit that I hardly know everything about anything. I have a lot of things that still needed to be learned and developed. So I deliberately and consciously leave space in my brain to learn from others. I think being a successful entrepreneur relies heavily on ones ability to adapt and change whenever or wherever needed. To be able to listen to customers and employees when they have ideas could better the business or company you’re in. I believe we can learn so much from others than only depending on your own knowledge. By seeing the value of the others, we are more likely to succeed.

· If I can make myself out of a difficult situation and how

It is no surprise if we may found ourselves into a difficult situation. Actually, I’d experienced a lot of difficult situations in my life. However I never let those situations affect my entire well being. Though the after effects were not that cool, still I don’t let myself live with it. I am just realizing that a difficult situation is all in how I perceived it and thinking that I have so many choices on how I will handle the situations. When at times that my eyes can’t handle anymore the pain or whatever, I’d just make some good cry and sometimes punching a pillow ( its better than punching a steel! Hehe). And most of all, (if needed) I do ask for my friends and family’s support.

· If I am able to admit mistakes and willing to change them

Ever since the world began, I mean since I am able to differentiate good from bad, right from wrong, angels from devils, beautifulness from ugliness…(Kidding!), as far as I can remember, I always admits my mistakes?... hmmm… I think at times I’m not =(. I guess it’s not easy to admit mistakes. Maybe I’m just not aware that probably I’m pointing my fingers to the other person when some of these things happened. That I’m actually did something like putting the blame into others and acted as I was never reliable or guilty of it. But if I really did some of this crap, I want to apologize to the people whoever you were, and also to myself for dishonesty (Hey! Am I admitting a mistake? Yey!) .

Since in business aspects, making mistakes isn’t that favorable (of course!), though hard, we should actually admit our mistakes and be willing to change them. Failure to do so would result into failure. If we are not able to change whatever horrible things we done, we could probably lose the trust of the people that surrounds us.

· If I can create and think of better ways to do things

Hmm… I’m buffering… I’m still thinking of an specific event that I applied this kind of trait. Aha! I remembered. It was during my high school life, second year I guess, when our teacher in TLE asked us to make a flower made of recycled paper (newspapers). Before we started making that project, our teacher did presented a sample output of the project--- it was a beautiful red rose with a leaf ( of course it was made of the stripes we cut from the newspapers, painted with different colors). Then, in our every meeting we had the chance to make our projects. When I started mine,(since it was a competition) I analyzed my competitors. I took note of what they were doing that could make sense, and I’m thinking of what could be done to make mine better after a week of doing it, we were given a chance to present our works. Almost…I think all of my classmates had the same result as with our teacher. They are actually copying it. mine had 3 flowers, leaves and stems (spreads like a trunk on trees… you know I don’t really into writing so I have less knowledge of using adjectives effectively. So, what I want to pin point here is that I did better than my classmates. Did I humbly say that?? Haha…I told you.!) Eventually, I won the competition, and as far as I can remember, our teacher paid my works for 150 pesos and one of our faculty members asked me to create one again.! Weeee….

This simple event reminds me of “Pirates of the Silicon Valley” particularly of Steve Jobs. His innovative and creative mind lead him to what he is now—an icon of success. As what the experts say, as you manage a business or into whatever, you need to be innovative. What makes a success story in business is not actually reinventing , but taking a current whatsoever and making if better.

· If I can handle criticisms

Criticisms are part of our lives. I view criticisms negatively but if I just look deeply, criticisms actually important to us.. I view criticisms in two ways—constructive and destructive. I can tell you that it’s not easy to handle criticisms. Base on my experiences, half of the stuff people say about me is true (even if they say it in a joke). If I heard criticisms I just take it, maybe sometimes it make me mad, I suck it up and change if needed. I guess one important thing why I can usually handle criticisms is that I know myself and the things I’m good at( I believed I am! Hehe) and of I’m not. Since we know that in entrepreneurship, criticisms are all part of the business, I think I should be more open minded to the things they are saying.

· If I am a socializer

I know that in order to have a successful business, one must not only have the passion but also good interpersonal skills. And also, not only for business sections, good interpersonal skills must also be needed in everything we do. I do think I have a poor interpersonal skills. I can hardly say that I am a socializer. They said leaders are born and made. Yes, I also believed that, but I think for now I have what it takes to be a good leader. However, I’m too willing to become one.

· If I want to be rich

Hey! I have a new version of the famous game from the award winning movie “Slumdog Millionaire”. It is entitles “ who don’t want to be a millionaire???”…hehe. I’m 100% sure nobody would attempt to have some audition and moreover, producing it would be not be even possible! Therefore, from this, we could conclude that no one lived in this world never ever dreamed of becoming wealthy, right?I remembered in the test, so many situations there deal with money. This was really the thing that made me confused while taking the test. It’s not because I’m a materialistic kind of person, it just that I’m thinking of reality and being practical? hmmm….
I don’t know your insights concerning this matter, but for me. Making this as a motivation to succeed in life is not that ideal. First, in order to be successful, one must acquire necessary abilities and skills and most of all one must have the passionate on his chosen field. Like Steve Jobs, we must never choose our career path for money. Direct from his mouth, “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful, that’s what matters to me.”


· If I’m already satisfied with my life so far


Though I love my life now (thinking of the positive sides), I still want to make it wonderful. Before I tried working on becoming more appreciative to simple things hat life has to offer on a daily basis. I know there are many things to appreciate now so I try to be mindful of that although I always want to see and do a great many things. For me, satisfying yourself stops you from innovating. Without innovations life would get so boring. So my answer is not yet. Almost certainly my only satisfaction is death.

Conclusions…

Just so amazed with myself that I really did make it to be capable of making businesses. Wow! Before I am thinking only of becoming an employee or whatever professions I would have after I graduated this course…hmmm.
We all know that getting into business can be the best decision. Though starting is not a simple task, there are a lot of opportunities in this field.
I know that I still don’t have the abilities yet. But my willingness to learn is continually growing as the time passes. And I also know that I cant make it all on my own, just fortunate to have a mentor like our Prof that efficiently taught us things regarding this matter and also he continually pushing us to become what we need and what we want to be.

I have here one last question…what does it takes to be a successful entrepreneur? For now I cant answer this, maybe more or less 10 years I might be able to answer this. I’m really hoping.