What are the different types of career assessments, and how do you choose the right one?

1 Types of career assessments

Career assessments can be broadly classified into four categories: aptitude tests, interest inventories, personality assessments, and values scales. Aptitude tests measure your abilities and skills in various domains, such as verbal, numerical, spatial, or mechanical reasoning. Interest inventories assess your interests and hobbies, and match them with occupations that suit your profile. Personality assessments evaluate your traits and characteristics, such as introversion, extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, or agreeableness. Values scales measure your values and motivations, such as autonomy, achievement, security, or altruism.

2 Benefits of career assessments

Career assessments can be incredibly beneficial, depending on your goals and situation. For example, they can help you explore new career possibilities, narrow down your choices, identify transferable skills and areas for improvement, understand yourself better in relation to others in the workplace, and create a career plan with realistic and achievable goals.

3 Limitations of career assessments

Career assessments have their limitations; they are only indicators of potential and preferences, not prescriptions or guarantees. They cannot capture all the nuances and complexities of your personality, interests, values, and skills and can change over time. Ultimately, career assessments are tools to help you gain insights and direction, but you need to do the work to explore, evaluate, and pursue your career goals.

4 How to choose the right career assessment

When deciding on the right career assessment, it's important to consider your purpose, budget, time, and credibility. To make an informed decision, you should define your purpose – do you want to explore different careers or advance your current one? Set a budget that works for you – some assessments are free or low-cost while others require a fee or professional interpretation. Consider how much time you have to take the assessment – some are short and simple while others are long and complex. Lastly, check the credibility of the assessment – look for evidence of scientific research, professional endorsement, and user feedback.

5 How to use the results of a career assessment

Taking a career assessment is only the beginning of your career development journey. To make the most of the results, you should review them carefully and critically. Consider if the results match your expectations, experiences, and aspirations. It can also be beneficial to seek feedback and guidance from a trusted mentor or career coach. Use the results as a starting point to research and explore different career options, such as the requirements, responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges. Finally, use the results as a catalyst to take action and experiment with different career possibilities. Try new things, volunteer, network, shadow, or take courses that interest you.