Career assessments do’s and dont’s
Here are the keys to successful career assessment.Follow these simple rules and you should
achieve success in this self-discovery process.
Do be aware that assessments are available to help guide youtoward the right career for u.A
qualified career couselor can administer,score and intrept these assessments.A number of
free career assessments also are available on the Internet,though many experts question
their reliability.
*Do compere online career assessments to see which ones might meet your needs.
*Do keep your expectations in check when you take free online assessments.You may attain
some direction and guidance from these tests,but don’t be overly reliant on them for magic
answers.
*Don’t discount the possibility that these free online assessments might suggest to you some
career ideas and directions you had never thought of and that are worth further exploration.
*Do take several different assessmentsto help you learn more about yourself and to help you
determine which test provide the most reliable results for you.
*Do print out and retain the resultsof the assessmentsyou take online.Compare results,and see
if you can see patterns–a “career snapshot”–begining to emerge.
*Do trust your gut.If a free online assessment tells you something about yourself that doesn’t
ring true,disregard that information.
*Don’t rely on free online assessments alone for self-discovery and career guidance.Meet with a
career counselor;college students and alumni usually have free or inexpensive access to
counselors.Supplement the results you’ve obtained from free online assessments with other
assessments the counselor might administer.Ask the counselor to help you interpret and
integrate the results of various assessments.
*Do use career assessments with a veriety of other self-discovery activities,such as examining
your strenths and weeknesses and the activities you most enjoy and least enjoy.And do read
our article,
*Do have fun taking career assessments.Self-discovery is almost always an enlightening and
often enertaining process.