Building innate talents into strengths in college or at work requires practice, much like building physical strength.

This article is adapted from the upcoming Gallup Press book Strengths Based Student.

Although people change over time and personalities evolve, scientists have discovered that core personality traits are relatively stable throughout adulthood, as are people’s passions and interests.

And more recent research suggests that the roots of our personality might be visible at a very young age. A 23-year, longitudinal study of 1,000 children in New Zealand revealed that a child’s observed personality at age three shows remarkable similarity to his or her reported personality traits at age 26.

That’s one of the reasons why the CliftonStrengths assessment — created by Don Clifton, Ph.D., and taken by more than 15 million people worldwide — measures talent: Talents may evolve, but they don’t change. In fact, Gallup named it “CliftonStrengths” instead of “CliftonTalents” because the ultimate goal is to build a true strength, and talent is a primary component of this formula.

That’s also why CliftonStrengths includes no questions about employees’ formal education, degrees or resumes. Nor does it ask about people’s skills — whether they’re able to speak fluent French, build a website or fix a transmission. While these are important, Gallup has discovered that knowledge and skills, along with regular practice, are most helpful when they serve as amplifiers for employees’ natural talents.