Purdue Alumni offers tools uniquely suited for entrepreneurial class
In 2016, Aaron Drake (S’04) made a major shift in his career. After working within larger organizations — and, in his words, feeling a bit like a cog — Drake ventured out on his own, creating a consulting business out of greater Louisville.
As Drake made the shift to being his own boss, he started thinking more about how he could leverage his connection to Purdue.
“I was looking at all the Purdue Alumni benefits and thinking, ‘This is in line with everything I need to be doing to build my reputation and my brand and continue to learn,’” reflects Drake. “I was looking to answer what the next big direction in my career was going to be, and that’s where Maureen Huffer Landis stepped in.”
Learn more about Director of Career Development Maureen Huffer Landis
CliftonStrengths Assessment
After joining the Purdue Alumni Association, Drake set up an appointment with Huffer Landis to talk about the results to his CliftonStrengths assessment.
The CliftonStrengths assessment — offered through CAREER MAX membership — helps test takers identify their top strengths.
“This is more than just a personality test,” explains Drake. “It identifies blind spots and strengths you might not have considered before.”
After Drake took the assessment, Huffer Landis helped him walk through the takeaways.
“Maureen was able to add a deeper level of analysis,” says Drake. “She’s got a lot of experience doing this, looking at the combination rather than just the raw report. She adds an extra level of human psychology and explains what all the findings mean together.”
Moving Forward with the Right Connections
As Drake builds his consulting business, he’s leaning on his CliftonStrengths results.
“Now I can have a dialogue with people and know where my own personal strengths are,” says Drake. “I can use that to build the core values of my business and help clients select whether my company is the right one to be partnering with.”
And by evaluating the areas where he scored lower, Drake is thinking strategically about how to build out his team with purpose.
“I realized I’m never going to be strong in certain areas, but I can look for those strengths in other people and build a great team.”