Strengths & weaknesses

Map what energizes vs. drains you to design your career path

We’re back! Spring—perfect for cleaning closets and reevaluating what no longer serves us, putting that energy towards new growth. Let’s tackle that career framework I teased in January. (Hopefully by now you’ve contemplated your career asymptote—more on mine soon.)

Today we’re dissecting strengths and weaknesses. Not the sanitized interview version (“my weakness is perfectionism”), but an honest assessment you can actually use. By mapping your abilities against what truly energizes you, you create a rubric for evaluating future opportunities.

Four quadrants to reshape your career

At Parsons and SVA, I’d kick off each semester with a simple exercise that my beautiful husband introduced me to.* First, make two lists: things you like doing, and things you don’t.

Next, tag them—which are you good at? Not so good at? Map them on a 2×2 matrix—ability against enjoyment.

Students discovered insights that sometimes reshaped their entire trajectories. Some would realize they excelled at aspects of design they secretly dreaded, while feeling drawn to areas they hadn’t yet mastered. This clarity helped them target roles that played to their strengths while developing skills they actually enjoyed acquiring.

The power here is exposing the gap between ability and enjoyment. Taking on work solely because you’re qualified breeds burnout. Avoiding opportunities that excite you because you lack expertise stunts growth.

The generalist’s dilemma

Take it from a self-described generalist: When you tell people you do everything, they remember you for nothing. Adaptability across disciplines makes you valuable but paradoxically harder to hire (or at least remember when a specific problem arises).

Many of us start as generalists—either by necessity in small studios where everyone wears multiple hats, or by choice while exploring different facets of design. This breadth serves us well until suddenly it doesn’t.

The traditional advice is to become T-shaped: deep in one area, conversant in many. But what if your unique value sits precisely at the intersection of multiple disciplines? What if you’re more X-shaped, with expertise that crosses domains?

The solution is to get better at speaking to the value of your particular skill stack. Stop listing every skill you’ve touched and start telling a compelling story about the problems only you can solve.

The goal isn’t becoming good at everything (although appealing)—it’s knowing your profile well enough to discern opportunities that help you grow in ways you want, and avoid those you don’t. Excel at your strengths and partner with people whose talents fill your gaps. Know what you crush and what crushes you—then plan accordingly.

The power of strategic “no”

Understanding your strengths and preferences gives you a framework for declining opportunities that don’t align with your path—even when they look enticing on paper.

Early on, I said yes to everything. I designed websites I couldn’t build, accepted terrifying speaking gigs, and led projects I had no business touching. Some gambles paid off. Others brought stress, mediocre outcomes, and damaged trust.

Eventually, I learned that strategic “no” isn’t limitation—it’s focus. By declining work in my “Energy Zapper” or “Danger Zone” quadrants, I create space for opportunities that leverage my strengths or develop the skills I actually want. Sure, growth happens at the edge of your abilities. But that edge should expand in directions that energize rather than deplete you.

Finding your true north

At HAWRAF, our project evaluation flowchart started with two questions: “Is it something we believe in?” and “Can we make something interesting?” Only after these criteria were met did we weigh practical concerns like budget and timeline.

This clarity didn’t make decisions easier—often it made them harder as we declined lucrative projects that clashed with our values. But it built a coherent body of work that attracted clients we actually wanted.

Your matrix can function similarly. When weighing opportunities, consider not just whether you can do the work, but whether it:

1. Taps your “Superpowers”

2. Develops your “Growth Zone” skills

3. Minimizes “Energy Zapper” activities

4. Avoids your “Danger Zone” entirely

This won’t eliminate tough choices, but it will help you make decisions aligned with who you are—not who you think you should be.

Your matrix will evolve. Skills that once energized you may become routine. Challenges that once intimidated you might excite you later. The goal isn’t creating a static map but a dynamic one that grows with you.

Designing your future

This week, create your matrix. Be ruthlessly honest about what falls into each quadrant. Then ask someone who knows your work to validate your assessment.

Use what you learn to refine your story. How might you reframe your experience to highlight true strengths? What opportunities better align with your matrix? What work might you need to let go of—even if you’re good at it—to create space for more energizing paths?

In a world obsessed with skill acquisition and constant improvement, sometimes the most powerful career move is simply getting clearer about who you already are.

Until next time,
—Carly

*Sebastian has generously reminded me that this was his exercise, one that he does with all his reports—which then we adapted for our class at Parsons. I have updated this post to give him his due. I am sorry, my love!