Career and Professional Development provides resources and experiences designed to support you during your first year at LMU and throughout your college career. CPD’s annual, first-year program is focused on helping you discover and explore your strengths using the CliftonStrengths for Students instrument. We expect each first-year student to take CliftonStrengths for Students before arriving on campus. To take the CliftonStrengths for Students assessment, please follow the instructions below and complete by December 30, 2019.
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To Register
- Please find a quiet place and allow yourself at least 30 minutes to complete the assessment.
- Navigate to lmu.gallup.com
- On the Login page, click New Account below the Register heading.
NOTE: If you have taken the CliftonStrengths for Students assessment before, click Link Existing Gallup® Account and follow the instructions provided. - On the Registration page, type your information in the available fields, be sure to use your LMU email address (save your unique username and password), select the “I have read and agree …” box, and then click Create Account.
- Once you have registered, you will land on the “Website Registration Completed” page.
- Check your LMU inbox for an email confirming registration with a link to activate your account. Click the link in the email message to complete your registration. Once completed, you can log in to the CliftonStrengths site using your username and
password.
To Log In
- Navigate to lmu.gallup.com or click on the Sign In box in the top right corner of the "Activation Confirmation" page.
- Login using your unique username and password (Note: Select “Accessibility Enhanced Version” if you are visually impaired and/or if you would like the timer between each prompt to be turned off).
- Click “Let’s Go!” to take the CliftonStrengths for Students Assessment
- Read through and complete the preliminary instructions about the CliftonStrengths for Students
- Click “Take the CliftonStrengths for Students Assessment”.
- Your report will be distributed during your Orientation session so no need to print it. You are welcome to print for your own records, if you would like.
About CliftonStrengths for Students | Taking the CliftonStrengths for Students | Technical Problems/Trouble Shooting
About the CliftonStrengths for Students
What is a talent?
According to Gallup®, “A talent is a naturally recurring pattern of thought, feeling or behavior that can be productively applied.” Our talents help us understand who we are. They describe us; influence our choices; direct our actions; explain why we are better at some things than others and help us filter our world. People’s talents give them a unique power and edge.
What is a strength?
According to Gallup, “A strength is the ability to consistently provide near-perfect performance in a specific activity. The key to building a strength is to identify your dominant talents, then complement them by acquiring knowledge and skills pertinent to the activity.” Start with talent, finish with strength.
What is the difference between talents and strengths?
Talents, knowledge, and skills — along with the time spent (i.e., investment) practicing, developing your skills, and building your knowledge base -- combine to create your strengths. The key to building a fully developed strength is to identify your most dominant talents, which are likely found within your top five themes, then complement them with acquired knowledge, skills, and investment. Talent is “being” whereas strength is “doing.” For information about the difference between talents and strengths, visit Gallup's website.
What is a weakness?
According to Gallup, “In a strengths-based approach, a weakness is a shortage or misapplication of talent, skill, or knowledge that causes problems for you or others.” The strengths-based approach to personal development is to focus on each person’s strengths and manage around weaknesses. Weakness fixing prevents failure, strengths building leads to success.
How likely is it to have the same Top 5 Talent Themes as somebody else?
The chances of having the exact same Top 5 Talent Themes in the exact order as someone else is 1 in 33.39 million. The chances of having the same Top 5 Talent Themes as someone else (but in a different order) is approximately 1 in 340,000.
Who has access to my CliftonStrengths for Students results?
Individual results will be accessible by you and the Career and Professional Development staff facilitating the Orientation session. Results will be printed and provided at the start of the session.
Should I pursue a major or career based on my talents themes/strengths?
Your Top 5 Talent Themes will not indicate specific majors or careers that an individual should pursue. For example, having the talent theme of “Analytical™” does not mean that an individual should pursue a major in math or computer science. Although certain themes do appear to be quite consistently dominant within certain majors and/or professions, it would be wrong to say that a given major and/or profession requires dominant talents in certain themes.
The best way to use the CliftonStrengths for Students to guide your major and/or career is to determine ways to apply the talents in your top five themes/strengths to whatever major and/or profession you choose. In addition, skills and knowledge gained through a specific major and/or career will provide opportunities to transform your talents into strengths. Schedule an appointment with a CPD Career Coach on Handshake to discuss how your talent themes can inform your academic and career path.
Will I be labeled, stereotyped, or “put in a box” based on my talent themes/strengths?
No. The CliftonStrengths for Students assessment is a tool that can help individuals in their self-discovery. The Top 5 Talents Themes listed after completing the assessment are intended to help raise an individual’s awareness about where they naturally excel or have the potential to excel. The intent behind the strengths-based approach is to help individuals learn and understand how to apply their own specific talents to the choices they make in their academic, career and personal lives. The focus is on building your strengths.
Where can I get more information about CliftonStrengths?
The CPD and CliftonStrengths for Students websites have useful tools to help you learn more about the strengths approach. You are able to read the CliftonStrengths for Students book for free online once you have set up an account on the CliftonStrengths website and taken the CliftonStrengths for Students assessment. Sign in to your account, click on the Resources tab, then Research & Reports, and scroll down to find the “CliftonStrengths for Students”.
Taking the CliftonStrengths for Students
Why is there a timer for each statement? What if I did not have time to choose a response?
The time limit and your unfamiliarity with the statements ensure your assessment's accuracy by making it difficult to over-think your responses. The CliftonStrengths for Students works by challenging you to make choices between paired statements. Whenever your talents lead you to make a choice, we capture it. The combination of all the choices you made are used to calculate your top five themes.
If the time limit prevented you from making a choice, it is very likely that neither statement affected you in a way that allowed you to make a top-of-mind choice. Whether each of the two statements described you equally well, or neither statement described you well, your difficulty in making a choice reveals that the statement pair probably did not tap into one of your most dominant themes of talent.
I have taken the CliftonStrengths for Students before coming to LMU. Do I need to complete again for Orientation?
Yes. If you took the assessment prior to arriving at LMU, you will be able to access your existing results through the original account you set with Gallup when you first took the assessment. However, you are strongly encouraged to complete the assessment again as part of Orientation, as your report will be printed, distributed and used during a session by Career and Professional Development and incorporate your most recent results- please take it again. Plus, part of the Orientation fee covers the cost of this assessment. Visit the CliftonStrengths website or contact CPD should you have questions.
Which report should I use from the CliftonStrengths website?
Start with your Signature Theme Report. This report will provide you with general overall descriptions of each of your talent themes.
After you are more familiar with these general descriptions and how your themes apply in your life, move on to the StrengthsInsight® and Action Planning Guide. This report provides descriptions of your themes in a way that also takes the unique combination of your Top 5 Talent Themes into account. This report also provides some specific ideas for how you can take action steps based on your talents.
Are there accommodations for people with disabilities?
Yes. There is a 20-second timer for each statement on the assessment. However, it can be turned off if you have a disability that requires you to take the CliftonStrengths for Students without a time limit. If this is the case, please check the Accessibility-Enhanced Version box after entering your user name and password but before you select login. NOTE: The 20-second time limit and your unfamiliarity with the statements ensure your assessment's accuracy by making it difficult to over-think your responses.
Is the assessment available in other languages?
Yes. The CliftonStrengths for Students assessment is offered in 20+ languages. When you create your account, there will be an option to choose a language for the assessment.
If the assessment is taken in a language other than English, can the report still be printed in English?
Yes. It is possible to print the Signature Themes Report in 20+ different languages. Currently the Strengths Insight and Action Planning Guide and the Strengths Insight Report are available in English only. Your report will be distributed during your Orientation session so no need to print it. You are welcome to print for your own records, if you would like.
I was distracted or interrupted while taking the assessment. Can I finish where I left off?
If you are distracted or interrupted while taking the CliftonStrengths for Students, you do not need to start over. If necessary, simply sign in again, and the assessment will automatically resume where you left off. If you are still signed in, click the Continue button to return to the paired statements you were considering before you were interrupted. If you need assistance contact the StrengthsFinder Support Team. For the most accurate results, CPD encourages you to complete in one sitting, in a peaceful environment free of distractions.
I stopped in the middle of taking the online assessment. Can I start again?
Yes. If necessary, simply sign in again by clicking Sign In on the upper-right side of the page. The assessment will automatically resume where you left off. If you are still signed in, click the Continue button to return to the paired statements you were considering before you were interrupted. If you need assistance contact the StrengthsFinder Support Team.
Can I retake the assessment? Can taking the CliftonStrengths for Students more than once affect my results?
No, do not re-take the assessment without first speaking with a staff member in Career and Professional Development. Taking the CliftonStrengths for Students more than once may actually decrease the accuracy of your results.
Technical Problems / Trouble Shooting
I have not received a verification email from Gallup after registering on the website. What should I do?
Very often your Google powered gmail web client incorrectly interprets automated email messages as spam and places them in your webmail spam folder. Check to see if the email is in your spam folder. If you require additional assistance, read this helpful article or contact Gallup's Technical Support Team at strengthsquesthelp@gallup.com or 866.346.4408.
After finishing taking the CliftonStrengths for Students, I received an error that said I had given too many neutral responses. What do I do?
Please retake the CliftonStrengths for Students assessment. Your account should be automatically reset so that you can take the assessment again. Log in using the username and password that you used to create your account and you should be directed to retake the CliftonStrengths.
I took the CliftonStrengths for Students assessment, but how do I get my results?
You should be able to obtain your results immediately after completing the assessment. Go to lmu.gallup.com, log in using your user name and password. Once you are logged-in your results should appear automatically on the home screen. You can download further reports by clicking on the report links beneath the results. Please note, results will be printed and provided at the start of the Orientation session.
I cannot remember my username and password.
Visit lmu.gallup.com and click “Forgot username/password.” You may also contact CPD at 310.338.2871 or careers@lmu.edu for additional assistance but start with contacting Gallup first for immediate technical support.
- StrengthsQuest Technical Report [pdf]
- Activities for Discovery & Team-building [pdf]
- Activities for Career [pdf]