When people are asked what a “career test” is, they often provide a range of answers. Some might think of it as a test you take in school, while others may picture a tool that tells you exactly what job you should have. The truth is the term “career test” can mean various things to different people. Some of what people believe about career tests (also known as career assessments, career quizzes, interest inventories, and career aptitude tests) is centered on myths and half-truths. These preconceived notions often shape individuals’ perspectives and influence their decisions about using these assessment tools.
In this article, we debunk these myths, aiming to untangle fact from fiction in the realm of career tests. By examining the common misconceptions that surround career assessments, we seek to shed light on their true value and role in guiding individuals through self-discovery, career exploration, making informed career decisions, and obtaining work that is rewarding, fulfilling, and meaningful.
Myth 1: Career tests provide definitive answers
One common myth about career tests is that they provide definitive answers about what career is right for an individual. However, jobs and people are much too complex for this to be true. Career tests are tools for self-reflection and exploration, giving valuable insights rather than a single definitive answer. They help individuals make informed decisions based on their interests, skills, and values.
Choosing the right career test can allow you to understand your strengths better. CareerFitTest.com for example, allows the user to assess their transferable, personal, and content skills. These results are organized into a personalized Skills Map™, which includes a Holland-type code. The Holland-type code then links to a list of careers that fit the user’s assessment results.
The Holland Type Code, calculated from the CareerFitTest.com assessment, matches the user’s responses to more than 900 occupations. By exploring these matched careers, the user can gain insights related to descriptions of the jobs, skills used, education needed, values emphasized, salary, job outlook, a video of a day in the life of the career, and much more.
Besides exploring existing careers, the right assessments help users brainstorm creative options. The better a person understands their strengths, the better they can brainstorm career options that use them. Employers will hire people who can meet their needs even when an official job doesn’t exist.
By understanding one’s strengths and the careers that fit those strengths, individuals can make more informed decisions, including considering creative, brainstormed career options. Many jobs today didn’t exist a few years ago – such as Data Scientists, SEO Consultants, Social Media Managers, Cybersecurity Analysts, and many others.
Myth 2: Career tests are not reliable
While some critics argue that career tests are unreliable, it’s essential to recognize that the reliability of any assessment tool depends on its design, methodology, and the extent to which it accurately measures what it claims to measure. When well-constructed and validated, reputable career tests can offer valuable insights into an individual’s interests, skills, and preferences, aiding in informed career decision-making.
One way to evaluate the reliability of a career test is to consider its face validity, which refers to the extent to which the test appears to measure what it intends to measure on the surface. CareerFitTest.com for instance, demonstrates strong face validity by aligning its questions with relevant aspects of career decision-making. The questions in the assessment address factors such as interests, skills, and work preferences, providing a clear connection between the test content and its intended purpose.
It is best to choose career tests that certified career development professionals develop. CareerFitTest.com for example, is developed by National Certified Counselors and National Certified Career Counselors with more than 30 years of experience. Be sure to check out the credentials of the people who have designed the career assessment.
Myth 3: Career tests are only for students
Many people mistakenly believe that career tests are only meant for students and are irrelevant to professionals. Career tests are valuable tools for individuals at any stage of their career journey.
Career assessments can be beneficial at the first destination transition (16-21), the quarter-life transition (21-27), the age thirty transition (28-35), the midlife transition (45-55), and the retirement transition (56-70). At each of these stages, people experience consistent stresses and pains.
First Destination Transition (16-21)
In the first destination transition, individuals commonly experience the pains of identity exploration and decision-making pressure, grappling with questions about who they are and the stress of making significant choices regarding education and career paths. The challenges of this phase can lead to feelings of uncertainty, self-doubt, and the need to establish a sense of direction for the future. Career assessments help young people explore their interests, skills, and values, aiding in developing a clearer sense of self. Students can make more informed decisions about their educational and career paths by understanding their strengths and preferences and exploring work and college majors that fit their interests and strengths.
Having worked for a few years, during the quarter-life transition (21-27), individuals often grapple with an identity crisis, questioning their purpose and values while simultaneously facing challenges in career decision-making, relationship dynamics, financial pressures, and the weight of external expectations, contributing to heightened stress and uncertainty about the future.
Career testing assists individuals in navigating the multitude of career choices and paths available, reducing the uncertainty often experienced in early adulthood.
Identifying career goals aligning with personal values and aspirations contributes to a more satisfying and fulfilling professional life.
Age Thirty Transition (28-35)
During the age thirty transition, individuals may face the pains of reassessing career choices and navigating the pressure for professional success. This phase often involves juggling personal and professional responsibilities, contributing to potential stress, burnout, and a sense of urgency to achieve specific life milestones.
Assessments can help individuals assess their career path, explore advancement opportunities, and make strategic decisions for long-term career progression.
Understanding personal priorities and values can contribute to finding a balance between career goals and personal life.
Midlife Transition (45-55)
In the midlife transition, individuals commonly grapple with the pains of reassessing life goals, facing the possibility of a career change or stagnation, and dealing with existential questions about the purpose and meaning of their lives. The challenges may lead to dissatisfaction, anxiety about aging, and a need for introspection and reevaluation of personal and professional priorities.
Career testing can be instrumental in guiding individuals through a midlife career change or reinvention, allowing them to explore new opportunities and fulfill unmet aspirations.
Identifying transferable skills acquired over the years can facilitate a smoother transition into new career paths.
Pre-Retirement Transition (56-65)
During the pre-retirement transition, individuals often experience the pains associated with planning for the next phase of life, including concerns about financial stability, uncertainties related to the shift in daily routines, and the need to redefine one’s identity and purpose as they approach retirement age, contributing to a mix of anticipation and anxiety about the upcoming changes.
Career assessments help individuals plan for the pre-retirement phase, exploring options for part-time work, consulting, or other activities that align with their skills and interests. Understanding career options and financial implications can provide a more secure and enjoyable pre-retirement period.
Retirement Transition (66 plus)
In the retirement transition, individuals may grapple with the pains of adjusting to a significant lifestyle shift, including losing a familiar work routine, potential social isolation, and the need to find new sources of purpose and fulfillment. The challenges associated with this phase can include feelings of loss, identity adjustment, and the necessity to navigate health and financial considerations, leading to a period of adaptation and self-discovery.
Assessments help individuals plan for post-retirement activities that align with their interests and values, ensuring a purposeful and fulfilling retirement and recognizing skills that can be leveraged in volunteer work, part-time roles, or hobbies post-retirement, contributing to continued personal development.
Myth 4: Career tests limit career options
While it is true that most career tests only provide a few career options for the user, CareerFitTest.com is unique in that it is a career development system, as opposed to a simple career assessment that, for example, provides ten careers that fit the user’s results.
CareerFitTest.com starts by providing individuals with a detailed understanding of their strengths in the form of transferable skills (skills that can transfer from one career to another), personal skills (personality traits), and content skills (knowledge needed for doing particular jobs).
The assessment also shows the user their top motivated skills versus their “killer skills” which are skills the individual dislikes using and “kill” them emotionally and sometimes physically when they are in work that requires that they use those disliked skills.
Next, CareerFitTest.com provides the user with the occupations that fit their results in the form of a Holland-type code. This code allows individuals to view the careers that match their skills, interests, and personality traits. But unlike other career tests, CareerFitTest.com provides a way for individuals to enlarge the number of occupations that fit their design. Thus, the user controls the number of professions they would like to consider, enlarging their visions of possible career options.
The occupations provided are from a database of more than 900 careers. Each job title links to a report allowing individuals to “widen their vision,” explore occupations, and “reality test” careers that fit their skills, interests, and personality traits. The reports include a short opening description of the occupation, the transferable, personal, and content skills used, a video showing you a realistic “day in the life” of a person doing this work, the education needed, the Holland-type codes, work values, salary, and labor market, related occupations and additional information including top associations in that field.
For those considering completing more education, the CareerFitTest.com results also provide College Majors and Programs of Study based on the assessment results.
Myth 5: Career tests are a waste of time and money
While some individuals may find value in career tests, others perceive them as a waste of time and money. Reasons for this sentiment vary and can include:
Lack of Personalization: Some individuals may feel that specific career tests provide generic or superficial career options that don’t truly reflect who they are. Often, free career tests provide generic results, causing people to feel they wasted their time.
Unrealistic or Limited Options: Individuals may question the test’s effectiveness and value if a career test provides unrealistic career results or suggests only a narrow set of options (like their top 10 career choices). Being confined to a limited range of careers can contribute to the perception that the test does not provide valuable insights.
Mismatched Expectations: As we have addressed in other myths above, individuals who expect a career test to provide a definitive answer or make decisions for them may be disappointed if the results offer uninteresting career choices.
Disconnection from Personal Goals: Some individuals may take career tests to confirm a career they have in mind or are pursuing. In such cases, if the results do not align with their aspirations, they may feel that the assessment is not accurate or of value.
Previous Career Counseling Experience: Individuals who have had negative experiences with career counseling or tests may carry a bias into future assessments, perceiving them as unhelpful or untrustworthy.
It’s important to note that the effectiveness of career tests can vary, and individual experiences may differ based on the quality of the test, its alignment with the individual’s needs, and the expectations of the test-taker.
Some career assessments, such as CareerFitTest.com provide a full guarantee, which helps assure the user that taking the career test will not be a waste of money.
Summary
Investing in the right career test can change your life. Bestselling author Brian Tracy has said, “Here is a result that will guarantee your success and possibly make you rich: Invest 3% of your income back into yourself.” Don’t let myths prevent you from benefiting from taking the right career test.
For those considering a career test, it’s advisable to choose reputable assessments, research the methodology, and approach the process with an open mind, understanding that the results are tools for reflection and exploration rather than definitive answers.