Resulting report
Science-related motivation
You have a strong interest in scientific work and are highly motivated to gain new insights and address open questions in your field. You want to actively contribute to the advancement of knowledge and find scientific work meaningful and fulfilling.
Self-management and work style
You have very strong self-management skills. You actively tackle challenges, remain capable of taking action, and are good at structuring your own work. Your working style is reflective, focused, and flexible – ideal prerequisites for a doctorate.
Mental robustness and resilience
You approach challenges actively and constructively, persevere even in the face of resistance, and develop solutions. You use criticism and setbacks as learning opportunities. You have great stamina and can motivate yourself over long periods of time.
Environment and framework conditions
You have very favorable conditions for a doctorate: your environment supports your plans, you take a structured approach to organizational and financial issues, and even in the chaos of everyday life, you maintain an overview. You have both the necessary initiative and the ability to secure support. It's normal that you sometimes have to balance family, friends, and research – but your solutions show that you can do both well.
Personal and extrinsic motivation
You want to pursue a doctorate mainly because you want to fulfill external expectations – for example, those of employers, family, or your social circle. Personally, you see the doctorate more as a duty or a means to an end.
Academic and subject-specific skills
You handle scientific texts and concepts with confidence, think in a structured and reflective manner, and are able to analyze and develop complex content independently. These strengths form a solid foundation for independent scientific work within the framework of a doctorate.
Reflexionen und persönliche Einschätzungen
"How do you deal with external expectations or pressure, and to what extent do they influence your motivation?"
The right amount of pressure keeps me focused but too much can stress me out, the best motivation for me is enjoying my work and finding it useful, and having a good routine.
"In which situations have you already done scientific work – what did you find easy, what did you find difficult?"
Bachelor thesis, Master thesis, during my student job. A few technical parts were difficult, but the scientific endeaver and creativity are really motivating to me.
"In what situations have you demonstrated that you can stick with a goal over the long term – even when faced with setbacks?"
Master studies, mastehr thesis, bachelor praktikum, personal relationships.
"What strategies do you use successfully in other areas of your life that you could apply to doing a doctorate?"
learning bit by bit, by choosing consistency over perfection. keeping lists and taking physical notes.
"What is your most frequently used avoidance strategy?"
doom scrolling
"When was the last time you surprised yourself by simply doing something?"
starting back with running more consistenly after almost a year long break.
Thank you for taking the time to complete the self-assessment tool!
Your answers will now give you an initial impression of whether a doctorate is currently a good fit for you or whether there may be other paths that are better suited to your interests and goals at this time. In addition, you can also use the resulting report as a good basis for orientation discussions.
If the result shows that a doctorate could be a good fit for you, this means that you have the motivation and qualities that support a successful doctorate. Perhaps this is the right next step for you to deepen your scientific questions and advance your career.
If the results indicate that a doctorate is currently less suitable for you, that's perfectly fine too! A doctorate is a big step that requires a lot of commitment – and there are many other ways you can apply your skills and interests professionally.
Take the time to reflect on the results and consider which steps are best for you personally. If you wish, you can also talk to people in your personal circle, current doctoral researchers and supervisors, colleagues (in your field), or advisors, e.g., from graduate institutions, to further support your decision.
Familiarize yourself with the services offered by graduate institutions:
We wish you all the best on your journey!
