Finding Tests for Career Choices
Choosing a career, or changing careers in mid-life, can be a confusing and overwhelming task. It's daunting to try to decide on your own exactly what day-to-day tasks you'll be best suited for, and what job will give you the best opportunities. Plenty of help is available though, and taking a career test can be fun as well as revealing.
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Student
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When you're seeking a career test, always keep in mind your personal situation. If you're a student or leaving school and looking for your first work opportunity, you'll need a different test than if you've already launched one career and have decided on a change. Go first to your high school or college guidance department. The staff there has lots of experience in finding career tests that are relevant to you and will be able to make several recommendations.
Mid-Career
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It can be a little harder to find applicable tests when you're out on your own after your first few jobs. If you're working at a large company, your human resources department should be able to help. It's also worth tapping professional associations you may be part of to find resources applicable to your industry sector. If you are unemployed, state-run agencies and work-force boards will be able to get you free career-assessment help and personalized guidance.
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Free Tests
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You can find many career tests on the Internet, and many of them may be free. But often you get what you pay for. In choosing one of these, Quintessential Careers advises looking for a scientific method based on one of the well-known systems such as Myers-Briggs, Birkman Method or Holland Codes. This will give you more assurance that the test has some substance. Pay attention to the number of questions and the time the test takes. If you're done in five minutes, the results likely aren't worth your time.
Paid Services
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If you think you need more personalized attention, it may be worth investing some money in the testing process. You can choose anything from a webinar session for $100 or so, up to a fully personalized day-long course with several weeks of follow-up help, which may cost thousands of dollars.
Interests & Aptitudes
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When you're looking for a career test, you should read the parameters of the test carefully. Some tests will ask lots of questions about your interests, but not about your skills. Others will focus more on your aptitudes, but will not measure how interested you are in particular careers. Ideally, you want a test that has a balance of questions about what you like to do, and what you are good at.
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References
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