Ways To Test Your Career Choice Include:

Career Assessments: What Are They

Career assessments are a great tool to help you choose a career path that suits your personality. These tests place less emphasis on skills and focus more on your preferences, habits and lifestyle. It can be difficult to see yourself clearly. A career assessment will help you identify your strengths and can connect you with a job that leverages those strengths.

Choose A Career Based On Who You Are As A Person

Aligning your career interests to your personality type and what you enjoy is the first step in identifying a career path. Do you enjoy video games and all things tech? Then maybe you decide to become a software engineer. Can you talk a cat off a fish cart? Then maybe a good option is to become a business development manager or entrepreneur.

Are you a philanthropist? Do you enjoy working with your hands? Or are you more intellectual? Maybe you can do many things but ultimately want to be a digital nomad and work from anywhere in the world. If you can identify who you are as a person, you can understand how you would like to spend your career. In an ideal world, that career path would match your personality and inspire you to get out of bed every day while also affording you opportunities to grow intellectually and experientially.

Take Note Of Your Interests

Depending on your personality, you may have interests that lend themselves to different careers. Examine your hobbies, past volunteer experiences and interests to identify activities you enjoy. While this information is outside of a professional context, creating a list of activities can help you narrow down your career path. For example, you may enjoy a career in cybersecurity if you enjoy logic puzzles, or you may enjoy a traveling sales role if you like meeting new people.

Use this knowledge to apply for short-term positions or volunteer opportunities to explore new career options. This firsthand experience allows you to test your suitability for a career. If you are currently in school or have a job, consider taking a course or certification program that is required for a field that interests you. This experience can help you determine if the careers skills and content are something you enjoy.

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Get Training And Update Your Resume

Once youve narrowed your list down to one or possibly two career paths, youll need to assess whether you need additional training or credentials. While some employers are willing to provide on-the-job training, others will look for candidates who already possess their requirements. For details on a specific job, carefully review the job posting. Pay attention to sections labeled Requirements and Education and Experience.

Once youve determined that you are qualified for this career path, update your resume to reflect your relevant strengths and skills. It can be helpful to explore job postings to understand what employers in your industry and position are looking for in candidates.

Most Common Career Aptitude Tests For General Skills

Numerical Reasoning & Math Aptitude

A Numerical Reasoning aptitude testevaluates your ability to use numbers in everyday scenarios. This type of career aptitude test presents data in a number of different ways, such as graphs, tables, or equations. You will apply the numbers to financial situations and hypothetical business decisions. The questions will prove your ability to draw conclusions from numbers. Numerical Reasoning is important for senior managers, sales professionals, analysts, and data scientists.

Verbal Reasoning

Verbal Reasoning Aptitude testslook at your deductive reasoning skills. They also consider your ability to make a logical statement verbally. The Verbal Reasoning career test isnt about grammar, punctuation or spelling. Instead, you will analyze an issue described in words. Topics can include history, business, politics, and more. Some Verbal Reasoning tests also assess reading comprehension skills.

Abstract Reasoning

An Abstract Reasoningexam tests your soft skills. This career test looks at your logical thinking, pattern recognition, and analytical skills. Youll also show on your ability to think under pressure. You may apply your analytical and creative thinking skills to new problems. This test provides prospective employers with a view of your thought process. It also assesses your ability to identify patterns, problems and opportunities.

Mechanical Aptitude Test

In-Basket Tests

Spatial Reasoning Tests

Raven Matrices Test

Logical Reasoning Test

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My Plan Career Assessment

My Plan provides a free career value assessment test that wont take you longer than 10 minutes to complete.

Youll be given 20 cards, with each card containing a statement that finishes the sentence In my ideal job, it is important that . Your job is to rank these statements from least to most important, based on personal preference.

Your results will be described and ranked according to 6 core work value clusters: independence, achievement, recognition, relationships, working conditions, and support. The overall goal of this career aptitude test is to help you learn more about your underlying needs and motivations in the workplace.

Explore Career Options On Your List

Once youâve come up with some career ideas that sound interesting, follow the next steps to help you explore each option.

1. Use job search sites. LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster are just a few sites dedicated to posting job openings. As you peruse roles available in your area, read more about the responsibilities for each one. Highlight the job titles that sound like a good fit.

Helpful questions:

• Does the job meet my needs and many of my preferences?

• Does this career align with my values?

• Will I accomplish one of my short-term or long-term goals with it?

• What does it feel like to think about these career options?

2. Cross-reference company reviews. Use Glassdoor or other sites to learn more about a particular company youâre considering, or conduct more general research on the industry in which theyâre situated. Pay attention to any current issues being discussed in that industry.

3. Set up informational interviews. If youâve found a role at a specific company that sounds interesting, look to see if you have any connections you can ask for an informational interview. If you want to find more general information about a role, look for any connections you haveâor connections of connectionsâwho are currently doing that work. Asking about a career before you pursue one can help you gather useful information.

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Choose A Career With Globalization In Mind

The world that once operated according to city or state or even country is now global. When you enter the workforce today, you aren’t competing for a position with just the people in your city. You are competing with top-notch candidates from every region in the United States and sometimes around the world. According to an Economic Policy Institute study, globalization has lowered wages for American workers. At the same time, globalization has increased demand in the United States for professionals, skilled labor and capital, all of which increase income for college-educated workers while widening the gap between rich and poor.

In addition, entry-level jobs are increasingly being automated and outsourced to overseas workers for cost savings. This is one reason why, if at all possible, its a good idea to build a skill set that will enable you to pursue career longevity. You can do that through education or experience.

If you are able, select a core career path thats employable globally and that offers growth opportunities. In this way, you can optimize your ability to increase your salary and minimize the risk of your career field becoming obsolete.

Some bedrock career fields in this area are:

• Project management
• Supply-chain management

Holland Code Career Test

The Holland Code self-assessment examines your suitability with different careers based on six occupational themes: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. The test identifies your top interest area and how it compares to the other areas, and what this means for your career interests. This test clocks in at 20 minutes.

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Make A List Of Jobs To Explore

After understanding a bit more about yourself and your needs in a job, start looking for jobs that sound interesting or desirable to you. If theres a job you dont know much about, write it down and research it later. You may end up finding an interesting career path. Additionally, remember that job titles dont always represent the actual job perfectly. While a title might not seem desirable, the job description might be a good fit for you. To start your list of jobs, here are some considerations:

How Do You Evaluate The Results Of A Career Assessment

After completing a career assessment, it is important to take some time to review the results and consider how they relate to your professional goals and aspirations.

This may involve examining the findings in detail or comparing them with other assessments or feedback that you have received. Additionally, some people find it helpful to discuss their results with a career counselor or coach who can offer guidance and feedback.

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Assessments For Personality And Strengths

Personality and strengths assessment will focus on your preferences, habits, beliefs and talents. They usually are not job-specific. Instead, these assessments will help you gain insight into how you like to interact with the world, which may help guide your career path.

Myers-Briggs

Take the Myers Briggs test to determine your four-letter personality type, according to the work of Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Myers work on personality. For each personality trait, there are two different options:

• Introvert/Extrovert,
• Thinking/Feeling,
• Judgement/Perception

These traits combine to make 16 different and distinct personalities. If you would like to have a full report, you can take a paid version of the test through MBTI online.

Caliper

The Caliper Assessmentevaluates a job candidates personality and motivations. Caliper uses scientific research to predict the candidates future job performance. It also identifies potential challenge areas. Caliper can also compare a prospective employees results to validated job models. The test can quantify whether a candidate is likely to be a good fit for the role. Check out our full guide to preparing for the Caliper Assessment.

Strengthsfinder

Keirsey Temperament Sorter

The Keirsey temperament sorter can help managers understand how to manage employees. It also gives hiring companies insight into how a prospective employee will communicate and act. Certain temperaments will be more appropriate for certain roles.

Big Five

16 Personalities

Cla Core Career Competencies

Beyond the assessments listed below, you can use the reflection questions in our Core Career Competencies guide to think about specific ways you can continue building each of the competencies and identify the ones youre most confident about.

RATE is an innovative online tool that is a core element of career readiness. It is a reflective learning and self-assessment activity that guides you through the process of thoroughly Reflecting on, Articulating, Translating, and Evaluating your diverse experiences. It helps you focus on the Core Career Competencies you are developing in and out of the classroom. RATE helps you tell your own unique story.

Use CLAs Career Readiness Guide your first year through graduation to plan for your career. Learn about the Core Career Competencies with a focus on Career Management to help you learn how to explore careers, write a resume, and prepare for an interview.

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How Do I Choose A Career

Choosing the best career is one of the most important choices we can make in life, and yet for many it is not a properly considered or even moderately researched choice. Currently the average person changes careers 7 times throughout their working life, which strongly indicates that career choice is not being given the consideration that it deserves. Unfortunately the effect of changing careers so frequently is that you lose any ground you have gained through experience and training, and you essentially have to start from the bottom each time.

Some of the best reasons for a considered career choice are as follows:

Below are some tips to help you choose the right career

Find out as much as you can about the different jobs and careers that are out there. There are many lists of careers and different jobs available online that can give you a broader perspective of the choices that are available to you.

For Whom Is The Career Strengths Test

Career strengths tests are used by a wide array of individuals. If you are a student that is asking the question which types of careers are right for me? then the strengths test offers an excellent answer to this question.

It will pair you up with a career that maximizes your opportunities for career satisfaction and goal achievement without overwhelming you. Any student who is interested in narrowing down their career options should take such a career assessment based on personality traits.

However, career tests are not just beneficial to students. They can be extremely helpful and insightful to adults as well. For example, if you recently realized you are unhappy with your current career, you may be compelled to quit your job.

Then, the question arises: how will you find your next job, and what will that job be? If you thoroughly disliked the activities in your last job, simply finding a similar employer will not result in more satisfaction. You must find a new career, and this test can help you find one in which you are more likely to feel happy and find success.

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The Goal Of A Professional Career Choice Test

The purpose of this career choice test is to make you think about yourself, your choice of school, choice of profession and your career. Through this test you can find out which profession suits you best. It provides insight into who you are, but also into your interests, your competencies and your characteristics. In the test you are encouraged to actively search for suitable professions and positions.

This professional career choice test contains 321 questions that focus on potential areas of interest. A very extensive test for which you will have to take the time. But: your choice of career is an important step and definitely worth spending some time on. This way you avoid choosing the wrong profession.

• Provides insight into the possibilities for the continuation of your career
• Gives you an overview of the MBO or HBO / WO courses that suit you
• Developed in collaboration with Utrecht University
• Quality: based on scientific research
• Relatively favorable and limited investment
• The Bridge Career can be taken by both companies and private individuals.

Free Tools To Determine What Type Of Career Is Right For You

• |Business Services, Mission

If you love your job, youll never work a day in your life. While that old saying may be wishful thinking, it is certainly possible to find a job that brings you joy. The first step to obtaining gainful employment is understanding where your passions lie. Whether you are just starting out in your career or looking to switch fields after two decades in the workforce, self-assessment tools can guide you to which career clusters may be a good fit. Weve rounded up five of our favorite free assessment tools to help you decide which career path is right for you, based on which tools our Career Specialists use.For these purposes, one user completed all five assessments recommended in this article. Throughout the results shown from each assessment, there are minor differences and suggestions that can be found, which is why it can be beneficial to combine multiple tests when deciding which career path you want to pursue.

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When Can A Career Test Help

You might find yourself at a career crossroads at many different stages of life. At these points, career assessments can help you find the right path. Youll probably spend 30 or more hours a week at work, so its important to enjoy what you do to earn money. A personality or job interest test can point you in the right direction.

General Career Placement Test

A general career placement test may combine all the other different types of tests. It may have several sections that each measure your compatibility with different career choices. Sections may include career interests, personality, aptitude, and experience. This type of career test allows you to see the bigger picture and get a list of careers to consider. However, because it lumps all the different tests together to get one set of results, you lose the ability to tell which facet of career suitability contributed most greatly to the results.

Career Tests Based On Age Or Educational Level

You can take a career test that’s based on your position in life. These different tests might include:

• A career test for teens
• A career test for high school students
• A career test for college students
• A career test for adults such as a career aptitude test for adults or another career assessment test for adults already in the workforce.

Should I Take More Than One Career Test?

Some people choose a general career finder test that includes all the facets of suitability to careers. However, others are more cautious about choosing the right career for them. They may take more than one test to get the most accurate, specific results for each facet of the dilemma they’re facing.

What Is The Best Career Test?

Are Career Tests Expensive?

Are Career Tests Expensive?

Do I Have To Pay For Results?

What Do I Do After Taking The Test?

Consider The Results

What If I Don’t Like the Results?

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