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[jcnorris00]

With the last few forts I've tried, I've gotten into the habit of assigning dwarves to different jobs based on their preferences, and (mostly) ignoring the skills they already have.  I'm doing this for one of two reasons:
1. Higher quality goods and "satisfied at work" thoughts, or
2. Artifacts of a particular type.

When migrants arrive, I check them one by one, going down this list until I find a match.
If they like a weapon type that I'm interested in, I turn on weaponsmithing.
If they like adamantine, breastplates, chain shirts, or greaves (or helms, if I still don't have an armorsmith), I turn on armorsmithing.
If they like beds or shields, I turn on carpentry.
If they like rope reed fabric, I turn on dyeing, weaving, and clothesmaking.
If they like obsidian, I turn on masonry.
If they like mechanisms, I turn on mechanic.
If they like green or crystal glass, I turn on glassmaking.
If they're creative, artistic, and like tradition, I turn on engraving.
If they like cloaks, hoods, trousers, or mittens, I turn on leatherworking.
If they like a useful type of furniture, I may turn on mining, if I'm not going to use them in the military.
If they like totems or bolts, I might turn on bone carving.  If they like both, I definitely turn it on.
All other moodable skills are turned off.
In addition, if they like raw adamantine, I turn on strand extraction.

I have at least two magma forges set up to make giant axe blades and leggings, with a max skill of competent.  This lets my selected metalworkers train up smithing until it's their highest moodable skill.  Dwarves with other skills are generally just put straight to work.

Not only is unhappiness less of an issue now, but this really cuts down on the useless wood, stone, and bone artifact trinkets.  Instead I get a nice armory of artifact platinum hammers and whips and candy everything else, plus all the artifact furniture I need to easily keep the nobles happy with their accommodations.

Okay, I haven't gotten an artifact whip yet; the only dwarf I ever got who liked whips never got a mood.  I do have an artifact candy pike now, though.  Waste of candy?

Anyway, does anyone else pay attention to their dwarf's preferences?

[i2amroy]

The only time I care about my dwarves preferences is when picking nobles. After all a simple mist generator gives me more happy thoughts then I can outweigh, and the the skill factor greatly outweighs any sort of bonus due to preferences (even at legendary+5 the difference is less then 5%).

[Loud Whispers]

When migrants arrive, I check them one by one, going down this list until I find a match.
If they like a weapon type that I'm interested in, I turn on masonry and farming.
If they like adamantine, breastplates, chain shirts, or greaves (or helms, if I still don't have an armorsmith), I turn on masonry and farming.
If they like beds or shields, I turn on masonry and farming.
If they like rope reed fabric, I turn on masonry and farming.
If they like obsidian, I turn on masonry and farming.
If they like mechanisms, I turn on masonry and farming.
If they like green or crystal glass, I turn on masonry and farming.
If they're creative, artistic, and like tradition, I turn masonry and farming.
If they like cloaks, hoods, trousers, or mittens, I turn on masonry and farming.
If they are alive I'm going to use them in the military and turn on masonry and farming.
If they like totems or bolts, I will turn on masonry and farming.
Fishing and hunting are turned off.
In addition, if they like raw adamantine, I turn on masonry and farming.

In essence, no I don't pay much heed to personal preference.

[Fortress Calling]

If a dwarf comes with expert armorsmithing i don't care if he likes cats or beds or cows he'll be working in the forge till the day he dies.

[jcnorris00]

If a dwarf comes with expert armorsmithing i don't care if he likes cats or beds or cows he'll be working in the forge till the day he dies.

Well, same here, but my migrants rarely ever arrive with any skill over adequate.  I do occasionally get a great this-or-that, and even if I were inclined to retrain them, it wouldn't be worth the trouble.

This all started as a way to game the moody spirits into giving me targeted artifacts, and grew to take advantage of the improved quality and happiness properties.  I'd rather have another artifact adamantine battleaxe than another maple earring menacing with spikes of granite.

[Di]

Common practice is to turn weapon and armor smithing on every dwarf for a while. I don't really see how accounting for dwarf's likes would increase the chance of good artifact if it's random child who's destined to have a mood.
I tend to assign those candid and sincere and with a sense of duty as medics however. Well any noble is better to have sence of duty and high organisation.
Also, modesty might be good for barons.

[GreatWyrmGold]

Adamanyine pikes are great, if you can find a dwarf who can wield it.

[WealthyRadish]

I do exactly the same thing. *fistbump*

The Dwarf Therapist splinterz clone now shows dwarves' preferences, which makes reviewing migrants easier. It's also rather useful for finding good military dwarves from their attributes and nobles for their personality traits/preferences.

[Nyxalinth]

I often do this too, for similar reasons.

[jcnorris00]

Hooray!  I'm not alone!   

[thiosk]

I didn't go nuts with this, but boy it works.  Likes tables and microcline- this is not a legendary mason and he's popping out masterwork left and right. 

Likes silver, likes goblets- amazing early-game trade goods- buy out everything good from a few early caravans with just a few bars of silver.  The dwarves then asked for goblets... So I gave them all the profit I could... Got great return.