VIA Character Strengths Survey

What it is

The VIA Survey is a free, research-based questionnaire built on the classification of 24 character strengths developed by psychologists Christopher Peterson and Martin Seligman. Unlike personality tests that sort you into a type, it ranks all 24 strengths from your most natural ("signature strengths") to the ones you use least. The VIA Institute on Character, a non-profit, runs it.

What you get

• A ranked list of your 24 strengths, free, after about 12 minutes of questions.
• Short descriptions of each strength and ideas for using it.
• Optional paid reports with more detail; the free ranking is enough for most people.

Why it is useful

Most students only hear about their weaknesses: low marks, missing skills. Knowing your signature strengths gives you better language for applications and conversations ("I am the person who keeps a project going when it gets boring"), and helps you choose work that fits. It also helps in hard times: using a strength on purpose is one of the better-studied ways to lift your mood a little.

How to use it well

• Take it when calm, and answer as you actually are, not as you want to be.
• Look at your top five and ask: when did I last use each one? What was I doing?
• Ask two people who know you well which strengths they see in you, and compare.
• Try using one top strength in a new way each day for a week.
• Treat it as a starting point, not a verdict. It does not tell you which career to choose.

Pair it with on Sefism

• Knowing yourself uses strengths, values and feedback from others to turn self-knowledge into choices.
• Building real confidence shows how to collect evidence of what you do well.
• Ask Tauseef a question if you want advice on your own situation.

Best for: a free, quick way to name your strengths and start using them on purpose.