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Gallup for Students and career counseling: why Talents are the foundation of pathway choice?

Aldona Gaudyn

28 May 2026

Choosing a high school profile or field of study is a huge stress for a young person. The phenomenon of "decision paralysis" is very familiar to me. During sessions with young people, whether in my office in Poznan or during online meetings, I often encounter specific expectations from both parents and the teenagers themselves.

They come with the hope of hearing: "With these results, you should go into law" or "The best profession for you will be engineering."

I always make it clear that I will not indicate a specific profession because I am not a career advisor. My work is based on diagnosing talents using the CliftonStrengths tool (Gallup test) for Students. And although it is not a magic ball pointing to one profession, it is the deep understanding of one’s talents that is the most powerful support for effective career counseling.

Let’s see why going to a career counselor with a ready "internal compass" yields the best results.

How will the Gallup report and working with a coach support the student?

Research CliftonStrengths does not test what the student can do, but how they naturally operate, think and build relationships. It is a solid foundation, without which making accurate and consistent decisions is difficult.

During discussions of the results with teenagers, we learn, among other things:

how the student absorbs knowledge: whether they prefer to read and analyze in silence (e.g., talent of Intellectual/Learning) or discuss and act in a group (e.g., Communication)
what motivates them: whether they are driven by completing tasks (Achievement) or by the feeling that their work has a deeper meaning (Significance/Alignment)
how they handle challenges: whether they approach problems structurally (Organizer) or improvise masterfully and easily adapt to changes (Flexibility)

As a coach, I help the student name these natural patterns. We learn how to invest energy in what comes easily to them now, rather than getting frustrated by constantly fixing weaknesses.

What we will NOT learn from the Gallup test and where the role of the advisor begins?

The test result is a set of predispositions, not a prescription for life. From the report alone, the student will not learn:

which specific profession to choose: analytical thinking can be equally well used as a programmer, financial analyst or diagnostic physician.
what gaps they have in hard knowledge: Gallup does not examine language skills or knowledge of mathematics.
what the job market currently looks like: the test is detached from market trends, point thresholds at universities or demand for specific specializations.

And this is where the space for the next essential step appears.

Why are Gallup talents the best support for career counseling?

Taking the Gallup test and going to a career counselor is the optimal path. If working with me on Gallup talents gives the student an internal compass, then the career counselor overlays this with a detailed map.

When a student arrives at the counselor with diagnosed and discussed talents, the counseling process is much more effective. A professional career advisor takes this self-awareness into account and overlays it with hard, external reality:

interests and passions turns into real educational opportunities.
formal requirements: precisely specifies which subjects must be passed in the matura exam to get into a specific field.
realistic market assessment: compares expectations with employment forecasts - explains which professions are future-proof and which may be more difficult.
plan B: helps create concrete alternative paths in case of educational setbacks.

Gallup vs. career counseling

1. Main goal:

- working with Gallup talents - discovering natural predispositions and building self-awareness.

- career counseling - choosing a specific educational or professional path.

2. Key question:

- working with Gallup talents - how do I naturally think, feel and act?

- career counseling - who exactly can I be and how can I achieve this formally?

3. Perspective:

- working with Gallup talents - internal - focused 100% on the unique traits of the student.

- career counseling - external - focused on the job market and education system.

Combining Gallup research and career counseling

Taking the Gallup test alone without processing the results is often a waste of money and potential. On the other hand, working solely with talents builds confidence well but may leave the student without a concrete action plan in the market.

Only combining a deep understanding of one’s strengths with hard knowledge about the education system and job market yields amazing results.

If your teenager is facing a choice of school or studies, let's start with solid foundations. Let's work on what the student is naturally best at. Then, with such a calibrated "internal compass" in hand, a visit to a career counselor will yield a hundred times more precise, accurate and satisfying answers.

Contact me

Let's take the first step. Let's talk about your needs.

I invite you to an informal initial consultation. You will tell me about your challenges, and I will help you choose the right path.

Company data

TowardsYou Aldona Gaudyn

ul. Rubież 14B/7

61-612 Poznań

VAT no. PL6652660725

phone no. (+48) 502-202-625

e-mail: kontakt@towardsyou.pl

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