Career assessments are powerful tools that can help illuminate the path to a great profession by aligning your skills, interests, and personality traits with potential career paths. However, merely taking these assessments isn't enough; you must know how to use these results. I like to joke that I have yet to meet a person who, after taking some online assessments, knew what to do with their career. But when you do know how to interpret and leverage these findings, they can be extremely helpful and even transformative. In this article, I'll share some expert tips to help you maximize your results from career assessments.
Understand the Purpose of Career Assessments
First and foremost, it's essential to understand that career assessments are not crystal balls that predict your perfect job. Even an experienced career counselor like myself can't do that. Instead, they're tools designed to provide clarity and direction. They can highlight your strengths, preferences, and values, offering a snapshot of potential career paths that may suit you best. Recognizing this purpose can help you approach your results with the right mindset, ready to explore and evaluate the options presented.
Choose the Right Assessments
Not all career assessments are created equal. Some focus on personality traits, of which the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the best-known. The Big Five personality traits are another important option and they have been better validated by research. Other assessments might look at your interests, skills, aptitudes, or values. Understanding which ones to take is a skill in and of itself. For most people, I'd recommend getting started with an interest assessment, since they are more intuitive to understand. At the same time, even these can be highly complex. See my blog post on the RIASEC model for more information on interest assessments.
Integrate Multiple Assessment Outcomes
Relying on a single career assessment can provide a limited view of your potential career paths. Think of yourself as a diamond with each assessment illuminating one facet. To gain a comprehensive understanding of your strengths and preferences, consider taking multiple assessments that evaluate different aspects of your personality and skills. Integrating these outcomes can give you a more rounded view of your career options.
Reflect on Your Results
Once you have your results, take time to reflect on them deeply. Do the suggested career paths resonate with you? How do the identified strengths align with your self-perception? Reflection is a critical step in the process, as it allows you to internalize the insights and consider how they apply to your life and aspirations. This introspective approach can sometimes reveal discrepancies between your self-perception and the assessment outcomes, prompting further self-exploration. They can also help you understand how your interests, personality etc. may not have been a great match for your career so far, which may have contributed to career dissatisfaction. Now that this has become clearer, you can begin to think about ways to reduce this discrepancy.
Consult with a Career Counselor
Interpreting assessment results can be complex, and insights that seem contradictory or surprising can benefit from professional analysis. A career counselor will help you choose the right assessments and help unpack your results, providing a nuanced understanding of what they mean for your career journey. They can also introduce you to resources and opportunities you might not have considered, further broadening your horizons.
Apply Your Insights
Translating your assessment results into action is where the real work begins. Use the insights gained to explore recommended career paths. Research industries and roles that align with your strengths and interests. Informational interviews, job shadowing and internships are excellent ways to gain firsthand experience of the day-to-day of a career and make informed decisions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, maximizing results from career assessments requires a proactive and reflective approach. By understanding the purpose of these tools, choosing the right assessments, reflecting on and consulting about your results, and translating insights into action, you can navigate your career path with confidence. Remember, the ultimate goal of career assessments is to empower you to make informed decisions about your professional future, leading to a more fulfilling and satisfying career.
Sylvia Broetje, PhD Industrial / Organizational Psychologist and Career Counselor
Credit: Image by Mohamed Hassan from Pixabay