Higher Education - Interests Inventory

The purpose of this questionnaire is to help you better understand what aspects of a career in higher education might appeal most to you. The 5-point scale below will help you calibrate your answer. Using that scale, please indicate how accurately each statement describes your personal situation and experience. Record your answer in the column titled “Your answer” across from each item. Note: If you have not yet experienced a given item, just estimate what you think your answer would be.

Not at all important/does not describe you 1 2 3 4 5 Extremely important/describes you accurately

Your Answer	Item Number	Item
	1	I really enjoy introducing students to the basic concepts of chemistry.
	2	I enjoy (or think I would enjoy) the process of getting my research published in peer-reviewed journals.
	3	I enjoy working as part of a team on organization-wide problems.
	4	I would describe myself as a generalist as opposed to a specialist.
	5	I readily involve myself in volunteer activities in ACS and other groups outside of the lab.
	6	I enjoy presenting my research findings to large audiences.
	7	I would like to be seen as the world’s leading expert in my field.
	8	I enjoy one-on-one interactions with all types of students.
	9	I have served on departmental or other academic committees and have enjoyed the experience.
	10	The highlight of my week is the opportunity to engage a new student with science.
	11	I really enjoy working with students in the teaching labs.
	12	I look forward to the challenge of writing grant proposals and securing grants for my research.
	13	I see myself providing feedback to students through assignments, grades, and assessments.
	14	I enjoy working in interdisciplinary or interdepartmental education initiatives such as “Writing across the Curriculum,” where course instruction is coordinated among professors in different disciplines or departments.
	15	In terms of lab work, I prefer to direct my own graduate students rather than teach lab courses.
	16	I am driven to volunteer for community enrichment and educational outreach programs.
	17	I see myself teaching small groups of students about highly specialized topics.
	18	I enjoy preparing and delivering chemistry lectures to very large classes.

Interests Inventory: Scoring Sheet

Write the number you gave each item in the cell under the Item Number, then add all of your answers across for a total. This total represents the relative importance that factor has. The higher the number, the more important the factor is.

Interest Factor	Item Numbers						Factor Total
Teaching
Your Answers
Research
Your Answers
Service
Your Answers

Focusing Questions

What does your analysis of values and interests suggest about the extent to which the higher-education career pathway represents a good fit for you?
What does it suggest about the type of institution in which you might be most comfortable?
What does it suggest about the kind of roles you might best play (teaching, research, and service)?