VonMike Simpson
If you've found this article, chances are you havedissatisfied with your careeror that you feel like you don't know what you areNaturallyagain.
Take the job test.
What is a professional exam?
Generally,A career test is a multiple-choice test (mostly online) that determines your various personality traits and then uses that information to identify the career that best suits you.
In theory, you should be able to complete one of these tests and get a better idea of the type of work you should be doing based on your needspersonality,capabilities, zTemperament.
But it's not always that easy.
"Sigh. Is it ever?
For one thing, not all career quizzes are created equal! There are questions that need to be answered!
- Who administers the test?
- How do I know if it's legit?
- Are the results 100% accurate?
These are all questions to ask yourself before making any decisions based on answering some random questions on the internet.
Many job seekers start researching online to find the best test, and before they even start comparing tests, they hit a small hurdle...
So what is the difference between all these tests?
In short...they are basically the same thing and mostly serve the same purpose.
I suppose you could argue that a quiz is a shorter version of a test, but I've found that there are quite a few long-form tests called quizzes out there; So I think they're pretty much the same.
With the professional aptitude test, on the other hand, you can now and thendiscovers thatthe nature of the questions is more competency-based than personality traits.
In other words, these tests sometimes focus on your ability to complete technical tasks that are critical to a career (as opposed to how well suited your personality traits are to a particular area).
However, there are also many tests that relate to all three of these things at the same time. The lesson here is to make sure you take the test, which will give you the answers you're looking for and ultimately which career path is right for you.
Which job fits me?
Everyone wants a job that gives them the opportunity to make a lot of money, but as the saying goes, "money can't buy happiness".
While it's true that compensation is at the top of most people's "career checklist," more and more people are discovering it for themselvesreally enjoyThe work they do is almost as important as the amount of money they make (and I'd say a lot of people think it's more important!)
The best career for you is one that gives you the level of financial security you need AND some level of enjoyment (or, as some people say, "when work doesn't feel like work").
Taking an online career quiz won't do this overnight, but it will give you a better idea of the industry and position that will best suit you based on your inclinations.
Below we have outlined some of the most popular online career tests that you can use to determine the career that is right for you.
3 career tests that can help you get a job
MAPP Career Assessment
The MAPP assessment is perhaps the most well-known and widely recognized career test you can take.
MAPP Ocean,“Many career and personality tests tell you all about your personality, but MAPP helps you find yourstrue call.We start by presenting a narrative that offers insights into your motivation. But we go much further. Then we take your test results and compare them to real careers, real jobs that suit you.”
After the test we would have to agree…. How does it work?
The MAPP test is organized in an easy-to-use quasi-multiple format and uses 71 different "triads" consisting of three statements. Your job is to choose the statement that most closely describes you, followed by the statement that least describes you, with an empty statement with no choice.
Here is an example:
After you've done this 71 times, MAPP staff will compile the results and make determinations about you in the following categories:
- Interest in job content
- temperament for work
- suitability for work
- How do you relate to people?
- how do you feel about things
- How do you feel about the data?
- How do you feel about arguing?
- math ability
- language ability
- Your professional focus
Sounds like a lot, but triads are VERY easy and you can actually pass the test in no more than 15 minutes.
You also get instant access to the results, but we should mention that these are just a selection of your results available with the "free subscription". If you want to get the full power of the MAPP test, you'll have to shell out a few bucks.
The question is... is it worth it?
In our opinion, definitely. The results MAPP provides are extremely complete and definitely provide the test taker with more information than can be obtained anywhere else.
They also offer three different premium options (the Starter Package, the Career Seeker Package, and the Executive Package) so you can purchase a package that suits your current situation. In other words, you can see what's included in each package and decide if it's something you really need in your situation (and if it justifies spending some of your hard-earned cash or not).
For example, the Executive package offers custom statements to use in your resume (made based on the information provided in the test) which as you can imagine gives your resumeresume targetorSummarize summarya little more depth!
In short, we believe the MAPP assessment is an extremely important self-discovery exercise, but more importantly, it can really increase your chances of connecting you with a career that will bring you an income AND enable you to start with your work to be satisfied.
Here is a short summary:
The good:Very complete, offers job placement help, resume help
The not so good:There is a fee for full results.
Last thought:A great resource for any job seeker looking to "dig a little deeper" and find the career that resonates with their personality traits and gives them the most job satisfaction.
Click here to review the MAPP test
The Princeton Review
This popular test would definitely fall under the “career test” label, as I mentioned above, which means it's a much shorter test than the MAPP and also gives you a lot less information about who you are and what you do with your should do life. .
The test consists of 24 different "questions", each containing two scenarios, and you only have to choose the scenario that most closely represents you:
After you've repeated this 24 times, the folks at Princeton Review will give you two different types of results, "Interesting Results" and "Recommended Careers."
Your "interests" and "style" get a color based on the questions you answer, which are associated with a personality type:
Based on your responses to the questionnaire, you fall into one of these four categories. The Princeton Review will explain what it means to be in your category ("People with yellow interests are...") and then offer recommended careers based on your style:
While this is an interesting little exercise and provides some interesting tidbits, it actually seems pretty straightforward compared to the MAPP test. The color system is an attractive way of organizing information, but it seems a little too general and simplistic.
The same criticism applies to the section "Professional Recommendations". There doesn't seem to be much explanation when it comes to the results, and you've probably noticed how random the careers are.
Sommelier or astronomer?
i will give it to you If you click on one of the suggested professions, you will be taken to a page that describes the profession in more detail. The A Day in the Life of a... feature is extremely helpful when you're unsure of what to expect on a typical day in that career, and the Quality of Life section is just as important in this regard.
Another great thing about the Princeton Review career quiz is that it's 100% free. So if you're not ready to spend your hard-earned cash to learn a little more about yourself and just want to get a taste of it without breaking the bank, this career quiz might be for you.
However, I would be careful not to make life-changing decisions based solely on the results of this test. In our opinion, this lacks concrete information to make critical decisions and should only be used in conjunction with a few other good indicators.
Here is a brief summary of the Princeton Review Career Quiz:
The good:The Day in the Life and Quality of Life sections of the job description pages are free to take the test or get the results. They contain some important information about what to expect in the career in question.
The not so good:Lack of detailed results, career matching is too general and 'across the map'.
Last thought:This career test is best used in conjunction with other tools and not as a standalone test. We would hesitate to make any big decisions based on the results of this test. But it's free, so give it a try!
Click here to read the Princeton review
The Myers-Briggs type indicator
The MBTI is one of the most well-known and best-performed tests available today. The reason for its popularity is probably how long it's been around, but also because the test is so focused on personality, the results can be applied to far more areas than just your career.
According to the people at MBTI, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Test helps you identify your preferred ways of doing things in four key areas: directing and receiving energy, receiving information, making decisions, and approaching the outside world.
The natural preferences you display in these four categories will eventually place you into one of sixteen different behavioral categories called personality types.
Why is it important?
Well, your personality type has a huge impact on many aspects of your life, but for our purposes, it also has a huge impact on all aspects of your "work" life.
Sea MBTI „Finding the right career can be an exhausting and frustrating quest, but the Myers-Briggs Personality Assessment can help. By getting to know yourself, recognizing the needs of those around you, and recognizing the environments in which you are naturally able to thrive, your approach to career development becomes much easier.”
We would certainly agree with this statement. That is, how does the test work?
The test is divided into 93 multiple choice questions and takes about 15-20 minutes to complete. Here is an example of what one of these questions might look like:
Once you've completed the test, there's another 15 minutes of explaining how things work, which is a little tedious if you're just trying to get your results quickly, but it's important, so I recommend checking out take your time and go through everything. the.
When you finally finish the tutorial, you'll be given a PDF of your results and then taken to your personality type's home screen (which, as you'll see, is a 4-letter indicator...e.g. "enfp") , where you can get all sorts of valuable information about your personality type.
The only thing MBTi doesn't offer is recommendations for the specific careers you should be working on. to determine where to focus your energy.
Another interesting resource that MBTI provides is the What Do You Need Advice feature, which provides personality-specific advice in the following categories:
- Stay motivated and engaged
- Giving and receiving feedback
- dealing with disagreements
- express creativity
- make decisions
- think career
While many of these things may seem like common sense at first, the fact that the MBTI can tailor the categories to your personality type is a very powerful tool that gives you specific insights.
Okay, looking good Mike. Is all this information free?
While I think the MBTI is a unique and useful tool, I should also mention that you can't even take the test without paying upfront ($49.95 plus tax). Okay, so the next question is... is it worth it?
That's it. Not only is this test well verified and performed thousands of times around the world, it gives you a deep knowledge of yourself and lots of information that no other test will ever give you.
For our purposes, though, I'd like them to provide a little more specific career advice, specifically regarding the types of careers and jobs the test-taker should focus on. They would argue that they give some recommendations on "how to choose a career" what they do... I just wish they gave a little more detail about the careers themselves.
Here is a brief summary of the Myers-Briggs type indicator:
The good:No other test gives you more information about your personality type and how it affects different areas of your life.
The not so good:The test cannot be taken without prepayment, there is not enough job-specific information for our purposes
Last thought:All in all a great test that I would recommend in conjunction with another more job specific test!
Click here to review the Myers-Briggs test
put everything together
In summary, the key takeaway from reviewing these career tests was that it is important not to rely on the results of just one test, but to take a few and gather all the information.
In other words... try them all!
All of the data together gives you a good idea of the career options that best suit your personality and, in many cases, gives you insight into other valuable areas of your life as well.
And remember, these career tests aren't the be-all and end-all when it comes to which careers to focus on. Ultimately, it's up to you which direction to go in.
These tests are just another tool you can use to help you on your journey.
Much luck!
Mike Simpson(Co-founder and CEO)
co-foundereCEOby TheInterviewGuys. with. Mike is a job interviewer and careers expert and senior writer for TheInterviewGuys.com.
Their advice and insights have been shared and featured in publications such asForbes,entrepreneur,CNBCand much more, as well as educational institutions like theUniversity of Michigan,Penn State,northeastand other.
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