A career placement test could assist you if you are having a hard time, trying to decide what you want to do next in your work life. In a perfect situation, everyone would always know exactly what they want to do in life but this is anything but a perfect world and many people need a little help matching what they like to what they want to do as a career. Here are a few things you might want to know about career placement tests and what they can do for you.
Identify Interest Range
A career placement test will not necessarily tell you what job you have to do but it can help you identify your key interests compared to your ability. These tests compare your innate abilities with others in a variety of different positions. Now, this is not to say that a simple placement test can tell you what you will do or even what you are capable of accomplishing. It is possible that you will have an easy time assimilating new skills or vice versa, you might have problems learning the skills you need for a particular career choice. Think of a career placement test as a suggestion, career choices that you are somewhat predisposed to doing.
Personality Assessment
You could also take a career personality assessment test. There are many different personality types and when you gather insight into your personality, you can examine careers that fit well with your personality type. These tests will vary quite a bit from an interest survey in that a job that fits with your personality may not be anywhere near your interest level.
Skills Assessment
Once you have completed the above career assessment tests you might want to invest the time to take a skills assessment as well. This type of testing will help you understand the skills you have developed over the years. These skills may be increased through personal and professional pursuits. You may be surprised to find you have skill sets that fit in with careers you never considered for yourself before. One thing a skills assessment will not tell you is whether you will enjoy a particular career or job field. It is possible to be very good at a particular job and not enjoy it whatsoever.
Cons
Do not set all your career hopes on a series of tests as they can cause more confusion instead of less. Remember, overthinking a situation is not always a good thing. Career assessment tests should be seen for what they really are, a potential tool you can use to match your personality, skills and interests with career fields. Some of these fields you may have thought of before and some you may not but the important thing to remember is that they are only guides and not a dead set road map to your future.
Conclusion
Career assessment tests can open up worlds of possibilities you might never have considered for yourself, when applied correctly. These tests can work for you if you approach them honestly and examine the results with an open mind. Just because a test says you might be good at something does not mean you will be able to master the skills or enjoy the career. You may even find that you will have to try a few different options before you find the path that is perfect for you. That they are only guides and not a dead set road map to your future.
