The starting point in the career development process is identifying your skills, values, interests, and preferences to determine what types of positions are of interest and would be a good fit.
There are many self-assessment tools that can be used to help with this process. Some of these can be self-administered – for free or for a fee – and others must be administered by a counselor who is trained and can assist you with interpreting the results.
These tools will NOT tell you what career or position is the perfect match but they will help you gain insight about yourself so that you can articulate what is important to you, focus your job search, and assist you in evaluating options.
How can taking a self-assessment help you?
Some Self-Assessment Tools:
- Myers-Briggs Test: a questionnaire that describes your preferred way of interacting; one of many free online tests can be found at HumanMetrics and www.16personalities.com
- Strong Interest Inventory: another personality test that compares your interests with those of individuals successfully working in a range of jobs; the analysis usually incurs a fee but you can find free versions online (keep in mind that you often get what you pay for)
- Career Beliefs Inventory: a career counseling tool that can help identify and overcome attitudes that interfere with choosing a career
- Values Assessment (free) – The Values Test can help you learn more about your underlying work needs and motivations, and can help you decide what is important to you in a job.
- Kiersey Temperament Sorter – there is a free mini-report that provides you with a detailed summary of your personality type and core characteristics, including what types of roles and workplaces may be a good fit. There is a fee for a more detailed career occupation report.