Does Dale Earnhardt Jr. Need a Personality Assessment to Decide His Future?

DISC Assessment could help NASCAR® driver decide whether he should join up with another racing team or become a full-time race team owner based upon his personality.

Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) May 14, 2007 -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. made a stunning announcement this week, stating he will leave Dale Earnhardt, Inc.(DEI), the company his father built, at the conclusion of the 2007 season. However, the biggest challenge facing him now is whether to join up with a different racing team or build his own empire. Key to his decision will not only be his ability to win future races, but also the peace he is looking for in his career. However, a DISC behavioral assessment, based upon Dr. William Mouton Marston's book, "The Emotions of Normal People," published in 1928, could help him make that decision.

Kathy Sweeney, NCRW, CPRW, CEIC, CCM, and president of The Write Resume (www.awriteresume.com), has utilized the DISC behavioral profile with numerous clients during the last 20 years as a resume writer and career/interview coach, with excellent results. As a huge NASCAR® fan, she has noticed the level of frustration Dale Earnhardt Jr. has experienced since the death of his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., and the subsequent operational takeover of DEI by his late father's wife, Teresa Earnhardt.

"I noticed Dale Jr. become increasingly unhappy with the direction DEI was taking and I believe he made the right decision to leave," stated Sweeney. "In his press conference, he made the comment that he does not want to change teams again. Making a career change is always difficult -- whether a person is famous or not. That is why I think it is critical he make the best decision possible. I believe taking a DISC assessment would help him truly understand his own motivators and what he needs from a future race team, should he decide to pursue that path."

Sweeney states that while it is clear Dale Jr. will not be staying with DEI, she believes without a true assessment of his personality, he could possibly end up in the same type of situation he is in now. The DISC assessment could help him quickly assess whether his personality will be better suited as a full-time race team owner or as a member of a well-established team.

"I would be happy to provide the assessment and confidential coaching to Dale Jr. free of charge," said Sweeney. "I just want him to make the best decision and see the smile return to his face."

The DISC profile is a behavioral assessment designed to accurately measure the four dimensions of normal behavior, and its validity has been scientifically tested. The assessment provides a report with insights and information in narrative form and on specific graphs, including:

• Present / Ideal Work Environment
• Adapted and Natural Behavior
• General Characteristics
• Key Strengths
• Tendencies
• Improving Effectiveness
• Keys to Adapting Effective Communications
• Communicating with Others

D - Dominance (Problems) -- how an individual responds to problems or challenges
I - Influence (People) -- how an individual deals with people and influences them to his / her point of view
S - Steadiness (Pace of Work) -- how an individual responds to the pace and consistency of the work environment
C - Compliance (Procedures) -- how an individual responds to rules and procedures set by others

The assessment is also helpful in determining the type of company environment a person should work in to be successful and at peace in his / her job. Sweeney says that if a person is in the wrong environment, no matter how much he / she likes the job, it will not be a good fit. However, sometimes the assessment can determine what changes a person can make in his / her own style of communicating which will make the difference.

"About four years ago, I had a client who was extremely frustrated in her present work environment with a major pharmaceutical manufacturer. However, she was unsure of the type of career which would be best suited for her. I administered the DISC assessment, and found her main problem was not her job -- it was the way she was communicating with her superior," recounts Sweeney. "She was a very demonstrative person, who worked on feelings and beliefs. Her boss was a "just the facts" type of person. By explaining how to deal with this type of boss, my client was able to approach the situation differently, and she is still in the same position with the same company."

Sweeney is confident if Dale Jr. completes the DISC assessment, he will either confirm what he already knows about himself, or be armed with new information, which will help make his decision easier and less stressful.

About Kathy Sweeney
Kathy Sweeney is president of The Write Résumé, a Phoenix-based Resume Writing and Career Consulting Firm established in 1987. Ms. Sweeney is a Nationally Certified Resume Writer, Certified Professional Resume Writer, Certified Employment Interview Consultant, and Credentialed Career Master. She works with job search candidates on a global basis, and specializes in preparing job seekers at every level to maximize their ability to gain employment through the composition of effective career marketing documents and conducting personalized interview and career guidance coaching sessions. To contact Ms. Sweeney, call 866-726-9052 or visit her website at www.awriteresume.com.

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